5. Hyundai Santa Fe

On test: Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0 CRTD (2005-2007 model)

Overview:

• Model:Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0 CRTD
• Bodystyle: Five-door 4x4
• Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
• Transmission: Five-speed manual
• Date of test: March 2005

What is it?

The Santa Fe is the stalwart of Hyundai’s 4x4 line-up, positioned between the Tucson and Terracan. Trouble is, since the launch of the newer, slightly smaller Tucson, the Santa Fe has been in an awkward position. Its younger sibling, which uses a revised version of its platform, is cheaper, better to drive, better to sit in and only barely smaller. To rectify this quandary, Hyundai has attempted to push the Santa Fe upmarket. The revised range now consists of just two engines, diesel and V6 petrol, while trim levels include £2,000 of extras compared to pre-facelift cars. Have they done enough to lure back some of the buyers flocking to Tucson?

Where does it fit?

As explained, the Santa Fe is not much bigger than the Tucson, with both targeting the same rivals; Land Rover Freelander, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and another car to use the same chassis, sister company Kia’s Sportage. Talk about confusing. Hyundai has tried to simplify things with the model line-up, meaning there is just a single trim equipped to a very high level. As few sane people buy V6 petrol engines in this sector, we tested the diesel model, which faces some very fierce competition.

Is it for you?

If you like curves you’ll love this. Designed by Hyundai’s American styling house, it’s still fairly striking today, bringing soft edges and surprising radii to the bluff profile of an off-roader, in places with some success. The cleaner body mouldings of the facelifted model help. But if you have an aversion to plastics, you’ll be struck cold by the interior that is as petrochemcially overloaded as before. The dash is hard and unyielding, the standard leather seats could not look or feel more like vinyl if they tried, even the thin leather steering wheel is cheap and low rent. Mind you, for your £18k, you don’t half get a lot of standard equipment (leather, air con, sunroof, cruise control, etc) to compensate – that’s a big draw of the Santa Fe.

What does it do well?

The diesel engine is now quieter than before. Whereas there was once clatter and drone, now there is relative smoothness and serenity at higher speeds, for a 4x4. It’s a very light and easy vehicle to drive, with steering, pedals and gearchange proving as easy as a supermini’s. Handling is essentially quite stable if kept within its limits, as the full-time four-wheel-drive system and limited-slip differential endow it with a secure feel. It’s not bad for mild off-roading either and certainly up for crossing a muddy field. In town it’s accomplished too. The soft ride absorbs pot-holes well at low speeds, while the ultra-light steering is a boon. We also like the new-look instruments.

What doesn’t it do well?

The diesel is no ball of fire and usually requires a stoked throttle, which rewards the car behind with plumes of diesel smoke. There’s also still a resonance patch remaining, at around 2,200rpm, which is rather intrusive. Changing gear offers no respite as the low-set lever controls a very vague, sloppy linkage that is accurate but feels (and sounds) as if it’s about to fall apart. The clutch is also unusually long in travel, from initial bite to fully engaged. The soft suspension means there is considerable roll around corners and plenty of float over rougher roads, even though the ride proves crashy when taxed. Steering is very low-geared, artificial and sloppy too; you saw at it like when at sea over country roads, where the lack of front-end grip means it’s hard to decide whether the Santa Fe is understeering or simply taking its time to respond to the wheel. Press on even half-determinedly and you’ll get both.

What’s it like to live with?

There’s lots of space for knees in the rear, even if feet and heads are a little cramped, but this is unusually at the expense of front-seat space. Taller drivers will be irritated by the driver’s seat’s lack of rearward adjustment as it leaves them too close to the steering wheel for comfort. The boot is big though, and very plushly trimmed, while the separately opening glass is neat. But all the Santa Fe and Tucson variants we’ve tested haven’t been particularly economical and this is no exception. We’d have hoped for better than 33mpg after an everyday motorway run and while this stretched to 38mpg on a subsequent run, we were driving more slowly and also trying far too hard. The 40mpg combined figure looks somewhat unrealistic.

Would we buy it?

It’s the reverse of the BMW X3-X5 situation. Here, the cheaper, slightly smaller vehicle is the more desirable model, leaving the older Santa Fe looking somewhat out of place. It will still sell to those who like the looks, but most value-seeking Hyundai buyers – a key attribute of the brand, after all – will compare the two and judge the Tucson to be more desirable. We certainly do, because the Santa Fe now seems somewhat long in the tooth.