THE SANTA FE got the best of Euro and Japanese styling to produce a more mainstream masculine look.
My hubby recently brought me a bevy of Korean beauty products which have achieved cult status all over the world. Korean beauty products barged into the limelight with the BB cream fad and have changed the landscape of the cosmetic industry, even with the stronger, more established cosmetic houses. From Chanel to Maybeline they all have followed suit with their own version of either BB or CC cream. Korean imports are taking the world by storm, from electronics, telenovelas, food, pop stars and Korean-made cars. In a short time, they have become one of the largest players in the global arena of car manufacturing.
The Santa Fe was the first sport utility vehicle (SUV) offering of Korean car giant Hyundai, which somewhat made them a household name in the United States. The Santa Fe is named after a city in New Mexico, known for its mountain ranges, Spanish colonial roots and being the highest state capital in the United States (It stands 7,199 feet above sea level according to Wikipedia). Launched in 2001, the Sonata-based platform midsize SUV (or should we say crossover) received a lot of recognition from both local and international car awards group. The third-generation Santa Fe, holds a turbocharged R eVGT 2.2-liter diesel engine which delivers 194.3 HP at 3,800 rpm, and six-speed H-Matic transmission. My test-drive unit was a 2.2L premium 4WD which retails for P2.2 million. The 2WD version goes for around P1.5-1.7 milllion.
THE DASHBOARD gives has that space age vibe especially with 4.3-inch TFT touchscreen LCD with rear camera display.
Storage and interior space
Like all SUVs the Santa Fe receives an S&R Sales rating thanks to a fully collapsible second and third row. They have all the necessary buttons, such as automatic chair collapse, to make your life easier . The Santa Fe is a spacious seven-seater when needed. The second row holds a sliding two big and a small middle chair (40:20:40), while the third row is a 50:50 split. Due to the design, the headroom on the third row feels a bit low and the windows a bit small. Just don’t put anybody with space issues there. Baby car seats fit snugly and are not hampered with the seatbelts of other passengers
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Drive and ride
VANITY mirrors with large lights
The Santa Fe boasts a very comfortable ride and drive. It has a very light steering dynamic which for some is too light to get a good driving feel of the vehicle but for me was just right. During the make-up test, my co-test driver Pia timed a total of 25.30 minutes from a scratch to night face which is just around the average for its class; it gets a rating of 3.5 out of 5 the liquid eyeliner and 3 out 5 for the eyelashes test; It is easy to maneuver and park. Another item worth mentioning is its drive style customization; the Santa Fe has Flex Steer function with control modes of comfort, normal and sport to better-fit specific driving situations.
