FIRST DRIVE: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe

About 11 years ago, I bravely drove to the northern tip of Luzon to experience a long road trip getaway with my family. It was past noon when we arrived at the stretch of the pristine Saud Beach—a grueling 11-hour drive, and with no driver substitute—from Manila to Pagudpud. But the tiring drive was all worth it when I finally laid my eyes on the picturesque sight of the Bangui Windmills turbines, the Bantay Abot Cave, and Kabigan Waterfalls. That specific road trip brings a lot of happy memories as it was our first long road trip together as a family in a town filled with Ilocandia adventure and delight. But more than the beauty and historical landmarks of Ilocos, it was also my first time to drive a Korean SUV—a second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe. Fast-forward to a week ago and I got the opportunity to rekindle my relationship with the same model I drove 11 years ago--but this time, more refined and matured. This is the all-new, fourth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe!

TIMELESS MACHINE

Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai cars in the country, together with Hyundai Motor Company Regional Headquarters (HMC RHQ), organized a three-day Regional Test Drive for local and foreign journalists to give us our first-hand experience on the refinement and strength of the all-new Hyundai Santa Fe. Our location: Subic and Bataan. Man, it felt like I was in a movie flashback as I began to inspect the fourth-gen Santa Fe. The scenario was like seeing an old friend that you've missed for a long time. There was a palpable sense of tension and excitement as I moved closer to the car! The first thing that impressed me was the evolution of its sheet metal as the new Santa Fe has a more athletic and sophisticated exterior design that maximizes the sense of quality, without sacrificing the old Hyundai's SUV heritage. Up front, you’ll be greeted by its new eye-catching, three-dimensional honeycomb pattern—a cascading black-and-chrome grille which is part of Hyundai's new 'Sensuous Sportiness' design language. As you gaze nearer to its bumper, the slimmer LED headlights with dynamic bending function proves its worth, especially during the break of dawn, as we tackled the tree-lined roads deep inside Subic. Transformation is quite evident in the exterior body. The flowing character lines all the way from its headlamps down to its rear taillights offers a premium yet subtle appearance, whilst the new rounded fenders, silver skidplate, and 19-inch alloy wheels boasts real swag. The best thing about the new Santa Fe is that Hyundai still uses the same successful formula that's been in place since the first-generation—a car with family character values. Does it work? Absolutely! You know Filipinos have a strong affinity for being a family-oriented people, and even up to this day, we can see cars are fully packed with passengers that include extended family members. And in this department, the Sante Fe wins. Size-wise, the new Santa Fe has a buyer-centric character and a massive size which measures 4,770 mm (length) and 1,890 mm (width). A longer wheelbase of 2,765 mm further provides a better value of proposition for Filipino families—whether in hauling cargo or loading passengers.

A GRAND-ER INTERIOR

For starters, the seven-passenger seating arrangement of the new Santa Fe is a major plus; enough to compete with its Japanese and American rivals. Once you take your seat—whether as a driver or passenger—you'll be amazed at how generous the space is inside, from headroom to legroom, front to back. Overall, the interior design of the car is quintessential. Driver visibility is ubiquitous in the Santa Fe. It has better all-around visibility, thanks to a lower belt line and bigger rear quarter glass. I also love the center console and the horizontal control layout of the vehicle as it offers lots of functionality at the driver's disposal. Plus, the two-tone finish, stitched upholstery and cabin materials guarantees top-tier luxury category.

MODERN TECH AND SAFETY FEATURES

What I love about Hyundai is that they really have a keen understanding of what its target customers look for. And for me, that's what makes the brand very significant to every Filipinos. In the all-new Santa Fe, its most important step forward is in the active and driving assistance technologies, which includes the intuitive Safe Exit Assist. How does it work? Imagine you're driving with your kids and, suddenly you weren't able to check if the door at the rear is open—I can certainly relate to this; Safe Exit Assist prevents your child from stepping out of the road, especially if there's a fast-approaching vehicle behind you. This safety system is meant for your kids to avoid accidents when they step out of your car. Certainly, a two-thumbs up! Another superb feature is the Rear Occupants Alert. While I would contest that Filipinos are totally family-oriented people and that it might be unimaginable to leave our kids in the car while parked, we can't say that for everybody, and forgetting a pet or child in the back seat happens more often than it should. With the Rear Occupants Alert, Santa Fe owners are reminded that they have left someone inside their parked car. The system uses a motion sensor inside the cabin, and when it detects any movement inside the car, it alerts the driver via a horn through an app on the phone. How cool is that? Again, this new technology is a better reminder that every car owner is just a human being who's vulnerable to any mistake. Hyundai also has another breakthrough in technology with the futuristic Heads-Up Display (HUD) that projects a virtual image of driving information on the windshield, such as speed, fuel level, and alerts from active safety and driving assistance features. And then there's wireless inductive charging pad for mobile phones, which allows both driver and passengers to charge their latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

We were fortunate to test two different Santa Fe variants: the foreign spec (2.4-liter inline four-cylinder GDI engine) and the PH spec (2.2-liter CRDi e-VGT engine). While the foreign spec'd model has the bigger displacement, the local turbo-diesel engine is a beast and a force to be reckoned with. Going up Mount Samat in Bataan—especially on the mountain's formidable twisting road—is quite a big challenge for any vehicle. But not with the 200-horsepower engine of the new Santa Fe! The car is now equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which predictably shifts when you need it to the most. Aside from its brute power, the biggest improvement of the new Santa Fe is the ride. The monocoque structure responds quicker and delivers a more superb body-controlled roll while navigating the twists and turns of Bataan. The suspension, on the other hand, has improved solidly, delivering a smoother and stabler riding experience on rough terrain, thanks to the MacPherson Strut which is perfectly paired with rear Multi-link suspension.

SAFETY FOR EVERY FAMILY

When asked for the pricing, I was the first individual in the room to react to its staggering P2.338-million price tag as it goes toe-to-toe with some of its bigger Japanese and American midsize rivals. Now, my frustration sinks in a bit, but I get reminded of the premise that the added value of expensive safety gadgetry that Hyundai inserted into the all-new Santa Fe is arguably worth it if it saves lives! And at this point, I think of my kids—and how my family—would benefit from the SUV's latest active safety and driving assistance features. Then I paused for a minute and thought of how exactly 11 years ago, we were able to put our trust and faith in a Korean SUV, the Hyundai Santa Fe. After all, that vehicle brought us to our destination, safely and intact.