2010 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.5 Limited Review
 

When the Santa Fe got its first redesign for the 2007 model year, it was a significant one. While the first-generation model proved a popular choice in Canada, the new model brought on more interior space, a higher level of refinement, and impressive ride quality.

For 2010, the Santa Fe gets a mid-cycle refresh, although its mechanical changes are much more significant than its cosmetic ones.

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Redesigned grille and bumper highlight the front end of this year’s Santa Fe, while the taillights have adopted a clear-lens design. Other changes include new alloy wheels and bodyside mouldings, but in general, the Santa Fe’s appearance is largely unchanged, which isn’t a bad thing.

Under the hood, though, the rather anemic 2.7-litre V6 has been dumped in favour of the revised 2.4-litre inline-4 that equips the new Tucson. A 24-valve, 3.5-litre V6 now becomes the top engine choice and the one our test truck is powered by, as it replaces the old 3.3-litre. Both engines are now managed by a 6-speed automatic.

With 276 horsepower in tap, the new Santa Fe is obviously speedier than before. But despite outgunning the hot-rod RAV4, it doesn’t feel as quick, although that aspect is not that important. The 6-speed tranny is more satisfying as the old 5-speed, as it reacts more quickly when the driver solicits a downshift. We had no problem matching the old V6’s fuel consumption, as we’re averaging 12.6 L/100 km.

The Santa Fe’s all-wheel drive system works reactively to road conditions: engine power is sent to the front wheels under normal driving conditions, but the system can reroute some of it to the rear wheels as needed. The driver can also lock the system up in a 50/50 power split, for a little extra confidence behind the wheel.

No problem with the Santa Fe’s ride, either. The suspension as well as the 18-inch wheels and tires easily swallow up road imperfections, and on the highway, the cockpit is quiet. The Koreans are starting to vastly improve their suspension setups, which used to be one of their biggest shortcomings.

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</td></tr></tbody></table>Inside, the cloth and leather upholsteries have been revised, while wheel-mounted audio controls and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity is now included in all models. A navigation system is finally available in this SUV, which our test truck does not have.

There is little to complain about regarding the Santa Fe’s ergonomics and dashboard layout. Even the woodgrain trim on the dash and centre console looks good. The only thing that bugged us, and everyone who drove it mentioned it, is the driver’s seat that’s too high and whose cushion can’t be lowered enough to our preference.

There’s plenty of room in the back seat, and cargo space with the seat in place is 968 litres, which is generous enough. Fold down the rear seatback, and you get 2,214 litres of space, more than most of its competitors. By the way, the optional third-row seat is gone. As for towing capacity, it’s still rated at 3,500 pounds or 1,588 kg with the V6.

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Aural excitement is provided by a great-sounding 605-watt Infinity surround sound system with 10 speakers, a 6-CD changer and XM satellite radio. A USB port and an auxiliary input jack are also included in every Santa Fe.

What’s really impressive about the 2010 version of the Santa Fe is that despite the worthwhile improvements, base price hasn’t been increased. Well, ok, it rose by four bucks. As for the $35,799 3.5 Limited we’re driving, it costs only a few hundred dollars more than last year’s equivalent.

The Santa Fe’s competition isn’t scarce; every mainstream manufacturer has a similar-sized SUV in its product line-up. Notably, the Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD V6 ($37,240), the Ford Escape Limited 4WD ($34,549), the Mitsubishi Outlander XLS 4WD ($34,498) and the Suzuki Grand Vitara JLX-L V6 ($33,195) come to mind. This particular Santa Fe is loaded, but as you can see, it’s not a screaming deal.

Last year, Hyundai sold a ton of Santa Fes for two reasons; first, it’s spacious, well-equipped and offers a more-than-decent ride. And second, it carried a huge price adjustment almost all year, which allowed a lot of people to get a very good deal.

Obviously, Hyundai won’t be moving out as many copies of the Santa Fe this year if they stick to their MSRPs; we assume that they assume that the new Tucson will be a strong seller. Yet for the first reason mentioned above, the Santa Fe deserves a good look.