The ever-increasing throng of medium all-wheel-drive ‘softroader’ SUVs is being left at the petrol pump with the arrival of Hyundai’s Santa Fe CRDi (Common-Rail Direct injection), the first volume diesel in the class to debut in Australia.

With ADR 81/01 comparative fuel figures similar to a small car, just 7.3 litres/100km for the manual, and 8.1 and 8.2 l/100km for the five-speed automatic five and seven-seaters, Santa Fe CRDi torpedoes talk of high fuel consumption in running a roomy AWD wagon. Compare Santa Fe CRDi with Territory’s 12.8, Kluger’s 12.3 and Captiva’s 11.5.

In CO² emissions, Santa Fe CRDi manual is over 37 per cent cleaner than its nearest competitor, except for the petrol Santa Fe V6, which is the next cleanest medium SUV.

Santa Fe CRDi delivers satisfyingly strong acceleration and effortless holding of fifth gear on highway hills thanks to a healthy 343 Nm of maximum torque between constantly-used 1800 and 2500 rpm and peak power of 114kW at just 4000rpm.

CRDi’s 2.2 litre, four-cylinder, alloy-head, 16-valve turbo-diesel engine is quiet, smooth and clean, being a latest technology common-rail, direct injection design with variable-vane-geometry air-to-air- intercooled turbocharger, Euro-4 emission calibration and a balance-shaft module in the crankcase.

A new five-speed, driver-adaptive, Selectronic automatic transmission debuts in Santa Fe CRDi and seamlessly streams the engine’s torque up through the speed range.

In New Zealand where it was launched earlier this year, Santa Fe CRDi has already won two SUV of the Year titles, in the 2006 NZ Automotive Awards and in NZ National Business Review.

New names

Santa Fe now has two new model names: SX and SLX.

SX is the entry-level, five seat CRDi model with five-speed manual transmission or optional five-speed automatic.

Santa Fe SLX is the mid-spec model for both petrol and diesel. In petrol, SLX can be five-seat manual or automatic or seven-seat automatic. In diesel, it is seven-seat automatic only.

Santa Fe Elite continues as a five-seat automatic-only premium model, with the CRDi joining the petrol variant.

At $36,990*, Santa Fe SX CRDi manual is the most affordable new diesel-powered medium AWD in Australia and has:

• air-conditioning with pollen filter,
• power windows, door mirrors and door locks,
• ABS (Anti-skid Brake System) and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution),
• twin front airbags,
• active front head restraints,
• cruise control with steering wheel control tabs,
• leather steering wheel rim and shift knob,
• 17” alloy wheels including the spare,
• roof rails with one-hand-sliding cross carry-bars, rated for 100kg,
• retractable cargo area security blind
• 33 storage places including cup and bottle holders, and
• face and feet air-conditioning ducting for rear outer occupants.

Santa Fe SLX CRDi, the likely most popular model, is $43,490* and comes with:

• five-speed Selectronic automatic, and over SX adds:
• two, class-biggest and roomiest, separate flat-floor-folding third row seats with rear air-con control, each with adjustable face air-con vents, storage bins and seat belt clips,
• ESP (Electronic Stability Program),
• TCS (Traction Control System),
• front seat side (thorax) airbags,
• full cabin-side curtain airbags extending to the third row seats,
• fore-aft adjustment on the active front head restraints,
• cool-box facility in the centre console lower bin,
• four-function trip computer,
• front fog lights,
• heated door mirror lens,
• mesh-weave cloth seat trim,
• the novel “parents’ panoramic” flip down mirror, and
• glovebox flock lining.

Santa Fe Elite CRDi at $46,990* seats five in luxury adding over SLX automatic:

• power tilt/slide sunroof,
• 18” alloys including the spare wheel,
• leather seat facings, door trim inserts and centre armrests in black or grey with burgundy seat piping,
• dual-zone climate control,
• six-disc AAC/MP3/WMA audio with external amplifier and a seventh speaker,
• 10-way power driver seat,
• four-way power front passenger seat,
• auto-headlights-on in low light conditions,
• electro-chromatic rear-view mirror with digital compass,
• chrome inserts in exterior door and tailgate handles and
• stamped, stainless steel door sill scuff plates.

