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Tim Britten27 Feb 2012
REVIEW

Hyundai Santa Fe: Long-Term Update

A two-tonne diesel SUV would not always be the vehicle of choice for doing a quick run between two Australian capital cities, but when needs must . . .

Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander R-Series
Long-Term Update

The choices were clear-cut. When deciding on the most practical, most cost-effective way of transporting two adults and two bicycles from Melbourne to Adelaide to participate in the 2012 Bupa Challenge Tour -- a 140km-plus ride from the Adelaide suburb of Norwood to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley on the same course (and the same day) as stage four of the annual Tour Down Under -- we had the options of packing up the bikes and flying, or loading them into a vehicle and spending a day at the wheel.

It didn’t take long to opt for the second alternative: Adelaide is not that far away, and it is far cheaper to drive, as well as being easier to load two bikes into a car than an aeroplane. The long-term Hyundai Santa Fe residing in the company garage was the obvious choice.

motoring.com.au was represented in the Bupa Challenge by two brave souls: editor in chief Mike Sinclair (who drove to Adelaide too, in an Audi A6) and myself. Both of us sought moral support from a riding companion who took the passenger’s seat for most of the road trip.

The general consensus was that the Hyundai occupants got the better deal, mainly because there was plenty of space to throw aboard two carbon fibre road bikes, plus the travel gear needed for a few days interstate.

Our trip in the Santa Fe was also made easier with our relatively early departure time that gave us the opportunity to check out at least some of the bike route (including the first King of the Mountain ascent near Forreston, 30-odd kilometres from the start. The second King of the Mountain, at Menglers Hill close to the finish, was the killer) once arriving in Adelaide.

With its 70-litre tank pumped full of diesel and a total drive distance of around 720 kilometres in front of us, our calculations told us that, with a claimed extra-urban fuel consumption of 6.3L/100km, we would be able to romp home to Adelaide with plenty in reserve.

Loading the Santa Fe confirmed we had indeed chosen an appropriate vehicle for the occasion. All seats folded with the ease you’d expect of a contemporary seven-passenger SUV, and with 2247 litres at our disposal once the second and third-row seats were folded -- plus a decent 908mm of height and a wide load area relatively unobstructed by the rear wheel arches - the main issue was protecting the bikes from each other. A couple of old blankets looked after that.

Behind the wheel, the Santa Fe felt substantial, tough and reliable, solid with just a sense of stolid. If you could drive the Hyundai with your eyes shut, you’d swear it was a Toyota. For the Korean car-maker this could be taken as praise indeed, given the Japanese giant’s stranglehold on SUV sales in Australia.

That said, the Santa Fe pointed well, with a reasonably handy three turns from lock to lock and a well-judged amount of power assistance. But the vehicle’s two tonnes of weight could be felt in a mild degree of body roll and a degree of understeer expected and accepted in the circumstances. These things are slightly mitigated in the Highlander with its bigger 18-inch wheels and 235/65 tyres – lesser SLX and Elite versions run 17-inch wheels.

On the largely freeway-free Adelaide run, the Santa Fe’s grunty 2.2-litre transversely-located diesel easily dismissed the kilometres. Quiet, with a bountiful 421Nm of torque, it quietly maintained cruise control speeds on the few inclines and always had plenty in reserve for passing manoeuvres.

In the slightly balmy weather, the Highlander’s climate control system did an unobtrusive job of keeping the capacious interior comfortable and, best of all, the front seats brought not a twinge of discomfort during the entire journey. Many’s the time when a car with front seats that initially seemed comfortable and supportive dropped the ball after not much more than two hours on the road. Power adjustment for both driver and passenger in the Santa Fe was appreciated too, although it only applies to reach and backrest rake on the left side.

The bottom line is that we arrived in Adelaide fresh and ready to ride the next day.

Fuel consumption averaged out to 7.9L/100km for the return trip, which didn’t come far from matching the official combined figure of 7.5L/100km and gave a theoretical range of more than 800km on an interstate cruise.

During the short time in the long-term Santa Fe, I appreciated things like the handy turning circle (10.8 metres, which is as good as many a small car), the push-button start, and thoughtful touches like the sliding sunvisor extensions. Also ticking the plus boxes were the general no-nonsense nature typified by the chunky tailgate handle and the relatively simple interior presentation with its easily-understood controls and switches.

But, as we’ve noted previously, it was something of a shock to note there’s no Bluetooth connectivity, even in this top of the line variant, and no mention of satnav in the equipment list.

The lack of Bluetooth is an aberration, probably, as we’ve noted, and not enough to put us off an SUV with more than enough already going for it.

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Written byTim Britten
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