Hyundai Santa Fe leads the way

MOTORING NEWS - The new fourth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe was officially launched in Cape Town last Friday, and wow, what a car! Its wider, athletic stance, eye-catching composite lights and cascading grille command attention and ooze power.

Driving
After breakfast at Durbanville Hills, we took to the road and I was immediately impressed, especially when it came to the Santa Fe's performance on gravel. It felt like driving on a cloud.

The suspension - McPherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear - delivers a super smooth ride. The suspension has been stiffened and placed vertically to give a longer travel length for more comfort.

I stopped for a short photo session and somehow got the vehicle into a tight spot with one back wheel in the air and the front wheel digging into the gravel, but with the Santa Fe, getting back on all fours was child’s play.

External vertical shock absorbers optimise responsiveness and stability while minimising noise, vibration and harshness levels during driving.

On bends the car is glued to the road with lots of power when needed.

Photo gallery: Santa Fe leads the way

Interior
Materials of the highest quality are used and it is obvious that Hyundai pays attention to the tiniest details. The inside is so spacious that my six foot-plus frame felt small. It also has a massive boot of 547 litres that can be extended to 1 625 litres with both the third and second rows of seats folded down.

The Santa Fe has a state-of-the-art infotainment system connecting to both Android and OS with a wireless charger in the centre console.

Variable torque control with HTRAC
The Hyundai in-house-developed HTRAC in the Santa Fe Elite derivative is based on four-wheel drive technology with variable control of the power to the wheels. The term “HTRAC” is a combination of the H of Hyundai and the first part of the word “traction”. Variable torque control enables agile handling and better torque application, depending on wheel grip and speed.

In combination with the drive modes, HTRAC improves acceleration, stability and fuel efficiency. It also increases traction on slippery roads and gravel while enhancing cornering performance. The vehicle was tested in the bends on the Swartland roads.

In Sport mode, HTRAC delivers improved acceleration with up to 50% torque distributed to the rear wheels. In Comfort Mode, it offers improved stability with up to 35% torque distributed to the rear wheels, and in Eco mode, H-Trac provides improved fuel efficiency by sending power to the front wheels only.

The new eye-catching Hyundai Santa Fe with its wider athletic stance was launched in Cape Town last Friday. Photo: Wessel van Heerden

Safety

Safety takes high priority and some of the safety features include:

Rear Occupant Alert (in the Elite derivative) monitors the rear seats to detect passengers and alerts the driver when leaving the car.
Electronic Child Safety Lock
Rear Cross-traffic Collision-avoidance Assist
Blind Spot Detection System
Safety Exit Assist
ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System)
ESP (Electronic Stability Programme)
DBC (Downhill Brake Control)
HAC (Hill Start Assist Control)
Lane Keeping Assist
Highest Passive Safety

In a nutshell

Great performance with low fuel consumption.
No transmission gear stick and fully electronic.
Lots of space.
Spec for spec you get more bang for your buck.
You get a fully specced vehicle and don’t need to buy add-ons.
User-friendly infotainment system.
Seven-year / 200 000km warranty.
67-liter tank, 1 300km on a tank of petrol – five to seven liters per 100km
Remote start.
Fabulous climate control.
Great safety features.
Marvellous on gravel.

Pricing

• Santa Fe R2.2 Executive 8sp DCT – R769 500
• Santa Fe R2.2 Elite 8sp DCT AWD – R869 500

All prices include Hyundai Automotive SA’s seven-year/200 000 km manufacturer’s warranty (consisting of the standard five-year/150 000km warranty, plus the additional two-year/50 000km drive train warranty extension).

If you are in the market for a new SUV, I strongly advise test driving the new Santa Fe.

Keep an eye on Hyundai - they have a line-up of unique designs on the way - so, if you enjoy standing out in a crowd, a Hyundai could be just the car for you.

For all your professional video and photography needs, contact Wessel van Heerden on 083 281 8384.

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