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Matt Brogan2 Mar 2018
REVIEW

Hyundai Santa Fe 2018 Review

Fourth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe makes a move upmarket
Review Type
International Launch
Review Location
Seoul, South Korea

Hyundai is set to launch its larger, fourth-generation Santa Fe in Australia towards the middle of this year. Initially, the seven-seat family SUV will feature the carry-over 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine; a decision on petrol powertrains is yet to be made. Australian variants will come with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard and will be available with Hyundai’s new HTRAC variable all-wheel drive system. More refined and with more advanced infotainment and safety technology than before, the new Santa Fe looks set to dominate a segment in which it has previously struggled to hold ground. Pricing will be detailed when full local specifications are detailed in a few months.

Mum says looks count

It’s been 18 years since the first Santa Fe went on sale. Four generations later the family-size SUV has grown – both literally and figuratively – to a point that Hyundai says has allowed it to move away from the familiar family look credited with building its own brand awareness.

That ‘coming of age’ has allowed designers to move the Santa Fe upmarket. Improving its appeal is a sure-fire way to get female buyers interested, says Hyundai, recognising in particular the influence mums play in the SUV ownership decision.

“We recognise that SUVs are replacing family cars,” explained Hyundai’s global design director, Hak Soo Ha. “People expect more amenities, more creature comforts, more options and more premium appointments.

“Our target customers are on the upswing, people living a more affluent lifestyle. We also see more female drivers, soccer mums driving their kids to various events. The Santa Fe tends to be more of a family activity vehicle than ever before.”

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There can be only one

Until now Hyundai sold only the smaller Santa Fe Sport (as it was known in other markets) in Australia, leaving the larger ‘Santa Fe’ to do the heavy hauling in more populous markets like the United States.

It was a decision that saw the more compact Santa Fe we knew struggle to hold ground against larger seven-seat SUVs like the Mazda CX-9 and Toyota Kluger on the local sales ladder, where it finished in seventh place overall in 2017.

The fourth-generation Santa Fe does away with the smaller body size of the ‘Sport’, all markets now receiving a longer wheelbase iteration that Hyundai says is “compact enough to easily park and manoeuvrer, yet spacious and flexible enough inside to comfortably carry your family or active lifestyle”.

Overall, the Santa Fe grows by 70mm to 4770mm in length, making it 305mm shorter than the CX-9 and 120mm shorter than the Kluger. But it’s the 65mm of additional wheelbase (now 2765mm) that grows the interior markedly.

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Inner space

Larger rear doors and an increased sliding range of the Santa Fe’s second-row seats bring not only more backseat space, but also easier entry and egress of the third row of seats.

There’s more headroom (+23mm) – thanks in part to a 210mm longer roof – and larger rear glass (+41%) to improve outward visibility. There are also ventilation outlets to all three rows.

One-touch electric folding seats and a larger (+189mm), two-speed hands-free tailgate allow simple configurability and easier access of the Santa Fe’s bigger boot.

The cargo area now measures 625 litres in five-seat mode (to window height), growing 55 litres over the outgoing model. Compared to the Toyota Kluger that’s an increase of 96 litres, or 185 fewer than Mazda’s CX-9.

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The Santa Fe’s second row of seats sit higher than the front row, allowing a better view forward for children, the lower shoulder line also improving lateral vision.

Three-point seatbelts and top-tether child-seat anchors are offered in all rear seating positions, with ISOFIX preparation in the outboard second-row seats. Unfortunately, only the front and second rows are fully protected by the curtain airbags (which only cover the glass in the third row).

A refined interior design influenced by a breaking wave promises more colour choices, and will provide owners with “a more sedan-like experience”, Hyundai says.

Material and assembly quality improves appreciably, the seats are better sculpted and the tactility of ‘hands-on’ surfaces are softer to the touch.

Hyundai colour and trim boss, Diana Kloster, said she wanted each drive to feel little “a little holiday”. We'll let owners decide if that's true.

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Smarter, better connected and safer

Wireless inductive charging joins Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with up to three infotainment systems offered (depending on market).

