The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Series II is now on-sale, including the sporty SR variant, and here’s what’s new across the Santa Fe range.
We recently completed a long-term test of the Hyundai Santa Fe, along with an in-depth test and an offroad test and were pretty impressed with the results. Hyundai have now updated the Santa Fe, dubbing it the Series II, and here’s what’s different:
Improved safety
The major changes in the Series II are to do with safety, but it doesn’t roll all the way down the range.
The top-spec Highlander had Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system, and now Santa Fe gets Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB, explained here). The AEB system works off the active cruise control radar and LDW camera. Hyundai reckon it can work up to 70km/h for pedestrians and 180km/h for vehicles in front..but “work” doesn’t appear to mean bringing the car to a halt in time, just slowing it a bit. Either way, it’s a welcome addition.
Then there’s Smart Cruise Control which is active cruise control. The system will bring the car to a complete halt, and if the car is stopped for less than three seconds it’ll restart again without the driver needing to do anything.
Another new technologu is Blind Spot Detection (BSD) which works above 30km/h and illuminates a small icon in the wingmirror if a vehicle creeps into your blind spot.
Lane Change Assist (LCA) scans the road behind the car for vehicles approaching rapidly from the rear. If a vehicle is detected travelling at a higher rate of speed, LCA uses the vehicle’s BSD warning system to alert the driver.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) monitors vehicles approaching from the left and right side of Santa Fe when reversing at speeds below 10 km/h. If RCTA detects an approaching vehicle (travelling between 4km/h and 36km/h), the driver receives audible and visual alerts via a flashing light in the corresponding mirror and a warning message on the instrument panel.
The Highlander already had a parallel park assist mode, and now it’s got the same but for reverse parking. You can see more about such a system here including video.
Interior improvements
The instrument cluster has been updated, as has the infotainment unit. The touchscreen is now 7 inches in Active models and 8 in Elite and Highlander, with Siri and Google Now integration on Active models. Elite and Highlander get an improved premium audio system from Infinity. (That’s with a “y”).
Engines and drivetrains
2.4L petrol
Amazingly there’s less power, but only by 3kW, and 1Nm less torque (now 138kW and 241Nm). You won’t notice the difference in figures. Hyundai claim the engines have been “optimised to deliver improved driveability and real world performance” but we doubt it’ll be noticeable. Fuel enconomy has also got worse by 0.3L/100k to 9.4 on the combined cycle.
2.2 CRDi Diesel
Improvements here – the 2.2 Diesel engine now delivers 147kW at 3800 rpm (+2kW) and 440Nm at 1750-2750rpm (+4Nm). Again, you wouldn’t notice the difference. Especially if the other additions have made the car heavier. Fuel economy is: 6.3L/100km with manual transmission and 7.7L/100km with six-speed automatic, a 0.3L/100km improvement over the outgoing manual model, and a 0.4L/100km improvement for the six-speed automatic.
Suspension
A range of tuning and component improvements by the local Australian team have been made to the Series II.
Comment
The Santa Fe is one of the market leaders in its segment and these improvements will keep it near or at the head of the pack. However, most of them only apply to the top-spec Highlander, but such is the way with these things expect the changes to trickle down to the rest of the models in due couse.
2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Series II Range Overview
SANTA FE SERIES II ACTIVE
New features:
- 3.5-inch mono TFT LCD centre display in instrument cluster
- 7.0-inch touch screen audio system w/ MP3 capability and 6 speakers
- Siri Eyes Free (iOS) & Google Now (Android) voice activation
- Digital speedometer
Existing features and equipment:
- 7 airbags (driver & front passenger, front side (thorax), side curtains (front & 2nd row), and driver’s knee)
- Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) incorporating Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist System (BAS)
- Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) & Traction Control System (TCS)
- Hill-start Assist Control (HAC)
- Downhill Brake Control (DBC)
- Hyundai Active Locking Operation
- Rear view camera
- Rear park assist
- Bluetooth (phone & audio streaming)
- Driver’s seat electric lumbar support
- Air conditioning
- Rear air conditioning
- Roof rails
- Projector beam headlights
- LED Positioning Light
- LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
- Front & Rear fog lights
- Automatic dusk sensing headlights
- Cruise control
- Steering wheel audio controls
- Driver one-touch auto safety window
- One touch flat-folding 2nd row seats
- Retractable cargo blind
- Luggage net
- 17-inch alloy wheels & 235/65 R17 tyres
SANTA FE SERIES II ELITE (Specifications above Active)
New features:
- 8.0-inch touchscreen satellite navigation with SUNA live traffic
- Premium Infinity® 550W Logic7® audio system (6 speakers, 2 tweeters, centre speaker, sub-woofer and external amplifier)
- Auto dipping side mirrors
- Dynamic parking guidelines on rear camera
- Front parking sensors 4-head
- Power front passenger’s seat
- Driver’s Integrated Memory Seat
Existing features and equipment:
- Leather* appointed interior
- Automatic climate-control air-conditioning
- Pushbutton start with proximity smart key
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Electronic Park Brake (EPB)
- Electrically adjusted driver’s seat (12 way)
- Supervision centre cluster with colour 4.2-inch TFT LCD centre display
- Electro-chromatic (auto-dimming) rearview mirror with compass
- Solar control glass with rear privacy tint
- Rear door curtain (manual type)
- Electric folding convex side mirrors
- LED Puddle lights with LED courtesy lights in front door handles
- Electric heated side mirrors
- Glovebox cooling
- Cornering lights (static)
- Chrome outside door handle
- Stamped ‘Santa Fe’ Stainless steel scuff plates
- 18-inch alloy Wheels & 235/60 R18 tyres
- Smart Tailgate function (hands-free power tailgate)
SANTA FE SERIES II HIGHLANDER (Above Elite specification)
New features:
- New Reverse Parking (90-degree) and Exit modes for Smart Parking Assist System (SPAS)
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
- Smart Cruise Control (SCC)
- Blind Spot Detection (BSD)
- Lane Change Assist (LCA)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
- 6-head front & 6-head rear park assist
Existing features and equipment:
- Panoramic glass sunroof
- HID Xenon headlights with washers
- Front seat warmers (3 step)
- Rear seat warmers (outboard)
- Ventilated front seats
- LED rear combination lamp
- 19-inch alloy wheels & 235/55 R19 tyres
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system
- Smart Parking Assist System (SPAS)
2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Series II Pricing
All prices are exclusive of on-road costs.
Drive | Engine | Transmission | Active | Elite | Highlander |
AWD | 2.4 GDi Petrol | 6 Speed Manual | $38,490 | – | – |
6 Speed Automatic | $40,990 | – | – | ||
AWD | 2.2 CRDi Diesel | 6 Speed Manual | $41,490 | – | – |
6 Speed Automatic | $43,990 | $49,990 | $55,990 |
Metallic paint pricing is $695.
*Hyundai Santa Fe Series II SR pictured
