Hyundai recently introduced the latest incarnation of its flagship Santa Fe SUV with a road trip across Jordan. Ferdi de Vos joined the convoy making its way from the Dead Sea in the North to the Red Sea in the South.
Standing at the edge of the Dead Sea on the Jordan side, at 430 metres below sea level, the lowest elevation on land in the world, one could just make out some of the Palestinian settlements on the other side of the salt lake; the disputed West Bank.
The oppressively hot and barren region, divided by the Jordan Rift Valley, has seen centuries of conflict, and is still a hot spot because of radical differences in religion and politics. However, floating in (on?) the warm salty water makes one quickly forget about the cares of the world.
At 304 metres deep, the Dead Sea is the deepest hypersaline lake in the world, and with a salinity of 342 g/kg, it is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment where no plants or animals can survive, but nowadays it is the future of the Sea itself that is at stake, as it is receding at an alarming rate.
In an effort to curb this and stabilise its levels, Jordan has this year started a Red Sea – Dead Sea water conveyance project, since the area is a huge source of income, attracting many tourists and visitors keen on its health properties, but also due to a wide variety of products, such as asphalt, potash, cosmetics, and herbal sachets being produced.
Generation four
The starting point for our journey was the charming Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea, a five-star resort with world-class amenities, and our steeds for the voyage through the desert towards the Red Sea harbour city of Aqaba, was the new fourth generation Hyundai Santa Fe.
The original Santa Fe, introduced in 2000, was the first SUV from Hyundai. Named after the capital city of the American state of New Mexico, it was part of the ploy of Hyundai to gain a foothold in the biggest auto market of the world. It worked. The pioneering model contributed significantly to the establishment of the marque; not only in America, but worldwide.
So popular did it prove, that Hyundai at times had trouble supplying to satisfy demand, and it quickly became the best seller of the brand in the United States. The latest incarnation of the mid-size SUV made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show this year and continues the pioneering trend, as it still remains the pacesetter of Hyundai in terms of styling, technology, and new systems.
At first glance the newcomer does not appear to differ much from its predecessor, but on closer inspection some very interesting changes become evident. Perhaps the biggest change is the new Composite Light architecture, with slim LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) positioned on top of the LED headlights in the bumpers under the signature cascading grille.
This lower headlight cluster position, according to the chief designer of Hyundai, Luc Donckerwolke, ensures more efficient lighting and also makes the high SUV appear less intimidating when following a smaller vehicle at night. However, the headlights are more exposed to crash damage in this new position – raising questions about higher costs – but according to Hyundai, advanced safety systems and sensors eliminate most of this risk.
Donckerwolke also indicated that the new cascading grille, powerful wide stance, and bold, yet refined lines not only introduces a new SUV design direction, but also reinforces the status of the vehicle at the top of the SUV lineup. The full-length character line running from the headlights to the taillights has been lowered to accommodate bigger windows, while the rear has a new bumper design and unique tail lights.
The upper rear lamp is comprised of LEDs, and the indicator, reversing light, and fog lights are now integrated in the rear bumper. While elegant, the low placement of the light cluster may hamper its effectiveness in heavy dust conditions.
Longer and lower
The new seven-seat Santa Fe is 70 mm longer and 10 mm wider than its predecessor, it has a longer bonnet and a 65 mm longer wheelbase, but shorter overhangs front and rear. All this means more interior space and increased comfort for second- and third row passengers. Legroom in the second row is increased by 38 mm and the seat is 18 mm higher. A new child-friendly one-touch button eases access into the third row, and headroom for the rear-most seats has been improved by 22 mm.
Visibility in the rear has been improved by larger rear quarter windows (41% bigger) and higher second- and third-row seating positions, and with the rear seats folded down the new Santa Fe offers 625 litres of luggage space.
We had ample time to appreciate the roominess and the ergonomic design of the cabin while driving on the desert highway from the Dead Sea through the bleak Jordan River valley. A floating-type touch screen is set high in the new dashboard and instrument panel with central TFT-screen, while a full head-up display (HUD) projects essential driving information on the windshield.
The leather seats in our high-spec model, with electric extendable seat cushions, were comfortable, also at the rear, but the last row of seats still is only suitable for children. An eight-inch infotainment system integrates all navigation, media, and connectivity features, and supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Display Audio system features radio, Bluetooth connectivity, AUX-in, and USB connections, and is now comparable with the best systems in its class. Safety system include the latest SmartSense active safety technology of Hyundai, with features such as Blind-Spot Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist – ideal to ensure missing flocks of goats and wayward camels while passing the decorated Bedouin tents dotting the harsh countryside.
The road to Petra
We turned off towards the Shara Mountains and the road started ascending. Soon we were in a steep pass, climbing up several inclines towards Petra, the ancient Rose-red City with its spectacular temple façades and colossal stone pillars expertly carved out of the sandstone cliffs over three centuries ago.
Up the inclines the new in-house developed eight-speed auto transmission of our sunset red Santa Fe synchronised seamlessly with the proven 2,2-litre turbodiesel mill under the hood, while the newly developed H-Trac all-wheel drive system with three drive modes – Sport, Comfort, and Eco – kept us securely pointed in the right direction.
Even fed with low-quality fuel (two VGT-driven derivatives, as well as extra diesel fuel, were specially brought in for the South African contingent as Jordan has no diesel infrastructure or vehicles), the new Santa Fe 2.2-litre VGT diesel model (147 kW and 440 Nm of torque) eagerly and willingly confronted the steep slopes and tight hairpins.
The petrol-sipping 2,4-litre and 3,5-litre V6 models struggled to negotiate some of the sharp corners at pace, while the diesel (the only model specified for South Africa) dealt with them effortlessly. The H-Trac system also contributed towards the stability of the Santa Fe in the corners. Torque is distributed to all four wheels automatically, and even on 19-inch rubber the ride comfort of the new SUV was decent.
South African line-up
After a short visit to Petra (I would have liked to spend much more time there) we were on our way again, dropping down in the valley again en route to the Red Sea. The new Santa Fe, to be introduced here in November, will only be available locally, with the improved engine and impressive new transmission. It will be introduced with three levels of specification: Premium, Executive, and Elite.
The Premium and Executive derivatives are both front-wheel drive and comes with 17-inch or 18-inch wheels respectively, while the flagship Elite is equipped with the H-Trac intelligent all-wheel drive system and 19-inch alloy wheels.
It was nightfall when we reached our destination, the modern Mövenpick resort in Aqaba – with the lights of Eilat in Israel twinkling, and the highlands of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt silhouetted in the distance.
While not finalised at the time of writing, expect pricing to be around R720,000 for the entry-level Premium, and about R760,000 for the top-of-the-line Elite.