The larger 7.0 and 8.0-inch colour touch-screen models are likely for Australia and include voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite navigation and digital radio. A premium Krell audio package is also available, though we anticipate only on top-spec Highlander.

The top-shelf Santa Fe variant is also expected be the recipient of the semi-digitised instrument panel (see below) and full-colour head-up display we sampled on a South Korean-spec model.

The HUD system supports not only road speed, but also navigation commands, fuel level, and alerts from the driver assistance systems listed above.

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The new Santa Fe introduces a number of safety technologies under Hyundai’s SmartSense banner.

Most important is autonomous emergency braking, which joins adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward and pedestrian collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and safety exit assist.

There’s even an ultrasonic sensor to warn if the rear seat is occupied by kids or pets when leaving the car.

The body of the new Santa Fe is said to be 15 per cent stronger than the outgoing model. It includes the expected electronic chassis controls found elsewhere in the Hyundai line-up, as well as front, side and curtain airbags (that completely protect the first and second row, and the glass area of the third row). It does not offer driver or passenger knee airbags.

The Santa Fe is yet to undergo Euro NCAP or ANCAP crash testing.

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Strangely familiar

The R Series turbo-diesel engine found under the bonnet of the Santa Fe has been a stalwart feature of the range since 2009.

Granted, following an upgrade to meet Euro 6 emissions standards – which also brings a quoted “three to four per cent” improvement in fuel economy – it makes slightly less power and torque (-3kW/-4Nm). But at its core is the same mill that’s graced three of the four generations of Hyundai’s full-size SUV.

We sampled the not-for-Oz 2.0-litre turbo-diesel (134kW/397Nm) hooked up to Hyundai’s new eight-speed automatic transmission (previously six-speed) and new variable torque splitting HTRAC all-wheel drive system in South Korea.

While it felt strangely familiar in inner-city running, it lacked the torque of its bigger brother, even with the aid of the additional ratios found in Hyundai’s cooperative and smooth-shifting new transmission.

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Australian models will come with a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel mill initially (144kW/436Nm). Hyundai has confirmed the 3.5-litre Lambda II petrol V6 (206kW/336Nm) familiar to the Kia Sorento – and available in 3.3-litre guise in the third-gen Santa Fe – will not be offered in right-hand drive markets.

Smaller 2.4-litre normally-aspirated and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engines are yet to be confirmed for the Santa Fe locally, while a petrol-electric hybrid model will not be seen until at least the Series II update.

Our brief drive on the super-smooth roads of inner-urban Seoul gave little insight into the Santa Fe’s handling and dynamics – and it’s probably irrelevant anyway. As was the case previously, Hyundai Australia will apply its own localised suspension tune to the Santa Fe, including an uprated towing package that will bring the fourth-gen model in line with its predecessors (2200kg braked).

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Price, package and position proposition

As is often the case with taste-test drives like this one, our final decision on the new Santa Fe will be have to be reserved until the model’s local launch.

Hyundai appears to have ticked the boxes family buyers expect of a seven-seat SUV, and have evidently addressed the style and size issues some may have previously considered as a deal-breaker.

To our mind, however, there are a couple of sticking points we just can’t get past. The lack of head protecting airbags covering the entirity of the third row is an oversight; so too the failure to offer any significant advancement under the bonnet.

Sure, there’s little wrong with the overall package as it stands, and the non-representative model we sampled drove well. We just hope Hyundai Australia manages to price and spec the Santa Fe in a manner fitting its position when it lands Down Under in a few months’ time.

If not, it’s unlikely the Santa Fe’s upward popularity trajectory will continue locally – no matter how good-looking it may be.

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2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander pricing and specifications:
Price: TBC (on sale mid-year)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (as tested)
Output: 134kW/397Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: N/A
CO2: N/A
Safety rating: TBC

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Written byMatt Brogan
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
78/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
16/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
16/20
Safety & Technology
17/20
Behind The Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
14/20
Pros
  • New safety and infotainment systems
  • More passenger and cargo space
  • Build quality and refinement
Cons
  • No knee or third-row curtain airbags
  • Unknown local line-up and pricing
  • No ANCAP rating yet
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