New generation santa fe
External signs
The car inspires sympathy, it’s not just a sculpture from “flowing lines”, it is a crystallization of lines into a sculpture. Rigid, honed, threatening to injure upon inept handling. In place of female roundness came brutal masculine beginning. Even the xenon headlights are blatantly square. A hexagon of a false radiator grille could well take a place in the museum of modern art. It lacks propeller redundancy and premium stiffness. And I was pleased to find the hexagonal, though slightly rounded, motifs already in the cabin when designing the center console.
New and old Santa Fe
New and Old Santa Fe New and Old Santa Fe New and Old Santa Fe
But before I get inside, I note the stylish design of the side lines, filled with genuine dynamism, which, according to the designers, led to a decrease in drag coefficient to 0.34, which is not bad for tall cars. To please the dynamic look, the center of gravity was also reduced. But from whom the initiative came - from the designer or from the engineering staff, I could not establish for certain. Someone claims that it is a merit of using more durable and lighter steels, someone relies on the purely design features of the new Santa Fe. But the fact remains.
New santa fe
Driver's seat
A full set of steering wheel and driver seat adjustments, all of which are moved in space using electric drives, is not satisfactory. Perhaps a frisky crossover required more pronounced lateral support, but then it would be less comfortable to get in and out of the car. After all, this is not Crazy Cayenne.
New santa fe
I’m trying how conveniently the controls are located. Everything seems to be in place and at hand. I don’t find the usual handbrake. In its place, an accessory that is now fashionable on prestigious cars is the electro-mechanical parking brake key. Before the "glove compartment" you have to reach out - the size of the cabin affects. But is it really necessary for the driver? A bottle of water on the road, a wallet and even a weapon, for self-defense, of course, can be placed in an impressive box, it is also an armrest, between the seats. Only now the glove box is cooling, but the box is not. Water can also be placed in a cup holder in front of the gear selector.
New santa fe
For some reason I remembered a resort reminder: “Drink at least two liters of water per day, and you will get rid of health problems!” In fact, there are a large number of additional containers and pockets in the cabin and trunk (there I found two more compartments under the floor) - a good tone for cars that are used by the whole family to go outdoors and for outdoor activities. But these advantages will be appreciated not only by the driver, but also by the passengers.
New santa fe
On the blue eye
At the disposal of the driver and a tactile 8-inch LCD on the center console. This is not just a tribute to multimedia “features”, it has concentrated the functions of a navigator, it also reflects the image of a rear view camera that facilitates parking of this large car. The navigator is Russified, but on German roads he did not clearly pronounce the road designation, so it is easier to use the English version.
New santa fe
The creative Supervision dashboard, which is also familiar to our readers in other Hyundai models, allows you to keep control of all the vital functions of the car. The mini-display of the on-board computer, sandwiched between the "glasses" of gauges, at any time will inform you what mode the steering is currently in (comfortable, sporty or normal), you will find out if the door is open, if the wheel is flat, the distance, which you can drive on the remaining fuel supply. And all this will be honest, as they say, “on the blue eye”, to match the blue-and-blue corporate color of the Supervision backlight.
Supervision
Third row road
We took Santa Fe with a third row of seats. Therefore, before embarking on a journey, I evaluate how realistic it is to travel climbing a “gallery”. It turns out that it is very possible, only to optimize comfort it is not necessary to push the second row back to the stop.
Third row
Third row Third row Third row
Of course, the landing is somewhat specific - the knees are raised high because of the high floor - but you can really ride there, and if you extend your legs diagonally, you can experience something close to a sense of comfort. In addition, the third row has its own ventilation and cup holders in the sidewalls. Okonets is frankly small, but these are design elements. You experience certain difficulties when you climb through the second row to the third, but next year with the advent of the long-base version of the crossover, this problem will lose its sharpness.
On the third row
In the third row In the third row In the third row
After the third row, the driver's door is perceived as a front gate, and a comfortable driver's seat seems to be the height of perfection.
Driver's seat
Driver's place Driver's place Driver's place
I’m moving, I’m moving, the moves at the gear lever are a bit big, but the shifting is clear and the leather-covered handle itself is pleasant in the hand. On the highway, the car behaves assembled in the cabin quietly. I leave on an uneven side track - the noise from irregularities makes me attract attention. Korotkohodnaya suspension fulfills road flaws, but it doesn’t get rid of sounds. Soundproofing can be enhanced, although, according to the creators, they have worked in this direction a lot and, in particular, have installed polyurethane soundproofing in the wings.
New generation santa fe
Nevertheless, everything is in order with the engine compartment. The noise from a powerful 197-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine barely penetrates the interior. This diesel engine, and it will be delivered to Russia, provides fast acceleration and pickup over the entire operating range. I managed to ride on units with an "automatic" and "handle". Of course, the “automatic” is preferable in the sense of comfort, but on the “mechanics” you often have to switch until you reach the fifth or sixth gear. But nothing other than a mechanical transmission can not provide complete control over the car, which is very important when driving off-road. In addition, the "mechanics" are cheaper..
Santa fe
Germany is too well-groomed and spoiled by civilization to find a place in it to assess the off-road capabilities of the crossover. However, one cannot count on a miracle.
Santa fe
Not the most outstanding ground clearance (185 mm) and Santa Fe suspended under the bottom dictate their own rules of the game. Although the future owner of the crossover can amuse himself with the presence of an assistant when descending from the mountain and blocking the transmission, he should not be a real jipper. I note in passing that the all-wheel drive transmission inclusion unit, the mountain descent system, as well as the involuntary marking indicator, are located to the left, under the steering wheel and, when driving in a straight line, hides behind the steering wheel from the driver’s eyes. Therefore, you need a certain skill to find these buttons by touch.
Santa fe
The element of the new Korean crossover is asphalt. Santa Fe is equally good both on expressways and on city streets. Good controllability and a small turning radius allow him to feel like a fish in water in a dense stream of cars and narrow labyrinths of underground parking lots. The effort on the steering wheel is adjustable, and among the Comfort, Normal and Sport positions, the driver, regardless of gender and age, will choose the most suitable for himself.
Santa fe
The city dweller will appreciate the convenience of the automatic parking brake system. After pressing a button on the body tunnel, the driver can forget about the existence in the city of ups and downs and, in general, the laws of gravity. On any inclined section, the car will not leave anywhere after the foot is removed from the brake pedal.
Santa Fe is equipped with 7 airbags
Santa Fe is equipped with 7 airbags Santa Fe is equipped with 7 airbags Santa Fe is equipped with 7 airbags
Why, then, is there something alarming in the title of the article about a pretty, well-driven and well-cut modern car? Yes, precisely because everything was done in it too soundly and wisely. The moment has come when Korean thoroughness plus advanced technologies and forty years of production experience force us, who have grown up on European and American traditions, to reconsider our view on the perfection of the automotive world. With the release of Santa Fe, a storm warning sounded. And fate will be more favorable to those who hear it first.
