Hyundai Santa Fe 2000 test drive - 2004 SUV

The choice of Russia

The voter, thinking about which of the politicians to give his vote, often encounters the situation exactly according to V. Shenderovich.


- Girl, do you like me?


- Not.


- And there is that, in footcloths?


- Lord, well, face!


- You see. So let's in a good way ...


Thank God, the car market provides the Russian buyer with a much wider selection. It is so wide that you can get confused, comparing the incomparable. When we selected the opponent of the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, there was no doubt about the choice. They arose as soon as we brought the cars to the nose to the nose.


The reason for the test was the emergence of the new Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, which enters our market so far only in the American version. We knew a little scarce about the car, sometimes contradictory information in the catalogs and its complete absence among sellers. The manufacturer himself determined Santa Fe in the classroom of the so -called Parquet SUVs, hence the Toyota Rav4 test partner as the most popular and fresh representative of this class in Russia.


The first to fall into our hands Rav4, on it we went for Hyundai. The car seemed to us inadequately large a long hood, swollen wings ... Maybe this is not the same Hyundai, not Santa Fe? It looks like a full -fledged SUV. We look at the TCP seems to be right. Here you have a classmate! However, there is nowhere to retreat ...


Toyota RAV4 is already a well-known car in Russia, a three-door option with an atomat box visited us on the test last fall (motor #9, 2000). The five -door looks definitely more solid and pulls on the class above. It is 425 mm longer (the base increased 210 mm, 215 mm was on the rear overhang). And higher by 70 mm. This practically did not affect the design, except that the substetrician on the sidewall became more gentle and not so bully, and the profile is not so groove.


Hyundai Santa Fe is fully developed in America and primarily for America. The serial Santa Fe debuted in 2000 at the Detroit salon, where a concept with the same name was shown a year before. Nevertheless, according to the design of Santa Fe, a typical Korean: an abundance of stuffed surfaces, height changes, faces and substetings, RAV4 is much more concise. In general, outwardly it is a mixture of Hyundai Coupe and Isuzu Vehicross. As for the true sizes visually increased by a chubby design (which misled us), they are not so frightening. The length is 4505 mm, which is 260 mm larger than the RAV4, and 15 less than that of Honda CR-V. The width of Santa Fe is 140 mm exceeds RAV4 and by 70 CR-V.


The design of the salon is no less original. The complex front panel is formed by a large number of surfaces with smooth transitions. A central console limited by sharp ribs crashes into it. From the central panel to the door hanging bulky crossings. Something cosmic. The dominant color is gray. The seats, the steering wheel and lever of the box of the box are lined with skin (also gray). The mass of plastic. The central console is made of black matte, pleasant to the touch of material, which makes the impression of a rough due to interspersed metallic. The upper part of the doors is covered with perforated leatherette.


The interior is replete with all kinds of pockets and boxes. Plus, many recesses on the front panel: you can not look at all sorts of little things at it, they will not go anywhere. Six cup holders and a glass in the ceiling reminder of America.


The driver’s place as a whole is well organized. The seat has standard mechanical adjustments of the longitudinal, in height and tilt of the pillow and the corner of the back of the back. On the right on the back there is a lever of stepwise adjustment of the lumbar backup. The American chairs are cotton, without tangible side support.


The steering wheel is convenient, adjusted along the angle of inclination. On it, again, in American, there are cruise control buttons. There are no complaints about the pedals. Review is normal, the dimensions are felt well, despite the rounded external shapes. Glass and mirrors are equipped with electric drives. Lighting of the front and back parts of the cabin is separate.


The back is no less spacious than in front, and climbing there is not very difficult. A seat with a folding armrest easily accommodates three adults even in winter clothes, but there are only two headrests. The angle of inclination of the back can be changed, but using the adjustment mechanism is inconvenient.


The heating system effectively serves only the front of the cabin. To warm up the rear, it seems that it seems that there is no foot supply of air there. The salon cools very quickly.


Access to the large trunk through the upward door with a comfortable handle. When loading small items, you can do with a separate rear window. There are four cavities with lids under the rug. One large, but not a reserve in it, as you wait (it is outside, under the bumper), and a removable trough with bulkheads. The volume of the trunk can be increased by folding the rear seat entirely or a third. The regiment and the curtain are obviously not provided.


The RAV4 salon, of course, is more doubtful than that of Santa Fe. But the reserve in height is no less enough for the basketball player. The performance quality is noticeably higher than in Hyundai. In front, everything, as on the three -door rava already familiar to us. In addition to governing organs, a lever of a mechanical KP and a clutch pedal were added, which is a pleasure to work. I would like to once again note a very convenient steering wheel adjustable in the corner of inclination with an original oval section. The seats are moderately tough, with sufficient lateral support.


Due to the grown base, the legs have become much larger from behind (though it was quite convenient to sit in a short -term version). The seat with the longitudinal and the corner of the back of the back adjustments, which liked the last time. They are completely removed in Santa Fe. Yes, and it is more convenient to fold them.


The trunk has grown too. But the rear door RAV4 minus. It opens to the right, and when carrying luggage to the sidewalk, it will have to go around it every time. In this sense, Santa Fe is more convenient.


Toyota RAV4 is equipped with a 2 l 4-cylinder 150-horsepower engine (not provided for others), which is aggregated with a mechanical five-speed gearbox. The drive is full, permanent with a viscous coupling in the center differential and a self -locking differential in the rear bridge.


