2022 Hyundai Santa Fe

Recently for Australia the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe has made its appearance.  This is a roomy SUV that looks incredibly good in the metal and offers a truly decent drive.  The space and the comfort do make this an ideal model for the family, and with 4×4 options and towing capability, the dependable Santa Fe just keeps getting better.

So, the new Hyundai Santa Fe comes in four model trims and is available with a 2.2DT diesel 8-speed automatic 4×4 capacity.  You can also have the Santa Fe with a smooth 3.5i petrol (ULP) engine that runs with the slick 8-speed automatic, but it only comes in FWD.  The turbo-diesel motor has been around a wee while now but has always been a good strong motor that performs well and is rewarding to drive.  With 147 kW of power available, and with 440Nm of torque, the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder is both powerful and efficient, matching up nicely for those who like to go bush and explore off-road, or maybe it’s for those who might require the capability to pull a trailer anywhere.  The 3.5-litre petrol motor is very smooth and has a lot of get up and go.  Boasting 200 kW of power and 331 Nm of torque, every journey is a smooth and refined experience.  The V6 is nice and quiet, making long distance travel serene.  Both petrol and diesel models are good for pulling a 750 kg unbraked or 2500 kg braked trailer.

You’d have to say that the petrol engine will be pricey at the pump, though it is happy to take the basic 91 RON or E10.  You can expect an average thirst for fuel to be somewhere around 10.5–12.5 litres/100 km for combined urban and open-road travel.  The diesel version, by comparison, is rated by Hyundai to be 6.1 litres/100km.

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe

Out on the road you’ll find the seats are fantastic and very comfy.  Elite and Highlander models get ample adjustment through their 10-way electric front seats.  The Santa Fe’s seats are shapely and supportive, with the Elite fitted with a leather trim that is shared with the Active model.  It is the Highlander versions that boast the higher-grade Nappa leather, and they are gorgeous.  Ride comfort is good, the suspension doing a great job of keeping things all together.  The Santa Fe offers a well-damped ride that feels firm and in control, and there’s plenty of taut body control, though it’s no sports car.  Every now and then, larger potholes can cause a bit of a thump underneath, but really it is a super SUV to drive.  There’s some tyre and wind noise at higher speeds and across some rougher road surfaces, though it is no worse than most of its segment rivals.  Who might these competitors be?  Well, these would be other similar SUVs like the Toyota Kluger, Jeep Cherokee, the Kia Sorento or even the Mazda CX-9.

For those seated in the rear of the new Santa Fe, particularly the second row, the space is fantastic, the whole cabin offering a nice airy ambience and heaps of head and legroom.  Set up as a five-seater, the 2022 Santa Fe is an excellent long-haul tourer.  You can slide the 2nd row bench rearward while still maintaining an exceptional 571-litres of boot space.  In full seven-seat configuration, 130 litres of cargo space is available, which doesn’t sound like much but happens to be more usable than the figure suggests.  In five-seater mode, a full 782-litres is available behind the seats with row 2 being glided fully forwards.  Converted to a two-seater, the Hyundai Santa Fe offers a huge 1649 litres of cargo carrying capability.  No worries here for chucking a mattress down and sleeping in the back.

The latest Hyundai Santa Fe is offered as a seven-seater, but keep in mind that the third row is better-suited to kids rather than adults or kids of adult size.  Row three can be stowed flush into the luggage space floor, and the ability of the rear-seat slide functionality allows you to tailor make the back seat leg space for second and third row occupants.  You’ll also find a number of well-placed air vents and USB device power sockets throughout the cabin.

Safety is a big win for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe.  Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, active cruise control with stop and go, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic avoidance assistance, driver attention warning, high-beam assist, multi-collision brake, lane-keep assist, lane following assist (lane centring), a reversing camera, and rear parking sensors are standard across the range. Having been ANCAP tested, the big SUV comes with the full 5-star safety rating.  Buy one new, and sealing the deal comes with a five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty with a standard 12 months of roadside assistance.

What else?  The new Hyundai Santa Fe boasts taillights that are now LED, its front seats are now heated in all models, and the third row now features USB power.  Base, Active and Elite versions all share plenty of goodies which include: a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, LED headlights (reflector type), LED daytime running lights, automatic high-beam, wireless smartphone charging, an electronic park brake, leatherette upholstery, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, rear privacy glass, power-folding exterior mirrors with puddle lamps, and a push-button gear selector with paddle shifters.  These are very nice features to have on a Base model, let alone higher up the ladder.

Elite and Highlander models get a powered tailgate, a Digital Radio Receiver (DAB+), a 10-speaker stereo with an amplifier, GPS satellite navigation, and heated and ventilated seats.  The Elite Santa Fe has also adopted the large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that has trickled down from the Highlander flagship model.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander flagship also gets things like: a carpeted cargo area, a special centre console, a HVAC system (HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and refers to the system used for moving air between indoor and outdoor areas), premium inserts for the doors, Nappa and partial leather for the seats and for the steering wheel.

Hyundai’s Santa Fe has always been a solid performer for Hyundai, a model that has grown massively in popularity.  Dependable, comfortable and capable, the new Santa Fe’s got you covered.

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe models include the:

• Santa Fe Base Model
• Santa Fe Active
• Santa Fe Elite
• Santa Fe Highlander

For any more information on the new Hyundai Santa Fe or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Hyundai dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!