SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live. 

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This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a preselected course. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.


Believable figures: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe launched in SA

Less intimidating

Posted: 29 November 2018

The numbers:
Prices: Premium AT R599 900, Executive AT R659 90, Elite AT with HTRac R749 900
Engine: 2199 cc, four-cylinder, diesel with variable geometry turbocharger
Power: 142 kW at 3800 rpm
Torque: 440 Nm between 1750 and 2750 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 9.8 seconds*
Maximum speed: 190 km/h*
Claimed average fuel consumption: 7.8 l / 100 km (front wheel drive), 8.2 l / 100 km (awd)
Tank size: 71 litres
Luggage: 31 – 547 – 1625 litres
Warranty: 5 years / 150 000 km with roadside assistance
Drivetrain warranty: Additional 2 years / 50 000 km
* Estimated

What’s new:
•    Friendlier, Kona-like face
•    Stronger, lighter body
•    More comfortable on dirt
•    Eight-speed automatic transmission
•    Seven colours
•    More space
•    Advanced features on top model: smart awd, smart child-proof locks, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic alert and “don’t forget the kid (or dog)” feature

Believable figures: These have nothing to do with Anatomically Corrected Barbie. Hyundai boasts that, unlike most competitors, its fuel consumption estimates are real and achievable. Stanley Anderson, Hyundai Motor SA’s sales and operations director, says he checks this regularly. By driving whichever model his current company car might be, the way Joe and Joanne Average would, like they’re paying for the fuel and it isn’t tax-deductible, he reckons the numbers are realistic.

The friendly face: Design chief Luc Donckerwolke believes that the raised daytime running lights are more visible, while the lowered headlamps appear less intimidating, to other road users – both approaching and followed. The new cascading grille looks good too.

Stronger and lighter body: Fifteen percent more high strength steel, wider use of hot metal stamping (forming) and bigger, stronger welds all work together to reduce weight and make the structure more rigid. That’s for increased passenger protection and improved handling.

More comfortable on dirt: The short version is that the rear shocks were relocated slightly so that they’re now more upright and use all their damping length. The familiarisation drive included a fair bit of dirt road – city boys whined that it was “very rough” but Midlands’ country bumpkins loved it – and the Santa Fe did too.

Eight-speed automatic: This latest transverse engine version of Hyundai’s A8LR1 gearbox, introduced on Genesis in 2015, could almost convince a diehard stick shift fan to switch. It’s rather like a twin-clutch except that there are five of them (four bi-directional units for the forward speeds and a single-direction one for reverse), two internal brakes and six direct control solenoid valves. Being drive-by-wire, there are no mechanical parts to break, wear loose or become jerky. It needs a review all its own to do it justice but let’s just say it worked well.

Seven colours: Phantom Black, White Cream, (light) Typhoon Silver, Wild Explorer (dark grey), Earthy Bronze, Horizon Red (fairly dark) and Stormy Sea. Not really stormy, it’s the deep blue of the Atlantic when dolphins swim and play alongside your Coaster.

More space: The new car’s body is 70 millimetres longer and 10 mm wider, on a wheelbase stretched by 65 mm. This translates to seven millimetres more legroom in front, a further 13 mm in the rear and 23 mm greater headspace in the third row. To make entry and exit easy, front and second-row seats tip and slide electrically. And the boot grew by 31 litres.

Before highlighting a few of the Elite version’s advanced features let’s see what all models have in common. The familiar 2.2-litre commonrail diesel has been re-rated slightly to 142 kilowatts and 400 Newton metres. That’s plenty. Any more would be showing off for the sake of doing so. All versions can seat seven. The gearbox is common to all, as is a 7” touchscreen music and communications centre; six airbags; ABS with ESP, downhill brake control and hill start assist; cruise control; automatic climate control; leather seats and rear parking distance warning with camera. As you move up to Executive and Elite levels, you naturally get more.

The smart awd is called HTrac, for Hyundai Traction, and its power allocation percentages vary according to the drive mode selected (again, Elite-only).

Smart child proof locks keep your kids secured and prevent Mom unlocking the doors, should either blind spot monitor or cross traffic alert detect an approaching vehicle.

Our personal favourite is the “don’t forget” feature. It detects weight in the back seat after the engine has been switched off. Meaning; if you’re like those parents in the television ad, discussing their kid as if she isn’t there, the car will remind you to check for remaining passengers, human or canine, after locking up. It remains active for 24 hours but we know you won’t ever need it. Right?

Information gathered at a manufacturer-sponsored press launch

We drove the revised version in 2021

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. 

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?

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