Of late, Korean car maker Hyundai is on a roll, scoring well with the local buyers with their recent new models such as the Avante and i30.
The former, in particular, even outsold Toyota’s Corolla Altis – the old guard in the Category A COE segment – and Kia’s very decent Cerato Forte in 2009, to the tune of 5,225 units against the 4,259 units of the Toyota and 3,148 units of the Kia.
And it looks like their SUV brethren would be following in their footsteps.
The newly launched Tucson is now into its second generation and it represents a quantum leap from the outgoing model in just about every aspect, making it a formidable contender in the small SUV segment.
Its bigger sibling, the Santa Fe, has also recently undergone a mid-cycle facelift to revitalise the sales of this mid-sized off-roader. Not only did it bring about cosmetic updates but also mechanical changes under the body.
We spend a day with this seven-seater SUV to find out more.
The former, in particular, even outsold Toyota’s Corolla Altis – the old guard in the Category A COE segment – and Kia’s very decent Cerato Forte in 2009, to the tune of 5,225 units against the 4,259 units of the Toyota and 3,148 units of the Kia.
And it looks like their SUV brethren would be following in their footsteps.
The newly launched Tucson is now into its second generation and it represents a quantum leap from the outgoing model in just about every aspect, making it a formidable contender in the small SUV segment.
Its bigger sibling, the Santa Fe, has also recently undergone a mid-cycle facelift to revitalise the sales of this mid-sized off-roader. Not only did it bring about cosmetic updates but also mechanical changes under the body.
We spend a day with this seven-seater SUV to find out more.
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When viewed on its own, it takes more than a cursory glance to pick out the visual enhancements that come as part of the facelift. However, when parked side by side with the outgoing model, the aesthetic differences between the two are clear for all to see.
The bulk of the visual updates are centred at the front of the car, the most noticeable being the new grille which now looks youthful and contemporary. Flanking it is a pair of slightly revised headlights, and completing the new look is a new, sculpted front bumper. The Hyundai designers have even paid some attention to the styling of the fog lamp surround, making something as plain as that, dare I say, enticing.
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Along its flanks, the crease line on the lower part of the doors is now more prominent on the new car. The side sills are shapelier than before, and they actually give the Santa Fe a slightly sporty stance. Oh, and the five-split-spoke alloy wheels are new as well.
Coming round to the back, the only changes are the new all-red tail lights and a restyled rear bumper that incorporates new exhaust tips. The reflectors on either side of the bumper take on the same design theme as the new front fog lamp surrounds.
Inside it
Save for the new backlight design and font used on the instrument dials, the interior is unchanged from before. The good bits about it are the versatile 7-seat layout, the commanding view, the good all-round visibility, flat-folding third-row seats and oodles of cubbyholes up front.
Unfortunately, those areas that could be improved are still present, such as the front seats that lack lateral support, the third-row of seats that can only accommodate children, the steering column that has only tilt adjustment, and the left-side-only access to the last row of seats. And the presence of hard plastics in the cabin does little to help things.
Coming round to the back, the only changes are the new all-red tail lights and a restyled rear bumper that incorporates new exhaust tips. The reflectors on either side of the bumper take on the same design theme as the new front fog lamp surrounds.
Inside it
Save for the new backlight design and font used on the instrument dials, the interior is unchanged from before. The good bits about it are the versatile 7-seat layout, the commanding view, the good all-round visibility, flat-folding third-row seats and oodles of cubbyholes up front.
Unfortunately, those areas that could be improved are still present, such as the front seats that lack lateral support, the third-row of seats that can only accommodate children, the steering column that has only tilt adjustment, and the left-side-only access to the last row of seats. And the presence of hard plastics in the cabin does little to help things.
Driving it
Providing the go for the new Santa Fe is a new 2.4-litre direct-injection engine – shared with the closely related Kia Sorento – that puts out 174bhp at 6000rpm and a peak torque of 226Nm at 3750rpm. Mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission (same as the one on the new Tucson), this now front-driven SUV reaches the 100km/h mark in a leisurely 11.7 seconds, and its top speed is a claimed 187km/h – not exactly scintillating but these performance figures are adequate for a SUV of this size.
Not only does it have an extra cog, the brand new gearbox is also lighter than the five-speed unit on the old car – both coming together to improve the fuel efficiency of the Santa Fe. On top of that, it allows the driver to have manual control over the gears via a sequential manual mode using the gear lever. Hyundai even goes as far as to claim that this new ‘box requires no maintenance at all.
Off the line, it does feel a little lethargic due to the lack of low-end torque, but once it is on the move, this Korean SUV is pleasantly lively though the four-pot motor is not exactly the smoothest nor quietest engine out there. It even handles pretty decently for a car designed more for off-road than on-road use. Gear shifts are smooth and unhurried, and the grip from the 235/65 R17 Kumho Solus rubber is reasonably good.
The suspension feels well sorted and it does a good job of minimising excessive body roll whilst cushioning the occupants from the bumps and ruts of the roads. What lets it down is the steering, for it lacks feedback albeit nicely weighted.
Providing the go for the new Santa Fe is a new 2.4-litre direct-injection engine – shared with the closely related Kia Sorento – that puts out 174bhp at 6000rpm and a peak torque of 226Nm at 3750rpm. Mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission (same as the one on the new Tucson), this now front-driven SUV reaches the 100km/h mark in a leisurely 11.7 seconds, and its top speed is a claimed 187km/h – not exactly scintillating but these performance figures are adequate for a SUV of this size.
Not only does it have an extra cog, the brand new gearbox is also lighter than the five-speed unit on the old car – both coming together to improve the fuel efficiency of the Santa Fe. On top of that, it allows the driver to have manual control over the gears via a sequential manual mode using the gear lever. Hyundai even goes as far as to claim that this new ‘box requires no maintenance at all.
Off the line, it does feel a little lethargic due to the lack of low-end torque, but once it is on the move, this Korean SUV is pleasantly lively though the four-pot motor is not exactly the smoothest nor quietest engine out there. It even handles pretty decently for a car designed more for off-road than on-road use. Gear shifts are smooth and unhurried, and the grip from the 235/65 R17 Kumho Solus rubber is reasonably good.
The suspension feels well sorted and it does a good job of minimising excessive body roll whilst cushioning the occupants from the bumps and ruts of the roads. What lets it down is the steering, for it lacks feedback albeit nicely weighted.
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Conclusion
No doubt the Santa Fe looks a tad fresher with the facelift, but its interior design and quality let the impression down. Nonetheless, with a price tag of just under $90k, the Santa Fe is an enticing proposition, especially for those looking at the Tucson. No doubt the former is just a face-lifted model and not a whole new model like the latter, but the premium of less than $2k over the most expensive Tucson for a bigger car with a larger engine is genuinely tempting. Just do not look beyond the Hyundai showroom…
No doubt the Santa Fe looks a tad fresher with the facelift, but its interior design and quality let the impression down. Nonetheless, with a price tag of just under $90k, the Santa Fe is an enticing proposition, especially for those looking at the Tucson. No doubt the former is just a face-lifted model and not a whole new model like the latter, but the premium of less than $2k over the most expensive Tucson for a bigger car with a larger engine is genuinely tempting. Just do not look beyond the Hyundai showroom…
