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Hyundai’s fourth-generation Santa Fe has arrived in South Africa sporting a new design, advanced technology and enhanced features.
This "ambassador for the brand’s new design language", as Hyundai Motor Group’s new design chief Luc Donckerwolke refers to the new Santa Fe, was first launched in 2001 and 5 331 units have been sold in SA since then.
GALLERY: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
The exterior design is characterised by a wide stance and a bold look. Its refined lines reinforce the car’s status at the top of the brand's SUV line-up.
New 8-speed gearbox
It also features an advanced four-wheel-drive system in the Elite derivative with an enhanced torque application depending on wheel grip and the speed of the vehicle, called HTRAC.
Hyundai’s next generation all-wheel-drive technology controls the torque distribution and braking power of the front and rear wheels variably. It supports drivers in all kinds of driving situations, whether on slippery roads or in regular road conditions and enhances stability in cornering.
The power for the SUV’s drivetrain comes from a 2.2-litre CRDi engine that delivers 142kW/440Nm and is linked to a newly developed 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Image: Quickpic
Industry-first safety technologies
The fourth-generation Santa Fe offers one of the best-in-class safety packages and industry-first safety features. The innovative Rear Occupant Alert (in the Elite derivative) monitors the rear seats to detect passengers and alerts the driver when leaving the car. The Elite also comes with an Electronic Child Safety Lock.
The Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist – a standard feature in the Executive and Elite derivatives – is a Hyundai first too. When reversing out of areas with low visibility, the system not only warns the driver if vehicles approach from the rear side – it also applies the brakes automatically. The Executive and Elite also boast a Blind Spot Detection system.
Image: Quickpic
The Safety Exit Assist, also standard in the Executive and Elite derivatives, prevents accidents when vehicles approach from behind by temporarily locking the doors before being opened so that passengers will exit the car safely.
All derivatives have ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System); ESP (Electronic Stability Program); DBC (Downhill Brake Control) & HAC (Hill-start Assist Control).
Highest Passive Safety
It benefits from superior rigidity through the application of high strength steel, high impact energy absorption and minimised distortion in order to protect passengers in the event of a collision.
Passive safety is enhanced by an increased body rigidity to protect passengers in the event of a collision. Thanks to hot stamping being applied over an enlarged area along with larger weld diameters, the car’s overall weight is reduced while providing top-level crash-worthiness.
Image: Quickpic
The SUV features more high-strength steel than any other Hyundai vehicle with 57% – that is 15% above the previous model.
Around the interior of the car is a total of six airbags are installed (two front airbags, two side airbags and two curtain airbags from first to the second row protecting both driver and passengers). The new Santa Fe was awarded a 5-star certification in the Euro NCAP crash test.
State-of-the-art infotainment system
The 7" infotainment system – which is a standard feature in all three derivatives – integrates all media and connectivity features, allowing drivers to always stay tuned to the traffic ahead.
The Display Audio offers customers accessible connectivity with the 7" high-resolution colour LCD touchscreen to connect their smartphones via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Image: Quickpic
Passengers can also use the navigation applications of their smartphone, to be displayed on the touchscreen. The system recognises the passenger’s voice allowing them to dictate messages or to make phone calls. The Display Audio also features an integrated rear-view camera with dynamic guidelines.
For further connection of customer’s devices, it comes standard with a USB port and an AUX jack.
Exterior Design
The exterior design is characterised by a powerful wide stance and an athletic, bold look with refined lines that reinforce the car’s status at the top of Hyundai’s SUV line-up.
The front adopts the Hyundai’s new SUV family appearance and features an expressive and powerful look. The front introduces the Cascading Grille that is complemented by the Composite Light – a design comprising LED Daytime Running Lights positioned on top of the headlights.
The Elite and Executive have full LED headlights, while the Premium derivative is equipped with halogen lights. The Elite’s headlights have dynamic bending into a corner as an added feature.
The dynamic character of the side is enhanced by a sleek roofline and the bold side character line running from the headlights to the taillights to form a fluid design. The rear creates a confident and stable stance with unique tail lights, a striking bumper design and twin exhaust pipe outlets. The Elite is equipped with LED tail lights.
