2021 Hyundai Santa Fe: Full Australian Buyer's Guide
One of the best seven-seat SUVs has been replaced with an all-new version and begs the question: Should you pass on that expensive German SUV? Answer: Definitely.
The new Hyundai Santa Fe is a once-over upgrade to the previous model, which itself was an update from the 2015-2020 Santa Fe.
This new version has been heavily improved with an even sexier interior, a new push-button transmission and towing upgrades, as well as the obligatory aesthetic ‘enhancements’ - which I think is how the Hollywood elite would describe theirs.
So let’s break down what the Santa Fe gets new and the pricing of the range in order for you to decide which one will suit you.
There are four model grades. The base version is the fleet manager’s special, simply known as ‘Santa Fe’ starting at $49,000 - although it’s not like the poverty packs of yesteryear (see below for features).
Then there’s the ‘Active’ asking about $52,000, the ‘Elite’ at $59,000, and the top-spec ‘Highlander’ is $66,800 - all pricing here is listed as ‘driveaway’.
Before we go any further, all the interesting colours are very different in the range than they were on the old model. There’s no dark blue or burgundy, there’s no cool dark green or sandy yellow-brown. But there is colour. They’re called ‘Lagoon Blue’, ‘Taiga Brown’ and ‘Rain Forest’ - none of which actually look as bold as the palette you might known on other vehicles. You of course get the usual silver, black, white and grey.
If you pick the premium paint colours, you can also have ‘cognac’ or ‘camel beige’ leather.
From the outset here, it’s important to know (if you don’t already) the Hyundai Santa Fe, like it’s dizygotic twin sister the Kia Sorento, gets a full-size spare wheel mounted externally at the rear. This is something of a mandate for both Australian arms of these brands, for their mid-size and large SUVs. The Santa Fe also gets a locally developed suspension tune tailored to handle our appallingly crap, broken, corrugated, rutted, potholed, brittle, washed away and melted roads.
Grades
Santa Fe starts with:
Tyre pressure monitoring, 4X4 lock mode, standard transmission with drive mode selection, rear parking sensors and reversing camera, full-size spare, electronic park brake, auto high beam, 17-inch alloys, cloth seats, turn-key ignition.
LED headlamps and daytime running lights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, 2nd and 3rd row ventilation ducts with air-con, heated door mirrors, 8-inch multimedia screen, electric lumbar support (front seats).
Adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance, junction collision avoidance, rear blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, lane keeping, multi-collision braking.
Active gets in addition:
18-inch alloys, front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, leather seats, proximity key & push-button start, paddle-shift, power folding mirrors, terrain drive mode selection, electric child locks, safety exit assist, auto dual-zone climate control.
Elite adds:
20-inch alloys, advanced rear occupant alert, 10.25-inch navigation with DAB radio and premium 10-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, satnav, electro-chromatic rearview mirror, 10-way electric driver’s seat adjustment, power tailgate, rear window sunshades and rear door curtains, boot cargo net.
Highlander tops it off with:
Even snazzier 20-inch wheels, premium Nappa leather, 12.3-inch digital driver’s dash cluster, glass panoramic sunroof.
Head-up display, blind-spot view camera system, remote smart parking assist, reverse parking collision-avoidance, 360-degree camera, LED projector headlights.
Driver’s seat memory, powered front passenger seat, heated front seats and row 2 outboard seats, ventilated (cooled) front seats, heated steering wheel, LED daytime running lights, LED interior lighting.
Additional costs:
Premium paints: $695 (brown, black, silver, green, blue and ‘Magnetic Force’ - what ever that is)
Cognac Nappa leather interior: $295; Camel beige Nappa leather interior: $295
ENGINE ‘CHOICE’:
There isn’t really much to debate on this. For now, Australia is stuck with the same engine options as last year’s model: the efficient and grunty diesel, or the boat anchor V6 petrol which needs retiring, especially given new 2.0-litre hybrid and 2.4-litre turbo-petrol options are already available in the US. Here’s the cost difference between the petrol and diesel.
On the base model Santa Fe, the 2.2 diesel is about $3000 more than the petrol V6, but it is the superior engine in terms of performance and fuel economy - plus you get the quite excellent, and very robust eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
For the Active, Elite and Highlander, the diesel is $3600 more than the petrol, based on choosing the ‘White Cream’ standard paint colour. More on powertrain below.