Otherwise, Santa Fe CRDi is identical to its V6 petrol-powered sibling in offering class-leading refinement and manoeuvrability, comfortable and competent dynamics, the best third row seat execution and a prestigious styling presence —even to its dual chrome oval tailpipes.

Santa Fe furthers the cabin quietness and tasteful décor that have become bywords in recent new Hyundai models like Elantra, Sonata and Grandeur. Created in Hyundai’s California Design Centre, it combines the best attributes of SUVs with a driving character more like a top-level medium sedan.

Its enjoyable dynamics derive from its car-style, tailored platform and integrated all-independent suspension that deliver a comfortable ride with responsive handling.

Santa Fe is easier to park and manoeuvre than its rivals thanks to its 10.9 metre turning circle—fully half a metre less than Territory or Kluger and 600mm tighter than Captiva.

On safety, Santa Fe raised the bar for the class months ago and continues offering Hyundai’s signature benchmark accessible safety feature inclusions with ESP, TCS, ABS with EBD, active front head restraints which also adjust four ways, six airbags and a full-size alloy spare wheel all standard on CRDi SLX and Elite.

Since its launch, new Santa Fe has garnered safety accolades in the US after it was recognized as the first Korean car to score the top crash safety rating of “Good” in all six injury criteria in the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s rigorous 64 km/h frontal offset crash test regime, similar to ANCAP and EuroNCAP but with some detail differences.

Design dimensions

Created in Hyundai’s California Design Centre, Santa Fe was benchmarked against Lexus RX, Honda MDX and Volvo XC90, resulting in a more exciting and upscale look, showcasing the evolving face of the Hyundai brand — assertive, refined and confident.

At 4.675 metres long, Santa Fe is 38mm longer than Captiva, 41mm wider and its front and rear tracks are 53 and 48mm wider. Santa Fe’s roof rails and cross carry bars stand it 75mm higher than Captiva’s unequipped roof.

Santa Fe’s 203mm minimum ground clearance gives it 24mm, 19mm and 3mm more than Territory, Kluger and Captiva respectively. Its approach, ramp-over and departure angles of 25.6˚, 18.4° and 22.9˚ all better Captiva and Territory.

Up front, Santa Fe’s assertive look derives from its honeycomb and chrome-edged grille, swept around projector-style headlights underlined by dramatic neon-look strip park lights and a deep-section body-colour front bumper with oval fog lights inset low down. Smoothly sculptured body side lines and overall sleeker styling makes Santa Fe quite aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of 0.37.

Santa Fe’s stern is particularly pleasing with its flush corner-wrapping taillights, signature tailgate lift-up handle, reasonably raked rear glass, neat rear bumper with integrated load step insert and, lending a purposeful look, dual oval chromed tailpipes and that wide-track stance.

Elegance inside

Santa Fe’s upmarket exterior presence carries through to its sophisticated interior ambience. Restrained and tasteful use of Cherrywood-look (Maplewood in SX) inlays and satin finish alloy effect trim highlights combine with ergonomically designed controls and legible instrumentation—with cool blue lighting at night—to please the eye.

Comforting occupants are large and well-shaped seats in SLX a moquette mesh weave cloth with plenty of adjustment to fit various body sizes and types. Santa Fe’s mid-grey interior exudes a light and airy feel to the cabin while its black interior has a cosier, more continental feel. Both interior tone schemes have dash top and door trim tops in charcoal to cut sun reflection.

Sun visors have slide-out extensions and vanity mirrors which, except in SX, switch on make-up roof lights when their covers are slid open.

Santa Fe’s cabin quietness soothes, thanks to the use of laminated steel, improved body rigidity and judicious application of appropriate sound-deadening materials.

Efficient interior

Santa Fe is probably the most package-efficient medium SUV on the market and presents impressive seating and storage flexibility within the same overall length as Honda Accord Euro.

