Hyundai Santa Fe 2006 test drive - 2009 SUV

I want to be a rax

The new Santa Fe turned out to be a solid car of an almost Japanese level. Moreover, as a guideline, its creators chose nothing more than Lexus.
 

These wise Koreans
Oh, and the curious car came out! At first glance, you can’t even determine what it really is. Say big or small? The new Santa Fe is clearly more solid and older than democratic compact class SUVs. However, a little less prestigious models of average. And all because the new hande belongs to the so -called lower middle class. Today, in addition to Santa Fe, only BMW-X3 plays here. But soon Mazda-CX7, the new outlander and Chevrolet-captivation should appear.
 

Koreans acted very wisely, placing Santa Fe half a hundred below full-sized middle-class models such as Murano, XC90 or RX300. After all, there is still a little to grow up, and its success would be determined primarily by the prestige of the brand, which Hende does not have. And in the framework of the new lower average, customers are still ready to accept the car as such, not particularly bocked on the ephemeral image.
 



Almost Lexus
At least the appearance of the machine does not require any discounts on the Korean emblem. Unlike his predecessor, as if drawn by a slightly crazy pulmonary artist, the new Santa Fe looks very noble. The design, made with such a sense of style and measure, would make the honor of any Japanese brand. Say, imagine the younger brother of Lexus-RX300. In the guise of the current Santa Fe, he would look quite adequate.

At the first moment, I was even ready to agree with the emblem L instead of H and on the hub of the steering wheel. Dear in appearance, the Hende interior is made in the same soft, intelligent style as in the three hundredth. But most importantly, it smells of not Korean, but a Japanese car. Who inhaled the terrible aroma of Korean interiors will understand what the difference is.

 
  
To simulate a noble red tree, Koreans applied even thin threads of wood structure on plastic
 

Boxing subcuttire is two-tier. In the lid holder for trifles
 
  
Flacks, mirrors with backlight, extensions of visors. Even in the little things, Santa Fe offers more than you expect
 

In the upper part of the torpedo box for trifles. In cars with a leather salon of the radio, it will not be third -party, as in the photo, but the factory
 

The tidy is unpretentious, but reads excellently. Suspending an amateur backlight


However, from heaven you go down quickly. Torpedo, soft in appearance, in fact, turns out to be hard as a piece of wood (although five points for the quality of fake). And the inserts for aluminum is a frank counterfeit, as if painted with silver from a spray can.
 

The rest of the interior is made in an adult way. For example, in sunset visors there are extension cords, in the middle stages of the body, adjustable ventilation deflectors, leather upholstery of quite decent quality, with stylish perforation red in black.
 

And Santa Fe salon also does not show the Korean level of engineering maturity at all. Let's say the sofa is formed in an even floor in one movement. The front head restraints are adjusted at a distance to the back of the head. The rear in the non -working position is shed. And there are practically no complaints about ergonomics. In general, everything is done as it should be, and not as it happened.

 
   
The backs of the sofa are adjusted along the angle of inclination in a very wide range. To transport narrow long -meters, it is enough to discard only the armrest
 

In the middle stages of the body, the deflectors of the blowing of the rear sofa
 

A capacious organizer with an adjustable partition is located under the label of the trunk
 
   
The trunk even in a 5-seater version is huge. And the sofa folding in a proportion of 40:60 allows you to turn Santa Figon


But why then there are so few hooks and drawers? Why is the trunk, unlike Tussan, by velor, and not with hard plastic, not afraid of rough luggage? This is a sign of status. Santa Fe is addressed to those who have already come out of the age when snowboards and climbing equipment are carried in the car.
 



189 forces under the hood ...
Still, V6 is not a row four for you. How velvety he rumbled! How powerful and at the same time not a little Santa Fe is not at all accelerates. Not a single 4-cylinder buzzer can please the driver’s pride.
 

The machine is not a masterpiece by modern standards. Only 4-speed, it does not differ in rate of fire, although it crosses the transmission quite smoothly. At the same time, despite the powerful V6 and the machine, in the city of Santa Fe consumes 1617 l/100 km. And on the highway it is possible to fit 13 l/100 km, supporting 120-130 km/h: very good.
 

Despite the fact that the beginner was created primarily for America, in his character there is absolutely no overseas slack. As, however, and European sports excitement. The behavior of the car can be described as reliable and assembled. A dense suspension does not allow swing on the waves, the rolls in the turns are moderate. The steering wheel is poured with a distinct reactive effort, and the reaction of the machine to its turns is quite fast and by the standards of all -terrain vehicles accurate. The brakes are cool. Unless the pedal resists somewhat more than expected.
 

There is only one claim. All the same dense suspension makes the body repeat the profile of the road in sufficient detail. The car rolls along the highway, like an elastic tennis ball. But with noise insulation, complete order. And the speed is not felt acutely. On the speedometer 150, but it seems only 120. In general, Santa Fe goes in an adult way, in full accordance with his class.
  