ENGINES
Hyundai Australia says the new Santa Fe has received a wide range of improvements to the previous-generation seven-seater which pushes any rational case for buying an allegedly premium German SUV further into the shade.
New Santa Fe continues with the well-established 2.2 turbo-diesel and the boat anchor 3.5-litre V6 petrol for powertrain options. The brilliant eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, which was debuted on the all new Kia Sorento late last year, is attached to all diesels in the Santa Fe line-up, while the V6 gets the regular (but still nice-to-drive) eight-speed epicyclic auto.
While their overarching designs remain the same, both the V6 and the diesel are now substantially lighter thanks to an alloy cylinder head and block. They’re also re-tuned for better mid-range power delivery. Here are their respective outputs:
3.5L V6: 200kW @ 6400RPM, 331Nm @ 6400RPM
2.2L TD: 148kW @ 3800RPM, 440Nm @ 1750-2750RPM
The V6 actually puts out less peak power (-6kW) and torque (-5Nm) than the previous model despite having to spin an extra 100 revs faster, while the diesel gets 1kW and exactly the same torque figure, all at the same revs.
Hyundai says of the so-called ‘all-new’ V6, and the diesel:
Both units feature alloy head and block construction, to the reduction of both weight and internal frictional losses.
Tuning for improved mid-range power delivery, compared with the previous-generation units, brings improved driveability and fuel economy for both powertrains.
The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine which gets the eight-speed DCT is only available with all-wheel drive, but is 19 per cent more fuel efficient, and the V6 is front-drive only.
The DCT is a wet-clutch type which is submerged in oil for greater heat exchange and durability than an equivalent dry-clutch system. Just ask Ford about that.
The DCT gets push-button transmission selection and the V6 auto gets a conventional selector stick.
While the 2.2 diesel derived from the previous Santa Fe >> and Kia Sorento >> is a proven powertrain with excellent outputs and does a decent job of dealing with emissions, legally and reliably, while also being able to pull moderately heavy loads, the V6 is outdated and in need of replacing with HMC’s 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder with 136kW @ 6000RPM and 217Nm of peak torque.
This 2.4 engine fits and is homologated because it’s already in use in the US. Hyundai just needs to get on with it and do it - this will most likely happen as a mid-life update on the new model in around 2022-2023.
The new Hyundai Palisade large SUV is also using the same V6/2.2 diesel engine combination with FWD/AWD on each. Although Palisade gets a massive 2990m wheelbase.
2021 Hyundai Palisade: Full Review for Real Buyers in Australia >>
AWD & TERRAIN MODES
Arguably the biggest highlight of the Santa Fe platform is the fact you get to marry the plush comfort of a large SUV (and it’s subsequent seven seat capacity) with the adaptability of a clever transmission able to get you through tricky driving conditions - without resorting to the comfort-compromise of a proper off-road 4x4 wagon or ute.
Do not conflate these two very different types of drivetrain. Santa Fe and Sorento will happily venture down loose gravel tracks and slippery-when-wet tarmac or lightly rutted terrain. But, unlike what they tried to do at TFL, the dual-clutch transmission, the low-profile tyres and the light-duty traction control system is not designed for extreme terrain with very steep, broken gradients, or mudded ruts or deep water.
Hyundai’s HTRAC AWD system system has a multi-mode system, which provides an electronic, variable torque-split between the front and rear axles, and has three selectable drive modes, ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Smart’. Smart mode acts as an on-demand system; it’s not a fully-fledged mechanical all-wheel drive system like a Subaru Outback or Forester, but those vehicles don’t offer the seven-seat versatility of the Santa Fe. Hyundai is also confident it’ll do sand, snow and mud - but don’t get ahead of yourself.
Similar electronic torque-splitting systems, which are able to be locked-on, are already in use on diesel-variants of Kia Sportage and Kia Sorento (both current model and impending new 2021 Sorento). It’s called “Dynamax Intelligent All-Wheel Drive”, because everything needs a catchy name.
It doesn’t endow Santa Fe with the hardcore off-road capability of low-range transmission and mechanically lockable centre and rear differentials, such as the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport or Nissan Patrol, or even a dual-cab ute like the Triton or Mazda BT-50.
But it will get you through light mud, moderate dirt roads and slippery sealed roads with inclines or declines that might otherwise make you require new underwear.
