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March 6-12 | 2020
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APRIL 126- -18 MARCH 12| |2019 2020
Active moves to middle-class motoring
Ŷ FAMILY-FRIENDLY: Memories share space with modern motoring in the Santa Fe Active SUV.
By DEREK OGDEN SOMETHING old . . . something new: that just about sums up the Santa Fe Active as a no-nonsense wagon at a family-friendly price under $50K. For example, following keyless entry to the vehicle with fob tucked away, in a glimpse of the past, it is required to fumble for the key and slot it into the steering column ignition and turn the switch to start the engine. It’s then that the 21st century gets a look-in with the Santa Fe featuring much of the latest automotive technology, including Hyundai’s
SmartSense package of safety stuff. The latter is on hand throughout the model range. And there’s an electric parking brake. Opening the innings for the Santa Fe squad is the Active petrol automatic featuring the latest Hyundai 3.5-litre V6 motor driving the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, all for $43,000, plus on-road costs. Thereafter follows a lineup of petrol and diesel allwheel drive wagons up to the Highlander 2.2-litre diesel automatic AWD at $60,500 (plus ORCs). I ended up with a middle-order Active 2.2-li-
tre diesel automatic AWD, with a $46,000 price tag, on test. STYLING The Santa Fe plays on its family-friendly nature and shapes up with standard big sports utility vehicle looks. Front on is where the Santa Fe steps out of the crowd with a bold radiator grille, a standout headlamp set-up crowned by dual daytime running light strips. INTERIOR The surroundings eschew the ubiquitous black, opting for a grey base with chocolate highlights. Active seating misses out on the leather
trappings of upper-level Santa Fe’s, being replaced by quality fabric. Storage is a major feature of the cabin with a large centre-console box and slots for drink bottles and the like within easy reach of all occupants. Large glassed areas make for light surroundings, plus good all-round vision from all seating positions but the third row. The Santa Fe Active makes do with 17-inch alloy wheels, with Elite and Highlander models moving up to eighteens. INFOTAINMENT All Santa Fe’s sport a
touchscreen, the Active making do with a 7-inch display, the Elite and Highlander run to the extra inch. Added to this is an array of buttons and knobs, among them aircon dials (no climate control here). Also absent is embedded satellite navigation. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be called up via a mobile phone connection. Wireless phone charging has gone missing too. Featured as standard in Santa Fe Active and Elite models is Hyundai Auto Link, a smartphone app that allows the owner to stay connected to the car. It involves a pre-in-
stalled module that connects the car’s computer to the customer’s mobile phone. Included is driving info such as current distance, current travel time, today’s distance, today’s travel time, fuel efficiency and fuel consumption; parked vehicle location and parking time reminders. Roadside assistance can be contacted immediately if there is a problem with the vehicle and also checks the vehicle’s status and, if a problem is detected, it can connect the phone to Hyundai Customer Care.
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E V E RY T H I N G, J U S T R I G H T. A L L- N E W M A Z DA C X-3 0 H A S A R R I V E D Now at One Mile Motors, 10-14 Templeton St, Wangaratta 03 5721 5677 Serving the community as your local Mazda dealer for over 50 years!
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March 6-12 | 2020
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Hyundai Santa Fe
Ŷ From page 1
It also comes up with current or searched locations on a map. The first 12 months are included in the Santa Fe purchase price and when servicing with Hyundai, customers receive an additional 12 months of Auto Link. Those opting out of company servicing can continue receiving the benefits by paying a monthly subscription. ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS Santa Fe recently launched a new 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine, replacing the 2.4-litre unit previously offered in Santa Fe Active. This is the first time V6 power has been on tap across the Santa Fe line-up. However, the test vehicle was stuck with the tried-andtested 2.2-litre 147 kW, 440 Nm turbo-diesel motor, which is available across all grades. It’s teamed with an eightspeed automatic transmission and Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive system. SAFETY The 2020 Santa Fe boasts Hyundai’s SmartSense safety system which incorporates forward collision-avoidance
assist, smart cruise control with stop-and-go function, blind spot and rear cross-traffic warning, as well as driver attention warning, high beam assist and lane keeping assist. On the downside, the curtain airbag falls short, leaving those in the third row of seats exposed. There are no IsoFix or tether points either, which rules out baby seats. DRIVING With 147 kW on tap at 3800 rpm, the 2.2-litre turbodiesel is an engine that’s a smooth operator and quiet to boot. With 1000 rpm of peak torque (1750 to 2750 rpm) there’s flexibility on hand when required for overtaking or filtering into fast moving traffic. Hyundai claims fuel consumption of 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle. The test car came up pretty much on target with 10 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres on the open road. As with all Hyundais running around Down Under the Santa Fe has been the subject of local engineering input, thus ride and handling is some of the best you can get for the money. Questionable
AT A GLANCE Aussie bitumen and dirt hold no fears for the big SUV. Lane keeping assist flexes its muscles so strongly it sometimes makes steering erratic and unpleasant for the driver. It can be switched off. A full-size spare wheel is fitted under the rear of the vehicle. A true seven-seater, the Santa Fe combines passenger comfort – third-row leg room excepted - with cavernous cargo space (130 litres, 547 litres or 1625 litres) depending on seating arrangements.