The power supply of Hyundai Santa Fe is worthy of an SUV class above 2.7 l V6 develops a capacity of 181 hp. This engine is equipped only with an automatic 4-speed box with the possibility of compulsory gearboxes (Shiftronic). The drive is also confined that the transmission has an interdose viscose coupling, if necessary, smoothly connecting the rear axle.


There is a 4-cylinder 2.4-liter, with a capacity of 149 hp, which works with a 5-speed mechanical gearbox. Regardless of the engine, it is possible to install a transmission with a drive only on the front wheels. Rear differential of increased friction option.


We proceed to the main test of running qualities. The cold 150-horsepower Toyota motor wakes up instantly and stability works at idle. On the go, the engine pleased with a very flat characteristic. The expected response follows immediately when the gas pedal is pressed. The RAV4 motor equally quickly lays the tachometer arrow in the entire speed range up to 6000, then the intensity falls, and the reason to twist the engine disappears despite the fact that the scale is marked to 8000 rpm. The exclusion of the zone is up to 2000 about 2000/min., Where the moment is too small. However, if you move dynamically, not allowing you to turn below the 2000 mark, then everything will be in order, especially since such a ride is facilitated by a box with rather short gears and an impeccably working switching mechanism.


In turns, RAV4 is perfectly kept thanks to a rather stiff and very energy -intensive suspension, as well as an informative steering wheel. During parking and at low speeds, the assistance of the hydraulic wrap as much as possible, but with an increase in speed it decreases, and a pleasant return force occurs on the steering wheel, thanks to which you can accurately evaluate the position of controlled wheels and enjoy movement in maximum modes. The suspension easily copes with any irregularities, without a hint of breakdown. At the same time, the sound from strokes dissolves somewhere below the impression that you are driving on a large frame car.


Since the Hyundai Santa Fe was created under the American market, there is a difference between European (Japanese) and an American approach to parquet SUVs. First of all, a purely American-minded automatic machine. When moving by rolling the engine, you will not slow down. The programs are very stretched, which is why there is a feeling that the gas pedal has only two provisions: the average to maintain speed, and to the floor for its recruitment.


So, the pedal to the floor of Kick Down. Thinking well, the engine wakes up. A low gear is being shook, and Santa Fe gives you a pleasant acceleration. But this is only in the first two gears, in addition, the motor painfully long and at the same time rushes noisily to the set 6,000 rpm. From 181 hp You expect more. The transition to the manual control mode of the bribe box did not add the transmission still switching slowly. But still, Santa Fe is more frustrated than RAV4.


Now the suspension. She turned out to be very soft and also with oddities. Hyundai is noticeably heated in corners, so you involuntarily drop the speed (when moving in the city because of this, you don’t even want to rebuild once again). At the same time, Santa Fe is very strict even of small irregularities, and when forcing a small lying policeman at the permitted speed on the suspension, such a blow passed that it became scary not to break anything. Apparently, this is a consequence of the inconsistency of the characteristics of springs and shock absorbers.


And finally, steering with a powerful amplifier. What are you standing, that you are going the steering wheel to zero with the same effort. I liked the brakes in general ...


We went to Krylatskoye to evaluate the off -road properties of our SUVs, although it was clear that RAV4 on its universal TOYO in deep snowdrifts could not do anything. Therefore, Hyundai, shod in the winter Michelin, was the first to go to reconnaissance. He moved along the virgin lands very confidently, and the photographer decided to make a spectacular frame unfolding at the speed of a car with fountains of snow from under the wheels. Santa Fe bribely took from his place and began to cut circles beautifully, with a drift. But moving to a smaller radius and losing speed, the car quickly buried itself in loose snow and sat on the bottom. Neither back nor forward the car settled tightly. The front and rear wheels were diagonally rotated helplessly in the air.


We decided to take advantage of RAV. The cable was from the passenger car, and that he would withstand, we strongly doubted it, therefore, we decided not to pull it out, but in a jerk. But RAV4 could not cope with this, at low speed the engine simply did not have enough moment, and it was stalled with a lowering gear. They tried to promote the engine, but at the same time they skipped either the clutch (with smooth inclusion) or the wheels (when you throw the clutch), so you can plant RAV. I had to drag a jerk. At first, Santa Fe was not too strong, as if dug. They began to add the same effect a little bit. And, whatever there will be a powerful jerk, the cable is torn, but Hyundai managed to cling to the hanged wheels behind a solid nast and was able to stretch out. Further, we decided not to engage in such experiments, after all, these are not real SUVs ...


Such are classmates. Hyundai Santa Fe compared to RAV4 a clear degeneration. If it can be enrolled in one group with other SUVs (Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Rav4, Honda CR-V, Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape), then only conditionally. But to real SUVs (Mitsubishi Pajero, Toyota Prado), Santa Fe does not reach the engines are weak, and the chassis is not so serious.


Fans of American SUVs, of which we have a lot, will surely appeal to this car. The list of advantages of Santa Fe is undoubtedly attributed to an original appearance. And the price (about $ 28 thousand per car with 2.4 liters of a motor) is lower than that of RAV4, including Due to Korean origin of the brand.


The five -door RAV4, unlike a three -door, is also a completely male car. But he also has many alternatives among classmates both in terms of value (about $ 35 thousand), and in terms of equipment. So the scheme described by Shenderovich works only in politics, while in the automobile market the choice is richer ...
 
Sergey Yakubov, Alexander Nadens
 

Source: Motor magazine [April 2001]