Hyundai accomplished this by developing an all-new platform that avoids the compromises inherent in car/SUV platform sharing.

Santa Fe’s first and second row seats have ample head, leg, and shoulder room with enough space behind to allow a class-leading optional third-row seat design.

The centre row seats are split 60/40 and the backrests not only fold forward almost flat for long loads or sleeping within, but they have 12 rake angle adjustment positions(11 in seven-seater) from quite laid-back for sleeping, to vertical—great for carting a big box behind.

Maximum in-cabin load length is 2.46m diagonal or 2.18m along the left side behind the left front seat. Maximum cargo width at 1385mm will stow a stocked golf club bag while Santa Fe’s space between its rear wheel arches is 1160mm, 20mm wider than Territory (in-house measurement). Cargo volume aft of the front seats is a cavernous 2213 litres with 969 litres behind the second row.

To ease access to the third row in the seven-seater, the 40 percent section of the centre row seats tumble folds forward up off the floor on the kerbside—not out by the passing traffic on the roadside as in Captiva, without requiring head restraint removal or the front seat moved forward.

Third row first class

Unlike some competitors, Santa Fe’s platform is not a compromised adaption from a passenger car. Its custom low-profile, upper and lower arm rear suspension module permits a low, flat rear floor without suspension humps or wide wheelhouses, thus enabling superior third row seat room and stowage underneath of a full-size alloy spare wheel—unlike Captiva’s cost-saver, speed-restricted skinny spare.

Compared to seven-seat Territory and Kluger, Santa Fe’s third row seating is superior class, being markedly bigger, roomier, more flexible, more comfortably padded and angled and it doesn’t compromise legroom for second row seat occupants. It thus offers genuine long trip comfort up back for up to sub-teens—the most likely third row occupants—or full size adults for short hops. Territory’s 155mm-high hump requires its centre row seats to slide forward to access acceptable third row foot room.

Santa Fe’s third row can seat one and offer extra cargo room adjacent because it has two separate chairs which each fold flat into the floor, compared to the narrower, shorter, thinner two-place bench seat setups in Territory and Kluger. Captiva’s seats are noticeably narrower and lack most of Santa Fe’s amenities there.

Those amenities include face-level adjustable aircon air vents each side with a separate fan speed control, drink bottle holder, lidded storage bins, 12 volt power, a central reading light and wall clips to keep seatbelt webbing clear when either seat is folded down.

Stowage

Santa Fe has 33 storage places, most of which are either flock-lined or rubber-matted to stop rattles. The five-seater has a deep, full-width wet area under-floor storage well with three dividers, two fixed and one moveable. It also has a retractable cargo cover blind—a costly extra in Territory TX AWD and unavailable in Captiva.

In-cabin storages include a centre console integrating lidded bi-level bins—an upper key tray over the lower deeper bin plumbed (except in SX) with a closeable aircon vent to double as a cool box. There’s also twin cup holders with grips and a pull-out drawer at the rear. The dash houses a lit, lockable and (not SX) flock-lined glovebox with an elastic book-retaining strap and a central dash-top tray with a flip-up lid.

Overhead is a console with a sunglasses bin, map lights and (not SX) the flip-down “parents’ panoramic” mirror while all door trims include map pockets with bottle bulges. Second row passengers also have front seatback pockets and twin cup holders in the centre pull-down armrest and roof reading lights.

Purpose-built platform

Santa Fe CRDi carries over the electronically-controlled on-demand AWD system launched in the V6 petrol model. It normally drives just the front wheels to save fuel but if it senses incipient wheel spin, it automatically and immediately routes power to any of the four wheels offering best traction. It also has a switchable 4WD Lock mode for very slippery conditions when 50/50 front/rear drive is held up to 30km/h but is protected by a TCB (Tight Corner Breaking) function if a hard grippy surface is encountering while turning. 4WD Lock is released above 40km/h on the assumption that travelling above 40 presumes satisfactory road traction is available, but if it isn’t, then all-wheel-drive cuts in again immediately regardless of road speed.