... and 210 mm under the belly
It is clear that this is a SUV, and heavily off -road is categorically contraindicated to him. Nevertheless, before the congress from the asphalt, I drove the car to the pit to study it from below.
 

Wow the SUV! Between the lower point under the bottom and the road, the ruler recorded 210 mm. Such a clearance is worthy of a real jeep, the highway SUVs are usually 2030 mm less, and this is a significant difference. In addition, the details of the suspension and the exhaust system are combined very competently.

Therefore, on a broken primer, Santa Fe felt confident. And when the track dry on the hillock changed the slush thawed after the winter in the lowland, I had to press the 4wd-Lock button. The fact is that under ordinary conditions, the rear wheels of Hyunde are connected automatically after the start of the front slipping. To move on a slippery road, this is enough. But when there is a ride with a prolonged slip, an automatic coupling must be blocked so as not to burn it.
 

A powerful V6 paired with an automatic machine even without a lower gear (which Santa Fe has) is ready to turn four wheels in a viscous mess. True, ESP begins to interfere with him. She, of course, slows down the masking wheels, simulating the blocking of inter -coil differentials. However, along the way, the engine is strangled, which in this case is not at all in handy. If you turn off ESP, the motor receives complete freedom, but virtual locks disappear. Now, if the ESP, when disconnected, kept the function of pseudo-discharge, as on the X-trail, it would be just excellent.
 

Nevertheless, due to the large lumen of Santa Fe, off-road can be slightly more than you expect from a car, only outwardly similar to a jeep. So the balance of sled and off -road qualities by parquet standards is almost perfect for him.
 



And laughter and sin
Koreans really managed to create a truly good SUVs of an almost Japanese level. Comparing it with the predecessor is simply inappropriate. Between them is the abyss. But to stand on a par with thoroughbred Japanese classmates to a beginner do not allow budget decisions in the decoration of the cabin and, most importantly, the lack of charisma, the spark of God. Yes, this is a pleasant car in all respects. But nothing that could hook in it. And in the car with a claim for prestige, there must be some kind of highlight.
 

Santa Fe can be compared with the plasma TV El-Ji or Samsung 42nd diagonal. Yes, Korean electronic brands have reached a universally recognized level, so it is not a shame to demonstrate such a TV even wealthy guests, accustomed to expensive things. And yet this is not Sonya or Toshib ...

And if so, Santa Fe, like the Korean TV, should have an attractive price. Alas, $ 35 99040 990 is not perceived by such. Since the beginner completely disowned his simple predecessor and claims prestige, buyers focus on the GLS top version with an automaton and a leather salon for $ 40,990. But who is ready to pay more than 40 thousand for the hand-made emblem today? In private conversations, even sellers recognize this.
 

And after all, the funniest (or sad as you want), that the price of Santa Fe is not important. To get away from the psychological barrier more than 40 thousand, it is enough to reduce it by only 2.53%. I am sure that in the representative of the hand in Russia are able to make such an adjustment. Unless, of course, they are going to sell Santa Fa, and not offer how NF.
    
Only three options

Santa Fe comes to Russia only with a 2.7-liter engine. You can only choose a gearbox and equipment. $ 35 990 is a machine with mechanics performed by GL, which contains almost all the necessary means of comfort and safety. For machines with a machine gun, a more expensive GLS execution is provided. For example, instead of air conditioning, there is climate control. As well as many pleasant little things that at first you do not pay attention to. With a fabric salon, automatic Santa Fe costs $ 37,990, and with a leather, in a richer configuration of $ 40,990.
 
PER

Sensation of a solid Japanese car, a large road clearance for the SUV, moderate fuel consumption
VS

In some places, budget finishing materials, overstated price
 
Hyundai Santa Fe 2.7 A/T

general information
 
Body (number of places/doors)
Universal (5/5)
 
Equipped mass, kg
1843
 
Length x width x height, mm
4650x1890x1795
 
Base, mm
2700
 
Front/back, mm track
1615/1620
 
Acceleration time 0100 km/h, with
11.7
 
Speed, km/h
179
 
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
8.8/15.1
 
Trunk volume, l (2/5 seats)
1572/774
 
Fuel tank capacity, l
75
 

Engine
 
Location
Front transversely
 
Design
gasoline, 6-cylinder, V-shaped with two upper camshafts
 
Working volume, SMZ
2657
 
Power, L.S. at rpm
189/6000
 
Torque, kgsm at rpm
25.3/4000
 

Chassis
 
Suspension:
Independent, spring, Co stabilizers of anti -resistance stability
 
front
Type McEzerson
 
behind
Mollycent
 
Steering
REMENCH with an amplifier
 
Brakes
disk, in front ventilated
 
Tires
235/65 R17
 

Car
from 0.33 $/km
 
 
Alexander Konov, photo of Maxim Goncharov
 
 

A source: Magazine buy a car [10/2006]