TOWING
If you’re questioning whether the Santa Fe will be up to the task of pulling your average-size boat or perhaps a medium-size camper, of even a small tool or utility trailer, Here’s how capable the previous Santa Fe was >>
And the new one’s even better.
New Santa Fe gets an upgraded 2500kg braked towing capacity, a 25 per cent increase from the old car’s 2000kg, and a 200kg towball download limit (increased from 100kg), which Hyundai says removes the need to upgrade the rear coil suspension with a load assist kit.
There’s also the usual inclusion of a full-size spare wheel and tyre under the boot floor to substantially increase your mobility out there in the wild brown yonder should you cop a puncture an hour from the nearest tyre shop.
2021 Hyundai Palisade vs new Santa Fe vs new Kia Sorento: Best Towing Capacity >>
And if you’re a regular tower of medium-size trailers, you’ll appreciate that I’ve done some actual research on the durability of the Santa Fe and Sorento dual-clutch transmission in reversing up driveways.
Santa Fe does get the greater towing capacity than its twin-under-the-skin sister the Kia Sorento which is limited to 2000kg.
Do I really need a 4x4 ute? >>
The Eight-Speed Dual-Clutch
Hyundai’s still relatively new eight-speed conventional auto transmission provides, at times uncanny ratio changes for an engaging and efficient driving experience that does all the right things when you expect it to. (Sometimes before you’re even expecting it to do them.)
This relatively new transmission has also improved fuel economy, according to Hyundai, by 19 per cent. That’s incredible. Usually with a new or updated model we see tiny, single-digit fuel economy improvements. But 19 per cent is massive, simply by having two clutches, each with a hair trigger on constant duty, ready to change gear in an instant.
The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission was launched with the new Kia Sorento late last year where I put it through the ultimate test for this gearbox, but slowly creeping off the line on a slope. It passed with flying colours: 2021 Kia Sorento review and buyer's guide >>
I’ve also recently pitted the 8-speed DCT against the driveway from hell: My driveway. I live on the North Face of the Eiger, and if you have a steep driveway or perhaps live in hilly suburbs, you’ll appreciate the fact I subjected the Santa Fe’s transmission to a good dose of mechanical torture (not abuse). 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe dual clutch transmission extreme endurance test >>
Given Hyundai and Kia’s track record for actually tipping money into the R&D of their major powertrain components (DPFs, petrol/diesel engines, AWD), the DCT will be quite capable of stop-start traffic conditions, although it is not as well suited as a conventional epicyclic auto in those short sub-60km/h bursts between sets of traffic lights.
The new shift-by-wire system means there’s no more convention lever-shifting for ‘park’, ‘reverse’, ‘neutral’ and ‘drive’. It’s now a push-button design in the Highlander, which has both benefits and inherent drawbacks for real-world driving situations.
For example, removing the cumbersome lever is always a good thing for improving use of cabin space - but then there’s the clunky nature of using buttons when you’re in the middle of a cognitively-demanding maneuver, such as a three-point turn, or reversing out of a driveway and proceeding forward in a hurry with approaching traffic.
What I’m saying is it could take time getting used to selecting forward or reverse in a hurry without the need to look away from the road, which you don’t have to do when using a conventional transmission shifter.
SAFETY
‘Blind-view monitor’ and ‘Blind-spot collision avoidance’: Side cameras project traffic behind the B-pillar, although not entirely necessary if people learned to adjust their door mirrors correctly. Still good to have, especially for towing, where you might actually readjust your mirrors to accommodate a large caravan or trailer and recreate that blind-spot.
Blind-spot collision avoidance will simply apply the brakes if the driver inadvertently changes lanes into said blind spots, say, with an indicator on (thereby cancelling out lane-departure & lane-keeping) and into the path of a neighbouring vehicle. Not that anybody should be firing into another lane without checking if the space is already occupied, but, there’s a reason warning labels are put on clothes not to be ironed while being worn.
Rear occupant alert: detects a door opening and closing sequence to alert the driver if a person or animal is present in the rear seat when the driver leaves the vehicle
Heads-up display: Projects critical driving information such as speed, radar cruise control, satnav, blind-spot monitoring and collision-avoidance warnings into the windscreen, at what appears to be about seven metres ahead of where you sit, for optimum clarity. Anybody with compromised eyesight may need to adjust that setting.
