Hyundai Santa Fe (2012 – 2018) Review

April 2012

Hyundai revealed the all-new Santa Fe

In its latest form, the popularD-segment SUV is re-styled inside and out, fitted with enhanced features and new technology, and powered by re-tuned engines with improved efficiency – ensuring that it will offer European buyers a visually-appealing, sophisticated lifestyle vehicle when it goes on sale in late summer.

4,770mm long x 1,890mm wide x 1,680mm high

Three powertrain options will be available to European buyers, including a new, super-efficient, Euro 6- compliant 2,0-litre ‘R’ VGT diesel engine. Producing 150ps, this powerplant emits just 155g/km of CO2. The 2,2-litre diesel unit has been tuned for greater efficiency, making it one of the cleanest offerings in the segment with CO2 emissions of only 145g/km.

To ensure the newcomer is best suited to the tastes of European drivers, extensive development work has been
completed for the European-specification model. This includes modifications to the steering, suspension and brakes, as well as changes to the car’s set-up to aid to high-speed stability and towing ability.

As with all newly-launched models in Europe, the New Generation Santa Fe will come with Hyundai’s industry-best customer care package, Five Year Triple Care – comprising a five-year unlimited warranty, five years of roadside assistance, and five years of vehicle health checks.

New Generation Santa Fe will come with a host of intelligent features that enhance the comfort and convenience of
driver and passengers, providing a stress-free experience for all occupants. To improve the driving experience, Hyundai has fitted the third-generation Santa Fe with driver aids, such as radar-controlled, adaptive cruise control. Light- and rain-detecting lights and wipers, which turn on when the conditions require, allow the driver to concentrate fully on the road ahead.

New Generation Santa Fe will be fitted with the Smart Parking Assist System to help drivers access even the tightest of spaces. To improve comfort, the front seats are electronically powered and the driver’s seat has a memory function to adapt to different drivers’ preferred positions. The second row of seats slides and folds with a one-touch control, giving passengers quick and easy access to the optional third-row seats (where fitted).

Front- and second-row legroom have been increased – by 38mm and 45mm respectively – over the last-generation car, while a long, wide, single-frame panoramic sunroof allows high levels of natural light into the cabin. Luggage space in the trunk has been increased by 37mm in depth over the previous generation model, yielding a class-best luggage capacity of 534 litres with the front five seats upright.

When reversing, the tailgate-mounted camera automatically displays a clear, convex view of the area behind the car on the 7-inch screen. The wide-angle view is low enough to enable the driver to avoid low obstacles and small pedestrians.

An optional 220 Volt power socket can provide direct power to appliances including laptops, printers and vacuum cleaners. Located in the trunk, the socket can power equipment rated up to 200 Watts without a specific invertor. The new Santa Fe also has intelligent design features such as puddle lamps fitted within the exterior mirrors to illuminate the ground alongside the vehicle, and privacy glass for comfort and security.

The New Generation Santa Fe’s powertrain line-up has been developed to suit the demands of European customers, with three engines at launch covering 80% of demand in the region’s D-SUV segment. Delivering a broad spread of power and torque, the three engines offer drivers performance across multiple terrains, without compromising class-leading fuel efficiency and emissions.

The powertrain line-up features one petrol and two diesel engines, with outputs between 150ps and 200ps. All
of these engines combine excellent power with improved efficiency and class-leading emissions figures.

The range-topping diesel engine remains Hyundai’s 2,2-litre ‘R’ diesel engine featuring a variable geometry turbo
(VGT). This all-aluminium, powerplant generates 200ps and 431Nm of torque, and Hyundai’s engineers have reduced the emissions to 145 g/km – among the lowest in the segment.

With this powerful engine, the new Santa Fe delivers strong performance, accelerating from 0 to 100 kph in 9,4
seconds (manual transmission, 2WD). Hyundai will also offer a smaller, 2,0-litre ‘R’ diesel engine with VGT which completes the diesel line-up. Developing 150ps and delivering 382Nm of torque, this refined powerplant emits just 155g/km of CO2 emissions when applied to the Santa Fe.

Thanks to the variable geometry turbocharger fitted to both diesel engines, New Generation Santa Fe offers 100%
of torque from low revs – just 2.000 rpm – which makes the car well suited to both off-road terrains and dynamic on-road driving. A ‘Theta II’ 2,4-litre GDI engine will offer European customers a petrol alternative. Its maximum power (193ps) and modest CO2 emissions of 197 g/km again set the New Generation Santa Fe apart as a segment leader.

In creating the New Generation Santa Fe, Hyundai has retained the car‘s SUV heritage, but has also improved its on-road abilities. A front subframe, which supports the engine, transmission and suspension, is mounted using specially designed bushes to minimise unwanted noise and vibrations reaching the cabin, while allowing the steering to provide excellent feedback to the driver in all conditions.

The all-new bodyshell of the third-generation Santa Fe uses the same technologies that were incorporated into the i40, which won the Euro Car Body award in 2011. A complex mixture of lightweight, high-strength steel and aluminium components increases bending strength and torsional rigidity compared to the previous model. The steel is sourced from the company’s own plant – Hyundai Steel –in Korea.

Hyundai has optimised the powertrains in the third-generation Santa Fe to be as refined as possible, using lighter materials, damped engine mounts and increased levels of sound insulation to create a quiet, cosseting interior. These measures combine to reduce the NVH compared to the previous generation vehicle, making it a comfortable environment in which to travel – on or off road.

