New Hyundai Santa Fe is more luxurious and better equipped than before. But how is it to drive?
The new Santa Fe may look very different from its predecessor but it uses the same 194bhp, 2.2-litre CRDi engine as the earlier car. Also as before, the engine is one of the strengths of the package. It's fairly quiet, responsive and offers good performance too. There's a nice surge of power as you keep the throttle pressed which helps when you want to overtake on the highway. We drove the 6-speed automatic-equipped Santa Fe and found it responsive enough for typical use. However, the gearbox has a tendency to upshift early so it's best to switch to manual mode on a twisty road.
It's also on twisty roads that you'd wish the Santa Fe's steering offered more feel. The steering comes with three modes to alter its weight - even in Sport mode there's a vagueness in the straight-ahead position and inconsistency in the way the steering piles on lock. Comfort mode is light and best suited to city use. Within the city, the Sante Fe does well to iron out the bumps. Even high speed stability is very good though the softly-sprung Santa Fe does tend to bounce (especially at the rear) and also tends to roll a fair bit when driven fast. What's nice is that save for some tyre noise, the cabin is well insulated from the happenings outside and this (combined with the powerful engine) really helps make the Santa Fe a great cruiser.
On the whole, the Santa Fe doesn't have much to offer enthusiasts but it makes a great choice as a family car. And thanks to the excellent space and good seats, you wouldn't mind being chauffeured in one either. It's got loads of kit too and does look rather special. But it may not be smooth sailing for the Santa Fe in India though it is high on features and equipment, it is pricier than what most people expected it to be. As a result, Hyundai might have a tough time trying to convince buyers to pay so much for its SUV at a time when you could have an Audi Q3 S for similar money. Truly, if there is one thing that stands in the way of the Santa Fe, it's got to be the badge.