June 2008 Archives

By Andre Palma Philippine Daily Inquirer IT is easy to fall prey to preconceived notions, biases if you will. Even the world of cars and motoring is not free of arbitrary, foregone conclusions. Rain always brings horrendous traffic. Station wagon owners have large, hairy dogs. Traffic cops like doughnuts. Ask yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, what comes to mind when you think of the Hyundai brand? Honestly, in our subconscious’ hierarchy of automotive brands, cars with the italicized H aren’t vehicles that we are completely comfortable with. More often than not, a little sense of hesitation always creeps in when thinking of this marque. Chalk up this line of thinking to a less than stellar complement of vehicles that initially introduced Hyundai cars to the local market around a decade ago. To say that the current generation of automobiles from this Korean manufacturer is now radically different would just state the obvious. Inevitably, everything changes over time. What really has to be said is that change has been kind to the Hyundai brand and the second generation Santa Fe is confirmation of the good news. If only cars were solely judged by their engines. The 2.2-liter common-rail turbo diesel unit makes the strongest argument for Santa Fe. Few diesel engines across the entire local market can claim to deliver the same amount of bang for buck value. At around 150 horses and 330 Nm of twist, pull is more than sufficient from about 2,000 rpm. This engine allows the almost two-ton mass of the Santa Fe to reach the century speed mark with surprising ease. Beyond that, it takes quite a while for the Santa Fe to lose steam. Just how far will the needle go on the speedometer? Let’s just say this is the kind of SUV that is good for low 20-minute times on empty highways headed for old naval bases nestled in the hills, a whispering turbo making a compelling argument to push just a little bit more. Styling is another strong point of the Santa Fe. Proper dimensions and proportions are the solid foundation that allows the details of this SUV’s sheet metal to come through. A chiseled front fascia, highlighted by a gaping front intake hints at an aerospace influence. Tasteful treatment of the headlamps allows people to notice slightly muscular fender treatments. The slanted rake of the front windscreen meets a roofline that tapers agreeably, guiding along the rest of the sheet metal, toward the rear of the vehicle. While not drop dead gorgeous, the Santa Fe is quite the looker. The rest of the Santa Fe package is a little more down to earth. Interiors are on the verge of tasteful. Ergonomics can sometimes be a few millimeters off here and there. The brakes could use a little more modulation. Road holding is a little too comfort-oriented. Rear quarter visibility could be a little less obstructed. Better tires could be mounted straight from the factory. You get the picture. The balance of what makes up the Santa Fe is not quite there yet. All this nitpicking has a point though. For a company that has gone to great lengths to close the gap with bigger manufacturers, the Santa Fe is tantalizingly close to completing this task. Where Hyundai used to be a couple of generations back from the competition, this current crop of cars is already nipping at the heels of the rest of the manufacturing powers. It is foreseeable that continued improvement by Hyundai will eventually result in products that will be difficult to discern from more mainstream products. At this exceptional rate of evolution, the next Santa Fe should be impeccable.