SAFETY

In line with the rest of Hyundai’s European vehicle range, the New Generation Santa Fe will feature high-tech active and passive safety features to ensure exceptional occupant safety and improved protection for pedestrians.

Active safety systems give Santa Fe drivers the best chance of avoiding an accident. These include ABS (anti-lock braking system), ESP (electronic stability programme), VSM (vehicle stability management), DBC (downhill brake control) and a hill-holder system.

A lane-departure warning system alerts the driver should the car drift into the adjacent lane without the side indicator being activated. An audible chime is sounded in the cabin, to draw attention to the situation.

An automatic cruise control system uses radar to monitor traffic ahead and ensure that Santa Fe will not get too close
to the car in front. This increases convenience for the driver and also reduces the chance of a collision.

Good driver visibility is a key factor for safety, and the New Generation Santa Fe has several features that enhance day and night time vision. HID Xenon headlights offer high-intensity, far-reaching illumination of the road ahead, giving the driver the best possible vision. To further aid vision and safety, the headlights switch on automatically if conditions require them, and daytime running lights are fitted as standard.

In terms of passive safety, the New Generation Santa Fe is built using a lightweight, high-tensile steel and aluminium structure which provides excellent bodyshell rigidity and strength, protecting occupants in the event of a collision.

New Generation Santa Fe is fitted with seven airbags as standard, including driver, passenger, side, curtain and driver’s knee units, providing exceptional levels of safety to buyers across the range.

With pedestrians in mind, Hyundai has equipped the new model with an active hood – the first such application in a Hyundai, and an important contributor to greater pedestrian safety in the event of a collision. Upon impact, the hood rises to reduce the force of the collision and, thus, reduce the risk of injury.

These features ensure new Santa Fe has outstanding levels of safety, and reinforce Hyundai’s commitment to providing its customers with class-leading cars in this crucial area. It is expected that, in line with recent Hyundai models, the New Generation Santa Fe will attain a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating – even meeting the demands of the new, more rigorous 2012 test procedure.

June 2012

Prices announced

Hyundai confirmed pricing and specification for the New Generation Santa Fe SUV, which goes on sale in the UK on October 15. Prices will start from £25,495 OTR for the 2.2-litre CRDi Style 2WD model.

The New Generation Santa Fe will be powered by a 2.2-litre CRDi engine which develops 197PS and 311lb ft of torque. Six-speed manual or automatic transmissions will be available. The engine has been worked to ensure significant improvements in fuel economy along with associated reductions in CO2 emissions. The 2WD version returns 47.9mpg on the combined cycle and emissions fall below the benchmark 160g/km level for the first time (155g/km) making it an attractive proposition for fleets.

The 4WD manual Santa Fe too makes an appealing fleet choice with a combined fuel consumption figure of 46.3mpg and 159g/km. The automatic model is almost on par with the outgoing manual version delivering 41.5mpg and just 178g/km.

Three trim levels are available and there is still a choice of either five- or seven-seat configurations. In keeping with Hyundai’s philosophy of offering customers maximum value for money, the Santa Fe comes standard with a number of key features that are traditionally cost options with rivals, beginning with the entry-level Style.

On the outside, the Style model gets 18-inch alloy wheels, body coloured door handles, body coloured door mirrors with integrated indicator lights, reverse parking sensors, daytime running lights, self-levelling suspension (seven seat only) and a rear spoiler with high-mounted brake light. Inside, air conditioning is standard along with Bluetooth with voice recognition, multi-function steering wheel and Hyundai’s adjustable Flex Steer system.

Hyundai engineers have tuned the New Generation Santa Fe’s suspension specifically for UK roads to ensure a refined and cosseting ride. Dampers have been stiffened over the European set-up in order to cope with bumps and uneven road surfaces that are more common in the UK.

A number of safety features are also standard from entry including ESP, Hill Start Assist, Vehicle Stability Management, Trailer Stability Assist and seven airbags. A first for Santa Fe is the Active Bonnet System, which raises the bonnet by 60mm in the event of a pedestrian collision to help minimise the impact of head injuries. The system complements the New Generation Santa Fe’s already high safety package.

Moving up to the Premium mid-trim adds additional specification over the entry-level Style such as touchscreen satellite navigation, reverse parking camera with Parking Guidance System, electric folding door mirrors with puddle lamps, dual zone climate control, heated front seats, roof rails, chrome effect door handles and black leather seat trim. Beige leather can be specified as an alternative at no additional cost. Prices for the Premium models begin at £28,995.

The new range-topping Premium SE trim is laden with a vast array of comfort, safety, and luxury features and starts at £32,695 for the seven-seat four-wheel drive manual. In addition to the Premium trim, Premium SE gets 19-inch alloy wheels, electric driver’s seat adjustment, Panoramic sunroof, Xenon headlights, keyless entry with engine start/stop button, front parking sensors, Smart Parking Assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, Supervision Cluster with LCD display.

Interior space and packaging differs from the outgoing Santa Fe with improvements to rear legroom (+45mm) and first row headroom (+11mm). The New Generation Santa Fe still remains a functional and versatile SUV with luggage capacity at 534 litres plus an additional 48 litres under the boot floor. For added convenience the Santa Fe is fitted with two quick-release levers inside the boot to flatten the second row of seats for maximum load space.

The Santa Fe is backed by Hyundai’s 5 Year Triple Care package, which means owners get a fully transferable five year unlimited mileage warranty, five years roadside assistance and five years free vehicle health checks.