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist: If you start barrelling down a driveway - which you definitely should not do because, Pro Tip: it’s really stupid - the car will hit the brakes if you’re imminently about to crash into a vehicle travelling perpendicularly across your path. Which they obviously have every right to do.
Safe Exit Assist: Heaven (not actually a thing) forbid your most precious kid or dog or grandmother attempts to open the rear door in front of an approaching vehicle detected by the Santa Fe’s rearward sensor array - it’ll arm the doors and lock them shut to avoid being opened. There’s no second-chance after death, it’s binary, on or off, lights up or lights down - there’s no dimmer switch. This might be one of the next best safety innovations for in-vehicle technology, along with the centre airbag.
ENTERTAINMENT & INTERIOR
8-inch infotainment screen, includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Hyundai has never been a tight arse on providing basic smartphone software connectivity for many years now, so that’s nice.
Haptic touch infotainment screen: Essentially, it’s a software-based touchscreen which measures the duration of a finger touching an icon and responds replacing the old tech which relies on registering pressure of a finger. So it’s much more like a mobile phone, potentially allowing you to customise your radio, media, phone and settings icons on the screen. Although we’ll have to wait and see how much personalisation you actually get.
The Qi wireless phone charging pad was something of a luxury in the Highlander, but is now standard on the base model, just to make it that much harder to justify that poverty-pack German shitbox which usually charges extra for that shit. Compatible with Android and iPhone.
A premium 10-speaker Harmon Kardon branded stereo - including a fully sick separate amplifier offers surround sound to drown out all five kids bickering to the death, back there, making you wish you’d had that vasectomy years ago.
Hyundai’s so-called ‘Blue Link’, despite not actually linking anything in that hue, offers safety, diagnostic, remote and voice activation.
You also get a remote-start feature which includes climate control activation, remote door locking/unlocking, a car locator for all those times you forget whether you parked in the Itchy or Scratchy Lot.
Remote parking tech featured on new Kia Sorento is available on top-spec Highlander.
The Boot
Let’s first acknowledge here that Hyundai has introduced what we’ve all secretly been waiting for - a boot which just opens when you rock up.
There’s no fumbling around trying to reach your right hand into your left pocket while holding a metric shit-tonne of whatever in your left hand to push the key fob, nor do you have to swipe furiously with your goddamn foot under the rear bumper to engage the automatic boot release like on other vehicles. And you don’t have to shove your pinky into the cavity to push the boot release button on the tailgate itself (where spiders are always co-inhabiting), just to open the arse-end of the car.
With the Santa Fe’s key in your pocket, the ‘smart power tailgate’ simply opens when you approach it. Like, how the fuck has it taken so long for this to happen? Nobody wants to set down the bananas, strawberries, bread, ice cream and chocolate on the hot, hard, black, dirty carpark bitumen. This feature is available on the Elite and Highlander.
I digress. The boot. It’s pretty big, especially in five-seat mode, which, let’s be honest, is going to be the primary configuration you’re going to use.
If you have long-distance touring in mind with your 2.8 children and your fine wife aboard, you’re going to start struggling for room once you start deploying either seat six or seven (or both).
Speaking of, row three does not get full-length curtain airbags - which I specifically lambasted Kia for the same thing on Sorento. The row 2 curtains do reach into the row three compartment, covering the windows, but they don’t extend to the ‘D’ pillar, which is right where you’re going to cop a head injury in a major crash.
Some concessions on this: Row three in Santa Fe and Sorento is deemed an ‘occasional use only’ function - like dropping the neighbour’s kids off a school or taking Nanna and Grandpa along for the ride to beach day, yet another wedding or funeral - whatever.
Look, if you’re going to use row three full-time because you’re an enthusiastic reproducer of modern homosapien, then stop piss-farting around and get a Kia Carnival.
Row three gets air vents and air-con, USB charging ports for ‘shut-up factor’, and 746mm of legroom. But there are no ISOFIX or top tether anchorage points in row three, meaning only children who’ve left booster seats behind can use seats 6 and 7.
There are two ISOFIX points in the outboard row 2 seats, and three top-tethers.
MORE REPORTS
One of the best seven-seat SUVs has been replaced with an all-new version and begs the question: Should you pass on that expensive German SUV?