Family First

What we like:

Fresh styling

Good build quality

Comfortable drive

Versatility

Kit

What we dislike:

Could use more grunt

C2 VES is a major dampener to the car’s price

Singapore’s Hyundai dealership has fielded two engine options for the Santa Fe, there is a petrol 2.4 litre natural breathing four-cylinder unit, and a 2.2 litre turbocharged oil burner. Our test car is equipped with the former, which also means that it is the cheaper option.

Paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and driving all four wheels, the petrol engine delivers 182bhp at 6,000rpm while its 238Nm of peak torque happens at 4,000rpm. Thanks to its natural breathing nature, you will find yourself working the engine a little, to lug the rather large car around.

Steering feel is decent enough, and the car does not like a spirited drive, especially around the bends. It will however reward you with a rather comfortable ride, thanks to its long suspension travel. While it its styled as an SUV, it is more suited for just road use. Hyundai’s HTRAC 4wd system is front-biased, and only transfers more of its drive to the rear under harder acceleration, or when the situation calls for more grip to other than the front.

Unlike many Korean cars which I have encountered, the Santa Fe’s brakes actually feel decent, with adequate brake assistance.

Behind the wheel, you will also come to appreciate the Head-up Display unit displaying your speed, away from all the visual “noise” within the instrument binnacle.

All-round visibility is good for a car this size, and the Koreans have also included safety features like its Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Warning (BCW), which relies on radar sensors in the rear bumper to warn drivers of cars within the car’s blind spots. The same group of sensors in the rear bumper are also utilised for its Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Warning (RCCW) system, which acts as an additional set of eyes, as you back the vehicle out, warning you if there is any oncoming traffic or pedestrians.

Additionally, Hyundai had also put some thought into child safety, with its Rear Seat Occupant Alert, which detects movement in the rear seats, and informs the driver through an alert on the instrument cluster, and even sounds the car alarm, if it detects that the driver has left the vehicle. Rear doors too are guarded by Safe Exit Assist, which senses if vehicles are coming from the rear, and ensures that the child safety locks are kept activated, preventing the doors from being opened from the inside.

The Santa Fe will not win any prizes for performance or its fuel economy (10.2km/l combined). That said, Hyundai’s largest SUV for the Singapore market does reward with its versatility, while child safety is very high up on the things to achieve in their design brief, which is something we like a lot.

The 2.4 litre NA engine with its accompanying 6-speed transmission delivers adequate performance for our roads. There are other offerings like the Skoda Kodiaq, and the Peugeot 5008 which also offers buyers similar 5+2 seating, and you can be sure that buyers will be spoilt for choice.

Our test car is the more expensive of the two petrol options offered, with the large sunroof, and will set you back at around $170,000 (price as at 7 Jan 2019), rather high no thanks to the hefty C2 VES penalty.

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