By EWAN KENNEDY
25 September 2006

Korean maker Hyundai first made its name in Australia by offering cheap and cheerful passenger cars. It then moved into some more upmarket cars (though upmarket is a relative term), before turning its corporate hand to 4WDs for the first time in 2000. Hyundai's first 4WD was the boldly-styled Santa Fe that came with a distinctive front end that really made it stand out from the crowd.

Slightly larger than average for its class, Hyundai Santa Fe sits roughly midway between the smaller Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 and the mid-size Chrysler Jeep and Nissan Pathfinder.

Because of its extra size the Santa Fe can be used as a family car provided the kids aren’t overly large. There's good legroom in the rear, but some of that legroom has been gained by stealing space from the front seat occupants. Try the driver’s seat for comfort if you are much over six feet.

Carrying capacity is most capable. As well as the normal cargo area, there's a bin recessed into the right side wall and hidden storage spaces under the lift-up floor panel. A retractable blind and luggage net combined to improve safety and security.

The rear glass can be opened separately if you don’t want to lift the whole tailgate, a real convenience in cramped carparks.

Ride comfort is good and handling is nicely sorted for Australian conditions. The Koreans really seem to have a feel for what Australian drivers like in their vehicles. In the bush the Santa Fe copes well with corrugations, in the suburbs speed-bumps seldom cause any real grief.

Santa Fe originally arrived only with the power of Hyundai's 2.7-litre V6 engine, but the range was expanded early in 2001 when a four-cylinder 2.4-litre unit arrived. Both engines are modern twin-cam units with a decent spread of torque.

The four-cylinder engine wasn’t all that successful, chiefly because the six offered such good value. The four was therefore taken off the Australian market towards the end of 2003. That’s no reflection on the four-cylinder engine itself and it should make a good used-car buy. Four-cylinder engines in a car of this size can be a bit of a compromise. Hyundai wisely opted to import only the five-speed manual version for Australia use.

All V6 powered Santa Fe models have a four-speed automatic transmission. The V6 auto has a sequential function to give the driver a fair degree of manual control and is useful for getting the best from the engine.

The Santa Fe has full-time all-wheel-drive with a 60/40 front/rear drive split which can vary either way according to load and/or changes in wheel traction.

Off-road it’s better than average for its class. Not brilliant, but capable of coping with tough conditions that are far harder than those likely to be challenged by the typical owner.

The Hyundai dealer network is large and generally widespread, though as you might expect, there's a strong concentration in metropolitan areas and dealers aren't that common in the far outback.

We have heard of no complaints about anyone having to wait over long for spare parts or servicing. Prices for both are about average for this class.

Santa Fe is fairly traditional in its mechanical makeup and the good home mechanic will find themselves able to do much of the work. As always have a good workshop manual at hand, but please don’t attempt any safety related repairs.

Insurance charges are moderate, though there does seem to be a bigger than average spread of premiums between companies. So it’s worth taking the time to shop around for the best deal for your circumstances.

Hyundai Santa Fe works extremely well considering it’s the company’s first attempt at a vehicle in this class. It has since been joined by the slightly softer Tucson and the pretty-tough Terracan, so in the last six years Hyundai has become an integral part of the Australian 4WD scene.

An all-new Hyundai Santa Fe was launched in May 2006, but few, if any, will have reached the used-car yards at this stage.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Check that the engine starts easily, pulls well and doesn’t hesitate when accelerated suddenly.

Make sure the transmission operates smoothly and easily and that there are no funny noises from the driveshafts and universal joints.

Look over the interior for signs of it having had a hard time at the hands of uncaring children.

Check for signs of underbody damage caused by harsh off-road use. The body corners and doors sills are often the first to suffer.

Look at the protection plates under the engine as damage there suggests the Santa Fe has been given a hiding at some time in its life.

While you are under the vehicle look for white stains that may be the residue of salt water picked up during a trip to the beach. Most drivers do the right thing and keep clear of seawater, but some may have been splashing about in the waves. Salt water can create corrosion much faster than can fresh.

Look for fine scratches in the paint where the body has been squeezed past branches. Deeper scratches are likely to have been caused by trees or rocks.

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