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Santa Fe Gallery
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Hyundai - the world's seventh-largest car maker - has come a long way since the days of the godawful Pony and reliable but laughable Stellar.
It may not quite have the brand-image of Lexus - or even Toyota, Honda and Nissan - as yet, but the Korean firm is highly ambitious, increasingly delivering products that are desirable in their own right rather than selling simply because they're cheap. It's moving into new market sectors, with a large crossover and a coupe-cabriolet on the way and this Mk2 Santa Fe takes it into the large SUV market for the first time.
Larger all-round than both its predecessor and the recently launched entry-level Tucson soft-roader, this Santa Fe isn't an all-out off-roader, nor is it particularly rugged: it's pitched more at the family market, for leisure users and caravan-towers (the old-school Terracan remains on sale as Hyundai's no-nonsense agricultural alternative). It has a part-time torque-on-demand four-wheel-drive system, meaning that it runs in front-wheel-drive mode most of the time, with up to half of the power diverted to the rear axle if slippage is sensed up front. This isn't going to take it too far off the tarmac, but will give it more than enough grip for most buyers' needs; it'll easily cope with slippery roads, damp fields and gravel tracks, if not climbing rocks or trail-blazing. Cut-price front-wheel drive-only models will be offered elsewhere in the world, but these are unlikely to come to the UK unless dealers report demand.
There's really only one engine on offer in the UK: the 2.2-litre, 148bhp four-cylinder diesel. Well, there's also the 2.7 V6 petrol, but that's weedy, thirsty and comes only with a dull-witted four-speed automatic gearbox. Hyundai predicts up to 90% of Santa Fe buyers will opt for the diesel, and we'd advise the other 10% to revise their decision, as the diesel model is better in every way. A better five-speed auto 'box is optional with the diesel engine, too.
Coming in five-seat configuration as standard, but with an optional fold-flat third row of seats for just £600, the Santa Fe's cabin is well-finished to a good quality standard. UK buyers can choose from three specification levels, with top-spec CDX+ versions having full leather upholstery, heated seats, DVD players, a six-CD autochanger, satellite navigation and rain-sensing wipers. Prices start from £20,995, with the most expensive versions, the 2.7 V6 and the 2.2 diesel auto CDX+, at just £25,195. Deliveries start in April 2006, though bear in mind that diesels equipped with particulate filters will not be available until September.
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