Santa Fe rides on a purpose-built unibody SUV platform with a 2700mm wheelbase. This chassis was specifically designed to deliver more of the ride and handling balance that resonates with crossover shoppers.

Santa Fe has a very stiff cabin and suspension mounting structure which helps to provide a more refined sedan-like ride. Thanks to the suspension geometry and wider track width (which enables greater turn angles), Hyundai engineers tightened Santa Fe’s turning circle to a half-metre less than Territory and Kluger and 600mm tighter than Captiva—an advantage Santa Fe drivers really appreciate in urban confines.

Santa Fe’s MacPherson strut front suspension is configured with a caster angle of 4.4 degrees to improve stability and steering feel. Under the rear is a sophisticated, low-profile independent suspension module with upper wishbones and three lower links each side, which enables a low flat floor inside and class-best third row passenger foot room.

All four wheels are controlled by coil springs and fade-resistant gas-charged dampers, while front and rear stabiliser bars help keep the vehicle flat during cornering. A stiff rear suspension sub-frame with large bush mountings to the body sharpens handling response and isolates the body from all location links to minimize road noise transmitted into the cabin.

Safety

Santa Fe continues Hyundai’s leadership in ‘accessible safety’, offering the industry’s most effective safety technologies at the most affordable levels.

All Santa Fe models except SX are equipped with ESP (Electronic Stability Program), reckoned by experts to be the car industry’s most effective life-saving technology since ABS and especially relevant in SUVs with their taller stance and higher centre of gravity. Studies by US authorities (NHTSA) show ESP-equipped SUVs have 63 percent fewer fatalities in single-vehicle crashes.

Santa Fe joins Elantra Elite, Sonata Elite and V6 and Grandeur in Hyundai’s lineup with standard ESP while no car brand offers ESP anywhere near a Protectz Pack-equipped Getz at $16,280 rrp.

ESP compares the driver’s intended course with the vehicle’s actual response and if they start diverging too much, it then brakes individual wheels and/or reduces engine power as needed in the driving circumstance to maximise the driver’s chances of regaining control.

Front ventilated and rear disc brakes are coupled with a four-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) that includes Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) to optimise brake performance even with differing vehicle loadings. Indicative braking distance from 100kph to rest is just 42.3 metres.

Santa Fe features six standard airbags on all but SX: dual front, front seat side (thorax) and side curtains which extend rearwards past the back doors so as to protect third row occupants in the seven-seater.

The combination of side and curtain airbags, which help protect the head and body during side impacts, can reduce fatalities by more than 45 percent, according to the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Augmenting the airbags are active front head restraints which adjust fore-aft (except on SX) as well as vertically, optimising neck protection against whiplash injury in a rear-end impact. Dual front seat belt pre-tensioners on each front seat floor runner (i.e. two per seat) pull the seatbelt tight just before impact and load-limiters then progressively ease it just enough to lessen belt-bruising. Near-flush design front belt upper pillar height-adjusters help minimise side-crash head injury while anti-submarining front seat steel pans help stop occupants sliding under the belts in a frontal crash. All seating positions have retractable three-point seatbelts.

An oft-overlooked plus are rear door windows which lower fully into the door, lessening the likelihood of side impact head injury from clashing with the top of glass which can’t fully retract—like in Territory.

Santa Fe’s three child seat top tether strap anchor positions are mounted on the seat backrests, clear of luggage or third row feet and are nicely finished with flush flip-up covers.

Santa Fe’s strong body incorporates innovations like tubular cross-bracing inside the firewall which intersects with central vertical bracing, a heavily ribbed floor pan pressing, extra reinforced joints at the base of the windscreen pillars, strong and large-section side sills, high-tensile steel inner pillars and side impact beams inside all doors adding to the safety-cell cage.

Its body integrity and safety features are vindicated by the achievement of the top crash safety rating of “Good” in all six injury criteria in the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s rigorous 64 km/h frontal offset crash test regime.

Reassuring is Hyundai’s increasingly acclaimed quality, underwritten by its long-established five-year/130,000km warranty and Hyundai Premium Roadside Assist for 24/7 peace of mind.

*Recommended retail plus on-road costs