By Miles Downard
It’s quite remarkable when you think how far this Korean brand has come in a relatively short space of time. If you’re over 30 years of age you’ll likely remember the first Hyundai’s that arrived in South Africa and the caution that was shown by the local consumer. It’s not all that different to how we see Chinese cars today.
Now Hyundai is a very well established player in our local market, delivering a quality product that people trust. I recently had the opportunity to test the company’s new Sante Fe, the largest of its SUVs and a vehicle that many will likely consider if currently in the hunt for a new family car.
So, what’s it like, I hear you ask?
It’s really quite nice. The cabin is spacious and certainly feels that way given the panoramic roof shedding plenty of light throughout. The dials and controls are simple, easy to use and well placed. There’s nothing overly complicated about anything inside the Sante Fe, which can’t be said for all vehicles in this segment.
Should you have a large family, or be in charge of the ‘soccer’ run, the Sante Fe has 7 seats, the back row of which folds into the boot floor. And if all the seats are in use there’s still a decent sized boot behind them, nearly as much as a small hatch back in fact. So it definitely ticks the practicality box.
The 2.2 litre turbo diesel motor is mated to an eight speed conventional automatic gearbox. With 142kW and 440 torques it’ll get up and go just fine and gear changes are nice and smooth with very little hunting up and down the cogs. Economy wise I managed 8.6 litres per 100km, with a bias toward town driving, which is acceptable in my books.
The Elite model I drove comes on 19 inch wheels which in my opinion are a little big as I’d prefer the 18 inch option from the Premium derivative, but at least it has sensible profile tyres. That together with fairly plush suspension means the Sante Fe is nice and comfortable both day to day and on the open road. On demand all wheel drive is also a feature of the Elite derivative and is a nice addition should you find yourself on a rough dirt road, or headed up a bit of a hill on a game drive, for example.
As with most Hyundai’s you get a lot of features, such as blind spot detection, park distance control with cameras, cruise control etc. Quite a neat new one is rear cross traffic alert, which will warn you of passing vehicles when reversing out of your driveway, or a parking spot, where you can’t necessarily see up and down the road you’re reversing on to.
Read also:Â Hyundai Kona – A great car with a great dilemma
And how much does all of this cost?
Well the Elite derivative comes in at R759,900. That’s a fair whack of money even though you are getting a lot of car. For example the top of the range Ford Everest we tested recently comes in at the same sort of money but for that you’re getting a proper 4×4 system and a lot more features, like adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. This isn’t the only case of the Hyundai being out-gunned on the value stakes either and this is perhaps where Hyundai needs to be careful, as its name has been built on offering value for money, where lately it’s cars have become rather expensive for what you’re getting.
Why should I buy one then?
Well I’m not entirely sure that you should. Yes, the Sante Fe is still a nice car that offers a lot and Hyundai has also put its head on a block in terms of backing its reliability by offering a 7 year/200,000 km warranty on the powertrain. That’s some peace of mind for owners and quite a statement from Hyundai but I’m not sure it’s enough to sway me from all the other options out there.
