2006 sante fe hyundai Archives

Model Overview and Specifications

Positioning in the Market

From what dealers tell me, the five-seat Elite is the top luxury specification. Although at this point, Santa Fe only has a base-spec seven-seat vehicle for less money.

Engine and Performance

A common rail, direct injection, 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel with VGT (Variable Geometry Turbo), which ought to be a cracker. Not far off.

Class Leadership and Brand Growth

“Based on what I know, the Santa Fe is unequivocally the class leader in the medium-sized SUV category. Still, if you have any questions at all, test drive any Toyota and Honda products. You will probably be rushing to the closest Hyundai dealer, or alternatively, the chiropractor.”

Hyundai emerged ahead of Porsche, Nissan, and Lexus in the annual list of “The Best Global Brands” jointly produced by New York-based Interbrand and BusinessWeek in July 2006, securing the distinction of offastest–growing automobile brand in the world.

Hyundai’s Legacy and Philosophy

If you know anything about Chung Ju-Yung, who started the Hyundai Motor Company back in 1947, that is not unexpected. In a comparatively short amount of time, Chung, a serious “can do” type of guy, established one of the biggest engineering-based businesses worldwide.

The history of his shipbuilding endeavor is legendary. Having never built a ship, he somehow convinced a client to order one valued at millions of dollars. That firm is now the biggest shipbuilder in the world.

“It is failures rather than successes that teach us lessons—it is not necessary to remember one’s successes,” Chung’s enduring philosophy seems to be one Hyundai embraces.

Early Challenges and Current Quality

With the very popular and reasonably priced Excel, when Hyundai first entered the very competitive US market in 1986, they ran into problems when the dependability and lifetime of their cars were called into doubt.

Hyundai became almost obsessed with new product ideas and improvements in general quality and dependability right away. Big time, that obsession has paid off; Hyundai vehicles routinely rank in the top five automobile brands in the very powerful US-based J.J.D. Power dependability studies.

Design Evolution and Market Position

Though they lacked much to look at in terms of style or simple English, previous Santa Fe generations and the Sonata and Grandeur models provided exceptional value for money.

The current models don’t hold as much appeal. When Hyundai unveiled the new Sonata in 2005, they clearly focused on styling, which resulted in the cars looking great. They followed up with the opulent Grandeur, then naturally the second generation and current form Santa Fe, which they have so brilliantly captured!

Style and Benchmarking

The new SUV from Hyundai exudes style both internally and externally. Though it provides unquestionable quality and finish at the appropriate price, it is quite appealing from all sides.

Designed “in-house” at Hyundai’s California Design Center, the Santa Fe was benchmarked against the Lexus RX, Honda MDX, and Volvo XC90, producing a significantly more elegant appearance to compete with the best from several of the Japanese marques.

Engine and Driving Experience

Powertrain Details

The Elite is driven by a new 2.7-liter alloy V6 quad cam 24-valve powertrain with CVVT (Continuously Variable Valve Timing) and VIS (Variable Intake System), so quality and attention to detail are not stopping here.

When you need it, a fly-by-wire electronic throttle delivers a good 138 kW and 248 Nm of torque from which to get off-the-line acceleration. Though the engine is smooth and polished, with far superior drivability than the 2.4-liter engines used in some of its Japanese rivals, they are not very big numbers.

SUVs with four-cylinder engines find climbing steep urban inclines to be no fun and a very noisy and demanding business. Given the option, I would choose the little V6 every time, titime,,ven if fuel consumption would be somewhat raised.

Fuel Consumption

Although I ran the consumption data, I was shocked to learn that we had only used a quarter of a tank—that is, with a family of four with luggage—despite driving the Elite from Sydney to Kangaroo Valley at the authorized speed limits.

The Santa Fe’s automatic factory consumption ratings of 10.6 L/100 km combined highway/city are outstanding for a petrol-powered all-wheel-drive SUV of its size and specification.

On long, lolong, Indiana stretches, a capable, smooth-ranging, four-speed automatic with electronic sequential manual mode—which is matched to the 2.7-liter engine in the Santa Fe—is helpful as the shifts occur somewhat rapidly. Although you can always use a bit more power and an extra gear ratio, this is a smart engine that combines power with fuel consumption.

US Engine Option

And if you happen to live in the United States, you can exactly receive that. The Santa Fe offers a bigger 3.3-liter petrol engine, which fits perfectly with Hyundai’s sleek five-speed automatic from the Grandeur (Azera over there), and that would be something I would want to see available in Australia in time, especially should pump costs remain constant.

Handling and Suspension

Though a large SUV, the Santa Fe lacks slouch in handling either. This SUV feels rather appealing on the road; car-like ride and handling best capture this.

While keeping a strut-type front suspension, Hyundai has ditched its control arm rear suspension and adopted a more appealing multilink arrangement. This configuration makes less unsprung weight, more rubber on the road, and better tracking.

Using a power-assisted, speed-sensitive device, steering is reasonably well weighted and direct. Though the vehicle feels tight and even sports-like, there is never any indication of a harsh ride. Body roll is low even at speed.

The Santa Fe proved rock solid, even compliant over this length at 70 km/h. I have a stretch of road ideal for testing a vehicle’s tracking ability over poorly maintained road surfaces. Given that it’s Sydney-based, it’s likely that I will have this test facility for a few more years yet; it’s one of those roads I hope they never fix.

Traction and Drive Systems

The Santa Fe also looks after you with computerized “On Demand All-Wheel Drive,” which automatically chooses the ideal driving mode for the circumstances.

For optimal traction, the system can deliver up to 50% of its power to the rear unless it detects wheelspin. It’s a sophisticated system, with all the drive focused on the front wheels.

