Driving the Hyundai Santa Fe

If you want to know how far the Korean car industry has come, look no further than the Santa Fe. First of all, its distinctive looks are far from the bland and derivative styling of previous efforts. Just about every Korean carmaker is coming up with more and more original and inspired designs, and the Santa Fe is easily one of them.

Of course, with so many car companies churning out hundreds of different models, it’s not uncommon to have two different cars sharing similar design characteristics. The Santa Fe is no exception. I applaud the bold front end, whose large blacked-out grille extends past bumper level almost like the current Audis. (You see this design touch on the latest Starexes too.) The quad projector lamps won’t look out of place in an Audi or BMW.

Over at the rear, the cutlines of the tailgate and the taillamp clusters are reminiscent of the upscale VW Touareg’s, which shares its platform with none other than the Porsche Cayenne. I wouldn’t mind my SUV being mistaken for any of these aforementioned cars.

It’s the side view that shows the most Hyundai styling heritage. The Santa Fe’s Coke bottle curves on the front and rear fenders have been on Hyundais since the 97-era Coupe and Elantra, but rendered in 21st century sheetmetal by combining them with a beltline that rises towards the D-pillar, giving the Santa Fe a much more dynamic look compared to one with a simple horizontal beltline. Overall, it’s a successful design effort, bolder yet more mature than that of Hyundai’s own Tucson SUV, right down to the mean-looking twin oval tailpipes on either end of the rear bumper.

Build quality is good too, with impressively small panel gaps and solid-closing doors. Inside, fit and finish are eons ahead of the Korean cars of 20 or even 10 years ago. The materials are plusher and better built. Even the color schemes are geared to international tastes, as compared to the odd purple or orange prints found in the otherwise drab gray upholstery of the Santa Fe’s forerunners.

The all-important NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) levels are low. You barely hear the engine idling (and this is a diesel!) and road noise, too, is impressively subdued.

On the road, ride quality is excellent. The Santa Fe just glides over bumps, potholes and even railroad crossings; this despite its conventional front strut/rear multilink suspension matched with 17-inch wheels and 235/65R-17 all-terrain Hankook tires. The body is as stiff as the best from Japan and Europe and in some ways, exhibits better body control and handling dynamics than American SUVs. Steering and braking performance are top-notch.

Power-wise, I can’t rave enough about the seemingly small 2.2-liter common-rail direct-injected (CRDi) turbodiesel engine. Thanks to CRDi technology, it belts out an adequate 150 ps at a low 4000 rpm and a stunning 34.2 kg-m of torque at an astoundingly low 1800 rpm. With this torque figure, you find yourself vaulting past other vehicles with a mere tap of the accelerator. Another strong point is the smoothness and willingness of the engine to rev to its 4500-rpm redline. You hear the engine increasing its revs but it’s sound rather than noise. Gasoline engines have been noisier than this. Flooring the throttle with the automatic (a manumatic 5-speed, natch!), you just get surprised that the gearbox upshifts at about 4000 rpm when you expect it to go all the way to a 6000-rpm shift, just like a gasoline engine. It’s that smooth and quiet.

The only downside is the conspicuous torque steer even when you’re just moderately aggressive with the accelerator. You feel the front wheels tugging left or right in reaction to the prodigious torque being channeled through them. Early-generation front-wheel-drive (FWD) cars of the 80s were particularly prone to this. But even modern FWD designs (the Santa Fe CRDi is FWD; the 2.7-liter V6 gasoline version is the 4x4 variant) can be overwhelmed by this amount of torque.

So what other noteworthy things does this SUV offer? Sumptuous leather upholstery with maroon piping, for one. A 3rd row seat that disappears into the floor to leave a flat rear cargo area, for another. Swing the backseats up and you have additional space for two adults or even three medium-sized persons. The resulting legroom for the 3rd row passengers is somewhat better than those found in the Toyota Fortuner, thanks to the Santa Fe’s deeper footwell.

Other goodies are an airconditioned console box, a convex conversation mirror that lets the driver see all other occupants, steering wheel audio control buttons, aircon vents for the 2nd and 3rd row seats, and the very Lexus-like cool blue illumination for the instruments and even the power window switches.

Oh, and did I mention that our test car sported a truly glorious paint finish that Hyundai calls "Superior Red" but is actually a rich dark shade of metallic brown with maroon overtones? It looked good enough to eat!

The Good

• Stylish exterior

• Gobs of torque

• Fuel-efficient state-of-the-art CRDi motor

• Smooth, refined drivetrain

• Spacious well-built cabin

• Disappearing 3rd-row seats

The Bad

• Strong torque steer

• Would be nice to have a moonroof and backup sensors

The Verdict

• A good-looking upscale SUV with lots of power, lots of room, and is fuel-efficient to boot. Frisky front wheels aside, what’s not to like?