American comedian Will Rogers once said of his first visit to Santa Fe, capital of New Mexico: "Whoever designed this town did so while riding on a jackass, backwards, and drunk."
The same can't be said of the Korean designers of the new-look second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe! This SUV is now bigger, better and classier and has been catapulted into the same league as rivals such as BMW's X3 and Toyota's RAV4.
Available in 4x4 (R349 900) or 4x2 for R319 900, the SUV is hugely improved on the original and delivers a remarkably quiet and ultra-comfortable drive.
The 2.2-litre Santa Fe has a host of gadgets that includes radio/CD, cruise control, electric windows, heatbable mirrors, central locking and leather seats. You'll find dual-zone air-conditioning is standard across the range with additional ventilation at the rear for seven-seat models.
I remember the earlier model as having a slight wallow and thought the new model hadn't quite eliminated this, but according to the manufacturer the suspension is a direct response to what the customers wanted.
Not that I find it unpleasant. In fact I prefer it to the harder, more rigid ride of some others. At the KZN launch we drove the SUV on a small cross-country section behind the noted and supremely beautiful Lynton Hall on the South Coast (if you're looking for award-winning nouvelle cuisine and decadently divine accommodation, it's your venue!) and the Santa Fe just cruised over the rough stuff.
It's also awesomely spacious, for both leg and head room, and you'll have no problems fitting your six-foot and more passengers in here, girls. Or a clutch of kids.
If you're heading to the boonies for a weekend or the holidays and need something to cruise easily over the rough and tough stuff, it's quite at home getting dirty.
In the rough, or in lousy weather, pushing a button on the fascia distributes drive to all wheels and helps in tight-corner braking so you don't find yourself deep in the dwang unexpectedly.
And, still on safety, Hyundai has upgraded its anti-lock brakes with an electronic stability system; there are also new-generation crash bags for driver and front passenger.
The beauty of the Santa Fe's size and the height is that it makes you feel supremely safe and visible to other traffic. With the space come a slew of storage areas and cupholders.
The Santa Fe is an SUV in which I'd feel more than happy driving on any extended journey. It as at home on tar as it is off - particularly the top-end 4x4 automatic - it's now easily competitive with the rest of the best in the category but doesn't cost near as much.
The Koreans have proved themselves more than a match for almost any manufacture in almost any category and they've made sure their quality and attention to detail are carried through in this really great-looking SUV.