Should you deliberately enter the rough, though, there is a manual override button that engages the differential lock.

Given the fuel economy and component wear and tear, this is a lot more sensible solution for largely urban-based SUVs than a full-time 4WD system.

Safety Features

A top-spec Hyundai’s value for money remains a major brand value. It also features a plethora of active safety technologies, like ESP (Electronic Stability Program), TCS (Traction Control System), and 4-channel ABS with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution).

Given the magic these systems do whenever called upon for active service, it would be interesting to see the numbers of vehicles fitted with these devices involved in car crashes or even minor binges. I believe it to be far less than those without!

Interior and Comfort

Cabin Quality

Entering the Santa Fe Elite transports you to a venue you would have expected of a significantly more costly Japanese SUV.

Particularly obvious after a few hours behind the wheel, the full leather seats are luxurious and absolutely comfortable—front and rear.

Furthermore, very few SUVs can claim about third-row seat comfort as well as you get in the Santa Fe; thus, third-row passengers in the seven-seater won’t experience any discomfort either.

Though the surface is too smooth for my taste, the leather-bound steering wheel is pleasant.

The high-quality switchgear throughout the inside exceeds my expectations for an SUV at this price point, and the layout of the audio and cruise control remote controls is excellent.

Interior Styling

Since they seem to accentuate the “low rent” look, faux wood treatments usually look horrible in car interiors.

Unlike the Santa Fe, the maple wood veneer finish appears elegant alongside the brushed metal highlights and inlays on the front fascia and door trimmings.

Audio and Convenience Features

For those individuals above the age of forty, the music system is a multi-compliant (MP3, etc.) seven-speaker, six-CD in-dash unit with a bonus cassette player.

It’s a reasonable setup with rather good audio clarity.

The full blue illumination across the instrument cluster will appeal to you, even reaching down to the dual front cup holders.

The absolute hamper is full of standard features, including

Electric tilt/slide roof
Electric driver and passenger seats
Dual-zone climate control with controllable vents for all passengers (including the third row in the then 7-seater)
Electrochromatic rearview mirror with digital compass
Auto headlights on (rain-sensing wipers would have been beennice,,e as you can never seem to get the wiper speed right with any of the manual manualsystems)..)

The center console also has a cool box and a number of other capabilities too numerous to enumerate here.

Would you kindly equip the Elite with rear park assist sensors?

Safety and Restraint Systems

With driver and front passenger airbags, dual side front (thorax) airbags, and dual front and rear side curtain airbags (including the third row in the then 7-seater), the Santa Fe lineup reflects safety rather well.

To reduce neck injuries in the case of whiplash, you also receive retractable, three-point seat belts on every seat—including the third row—together with withactivee head restraints.

Size, Space, and practicality.

Though somewhat smaller than the Toyota Kluger, this Santa Fe is size-wise larger than the new Toyota RAV4 Cruiser L and Honda CR-V.

Though typically found with larger SUVs, it truly is the ideal-sized SUV with enough space for five people and never makes driving feel like a chore.

Its 10.9-meter turning radius makes handling in and out of car parks and challenging driveways easy, far less than that of the Ford Territory and Toyota’s Kluger.

Storage and Interior Space

Another area where the Santa Fe vanquishes the competition is space and practicality.

You find yourself with a touch too much space on your hands, as there are plenty of comfort areas for every passenger and so many handy storage spaces—thirty-two all total—hidden and uncovered.

A good challenge given four- or five-person households.

Moving around the inside, there are

Large door pockets with bottle holders
Dash top-lined compartment with cover
Rubber-lined space in front of the gearshift big enough for phones and wallets
Twin cup holders
Clever push-button arrangement in the back armrest
Two-compartment front center armrest with a hidden storage drawer accessible to rear passengers

You could characterize the rear baggage area as vast rather than small.

If that is insufficient, raise the rear floor to discover still another deep recess.

The seven-seater does not have it since the extra third-row seating takes up this area.

Second- and third-row seats can, of course, fold flat to accommodate bikes, boards, and house-moving tasks.

In the Elite, both legroom and headroom are generous; what most astonished me was the volume of cargo space behind the third row (in a seven-seater), which would be sufficient for a decent round of grocery shopping.

Exterior Design and Styling

Not only are the roof racks superior to most of the expensive aftermarket alternatives, but they can be positioned anywhere with a straightforward flush-mounted lever on every cross rack.

Though for my money the new Santa Fe Elite is absolutely the greatest-looking medium-class SUV available on the market, you’ll make your own mind up about the appearance.

Now the core of vehicle design, with almost fifteen manufacturers running design offices there, California, where this Santa Fe was written, is also the Harvard of vehicle design, the Art Center Pasadena.

New Volkswagen Beetle, Mazda MX-5, and Mercedes M-Class cars all bear witness to the design genius in this field.

With its swept-back front end and integrated grille and lighting assembly, the Santa Fe’s front appeals especially to me.

The rest of the vehicle boasts clean lines with straightforward, efficient details like chrome inlays on all five doorknobs.

Though useful as the rear tailgate opener is, given the flush lines on the rear end of the car, it seems a little inappropriate.

For a grand appearance that transcends its price range, the Twin Chrome oval exhaust pipes and the Elite’s standard 18-inch alloys come together wonderfully with other stylistic elements.

Final Verdict

Given retail costs thousands below comparable Ford and Toyota models and one of the finest warranties in the company (five years/130,000 km), the Santa Fe is the wise pick in the medium-sized SUV market, giving nothing away to its more expensive competitors.

Tag: 2006 sante fe hyundai

Hyundai Santa Fe Review (2006)

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