Three wheel designs are used – an 18" wheel for the Premium, and two different 19" wheels for the Executive and Elite versions respectively. The Executive and Elite also get a chrome bezel around the side windows.
The exterior dimensions make the new Santa Fe appear even more prominent. With a length of 4 770mm, a width of 1 890mm and a longer wheelbase of 2 765mm, the Santa Fe has an even stronger stance on the road and provides more comfort for its passengers.
Interior Design
The stunning relationship between design and functionality combines premium quality with a horizontal and roomy layout and enhanced visibility. The visibility to the rear is improved by the larger rear quarter glass and greater second- and third-row openness.
Drivers and front passengers will enjoy the support of the electric extendable seat cushions offering 10 different positions.
The Santa Fe increases comfort on short and long trips for passengers in the second and third row – even for adults. In the second row, leg room is increased by 38mm and the seat is 18mm higher. The new one-touch walk into the third row eases passenger access to these seats. Headroom in the third row has been improved by 22mm.
Standard luggage capacity is increased by 31 litres to 547 litres behind the second row of seats and can be extended to 1 625 litres with both the third and second row of seats folded down.
Convenience features
All derivatives have Rear Park Assist, while the Elite option benefits from a Front Park Assist system as well as standard equipment.
The Elite derivative also boasts a new 7" TFT colour display information screen in the centre of the instrument cluster. Apart from speed, revolutions and other information, it shows the chosen drive mode through a blue, green or red colour. The other derivatives have a conventional 3.5" mono LCD display cluster.
It also comes equipped with a panoramic sunroof; electrically operated rear hatch door (with adjustable height and opening speed); driver and passenger seats with the option of heating or ventilation; and paddle shifts on the steering wheel for manual gearshifts.
Rear-door retractable side curtains; a push-button keyless start function and folding side mirrors form part of the standard features package for both the Elite and Executive derivatives.
All derivatives have cruise control and leather seats, with electrical adjustment for the Executive’s driver seat, and for both driver and passenger’s seats in the Elite. The Premium derivative’s seat is adjusted manually. Climate control is standard across the range.
Ride and handling
The development strategy for it’s suspension and steering was to improve responsiveness and vehicle stability while also enhancing comfort and overall quietness.
The suspension, consisting of McPherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear, delivers a smoother ride feeling by reducing the impact and vibration when driving on rough roads. The suspension has been stiffened and placed vertically to give a longer travel length for more ride comfort.
External vertical shock absorbers optimise responsiveness and stability while improving noise, vibration and harshness levels during driving. Road noise is reduced by reinforcing the floor panel and incorporating more materials in the carpet.
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist warns the driver and applies the brakes automatically to avoid collisions when vehicles approach from the side or when reversing out of narrow areas with low visibility.
Using the rear corner radars, the system scans a 180-degree area behind the vehicle. Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist operates once the reverse gear is engaged.
Lane Keeping Assist
Lane Keeping Assist alerts the driver in unsafe movements at over 60km/h by sensing the car’s position. It sounds an alarm before the car moves over white, grey and blue lines as well as Bott’s dots on the road, and warns the driver acoustically and visually before inducing corrective steering to guide the driver back to a safe position.
Blind-Spot Collision Warning
Also using radar, the Blind Spot Collision Warning monitors the rear corners and, if another vehicle is detected, a visual alert appears on the exterior mirrors. If the driver then activates the indicators, an audible signal is emitted. This also applies to lane change situations in which a vehicle is detected.
Highest Passive Safety
It also benefits from superior rigidity through the application of high strength steel, high impact energy absorption and minimised distortion in order to protect passengers in the event of a collision. It was awarded a 5-star certification in the Euro NCAP crash test.
Image: Quickpic
Passive safety is enhanced by an increased body rigidity to protect passengers in the event of a collision. Thanks to hot stamping being applied over an enlarged area along with larger weld diameters, the car’s overall weight is reduced while providing top-level crashworthiness. The SUV features more high-strength steel than any other Hyundai vehicle with 57% – that is 15% above the previous model.
Around the interior of the SUV is a total of six airbags are installed (two front airbags, two side airbags and two curtain airbags from first to the second row protecting both driver and passengers).
