Hyundai Santa Fe SR 2015 review

The naysayers will argue this car needs more power but I'm here to tell you that it is fine just the way it is. The R2.2 CRDi is a great engine to start with and delivers all the power and torque you need, more than enough for the job.

But in this "mine is bigger than yours" world in which we live, it will ultimately limit the amount of money that Hyundai can charge for SR - that's just the way it is...

Interestingly, Hyundai CEO John Elsworth says the top of the line Santa Fe accounts for 49 per cent or the majority of sales. "It indicates to us that the Santa Fe now passes the family barbecue debate," he said.

Value

Explore the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe range

• Hyundai Santa Fe 2015 review: road test
• Hyundai Santa Fe SR 2015 review
• Hyundai Santa Fe 2015 review

The Sporty SR model does not go on sale until the New Year. They're not saying how much it will be yet, but it will almost certainly be less than 60 grand cap.

The top of the line Highlander is $53,240 and using it as a yardstick, the SR gets everything Highlander does minus the proximity automatic tailgate opening system (only because at this stage the revised tyre and wheel package fitted has not been ratified by the engineers yet).

Bear in mind the new Highlander scores Smart Tailgate, a Panoramic Sunroof, daytime running lights, heated and cooled front seats, plus Lane Departure Warning and Smart Parking Assist (SPAS), that steers the car into a parallel carparking space automatically. 

To this SR adds a sports bodykit, Brembo brakes, H&R performance springs, matte-black Oz Racing wheels and Michelin Latitude Tour high-performance tyres.

Design

Santa Fe SR follows in the footsteps of Hyundai's Veloster SR Turbo, i30 SR and Accent SR. The finished product is a further development of the sports package offered in Korea and the focus of some locally-based development work.

Exhaustive computer simulation and on-road testing saw 64 different combinations of springs and dampers evaluated, with stiffer rear springs that provide better turn in. The Flex Steer adjustable steering system has also been upgraded with a new 32-bit processor that creates a marked difference in the three steering modes.

Brembo stoppers have been fitted to all four wheels, with four-piston monobloc front calipers and two-piston rears. Disc diameter and thickness have also been increased, with new wheels fitted to accommodate them. The result is an eight per cent improvement in stopping power.

The wheels are still 19s but the black 19 inch Oz Racing Versilia performance alloy wheels provide better brake caliper clearance.

Technology

The 2.2-litre turbodiesel is one of the best in the business. It delivers 145kW of power and 436Nm of torque in automatic form, the latter from a low 1800 revs.

It's paired with a six speed auto, complete with gear change paddles, with drive delivered to all four wheels via an on-demand all-wheel drive system.

The system features Advanced Traction Cornering Control (ATCC) that Hyundai says delivers torque vectoring by using an active AWD coupling combined with the braking system to immediately and transparently reduce understeer and improve lateral stability. Claimed fuel consumption remains 7.3 litres/100km.

Driving

We got to spend an entire day in the new Santa Fe SR performance model which will become the flagship of the range. It certainly looks the biz with its two tone body kit, fashionable dark wheels and red brake calipers - but how we wondered would it go?

Driving in the Nimbin Valley in the lush green hills behind Lismore in Northern NSW, we managed to find a secluded country road where we were able to put the car through its paces. To put this in context we'd spent the previous day in the updated Highlander.

The Highlander is very good and while others said they couldn't tell the difference between the two models, we reckon they're chalk and cheese. The difference is dramatic. The SR feels so much smoother and more refined. It steers, points and brakes better, sits on the road better with plenty of torque from the standard diesel to dig it out corners.

The brakes too don't just come into play during emergency stops - they change the way you drive the car. More power would always be welcome, but is really not necessary.

Switching to manual mode we put the car into fourth gear and that is pretty much where it stayed, with plenty of torque on tap for most circumstances apart from the occasional change down to third. This is a much more accomplished car.