The rear doors open wide and, at the touch of a button on the seat back it drops flat to allow easy access to the third row. Loading is nothing special, with power tailgate restricted to Elite and Highlander. SUMMING UP Without being introduced to other members of the Santa Fe family it is hard fairly to place the Active in the big SUV’s lineage, although it does appear to offer middleof-the-road motoring at a reasonable cost.
MODEL RANGE: HYUNDAI SANTA FE ACTIVE 3.5-litre petrol automatic FWD $43,000 HYUNDAI SANTA FE ELITE 3.5-litre petrol automatic FWD $51,000 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HIGHLANDER 3.5-litre petrol automatic FWD $57,500 HYUNDAI SANTA FE ACTIVE 2.2-litre diesel automatic AWD $46,000 HYUNDAI SANTA FE ELITE 2.2-litre diesel automatic AWD $54,000 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HIGHLANDER 2.2-litre diesel automatic AWD $60,500 NOTE: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Mazda dealer for drive-away prices.
Subaru offers hybrid power in XV and Forester By EWAN KENNEDY SUBARU has launched fuelsaving, emission-reducing petrolelectric hybrids to its two biggest selling models – the XV and Forester. One XV Hybrid AWD variant is offered and two Foresters: Hybrid L AWD and Hybrid S AWD. Subaru XV Hybrid offers over 14 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency over equivalent petrol variants in the urban cycle and over seven per cent improvement in the combined cycle. Forester offers improvement of over 19 per cent in the urban cycle and over nine per cent in the combined cycle. These numbers are compared to 2.5-litre petrol variants. Both hybrid models feature what Subaru terms e-Boxer power. A 2.0 litre horizontally opposed Boxer engine linked via Motor Assist to a high voltage lithium ion battery. The four cylinder 2.0 litre engine produces 110 kilowatts of power at 6000 rpm and 196 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. The electric motor produces 12.3 kW of power and 66 Nm of torque, and is self-charging, via kinetic energy captured by regenerative braking and coasting. The e-Boxer logic adjusts the power split between petrol and electric to match driving conditions. It automatically changes
between three modes: Motor Assist EV driving; Motor Assist electric (EV) + petrol engine driving and Petrol engine driving. From standstill or at low speed, the vehicle is powered by the electric motor only, for quiet, zero-emission driving. Depending upon driving environment, vehicle and battery condition, it can operate in fully electric mode up to 40 km/h. When driving in fully electric mode (both forward and reverse), the Pedestrian Alert system emits a sound when the vehicle speed is 24 km/h or less. At high speed, the petrol engine exclusively powers the vehicle, while regenerative braking
or coasting with foot off the accelerator, recharges the lithium ion battery. Under certain driving conditions above 40 km/h, when decelerating or coasting and the battery is charging, the petrol engine can turn off, achieving fuel saving. As soon as the accelerator is pressed, the engine will restart. A cooling system draws air from the cabin to help maintain the battery at operating temperature and to help ensure better longevity. Subaru Australia chief, Colin Christie, said: “Forester and XV are long-established sales successes in our range and we know
there is pent-up demand for hybrid variants among one of the most loyal customer bases in the industry. “We’re already achieving significant fleet successes with our hybrid variants, in an area where our engineering, safety and whole-of-life costs make a compelling story.” Advance orders for the pair of -Boxer Subarus have far exceeded expectations so none were available for even the shorter of test by journalists at the press event. As soon as things settle down we will borrow an XV and a Forester and put each through our normal week’s test drive program. Stay tuned.
Ŷ A BETTER MIX: Quiet, efficient running makes the Subaru XV and Forester models even more appealing.
AT A GLANCE MODEL RANGE XV HYBRID: $35,580 FORESTER HYBRID L:$39,990 FORESTER HYBRID S: $45,990 NOTE: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Subaru dealer for drive-away prices.
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March 6-12 | 2020
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2020 FORD ESCAPE By EWAN KENNEDY, Marque Motoring THE 2020 Ford Escape range will arrive in Australian showrooms from Q3, 2020. Built on an all-new platform it’s larger than the outgoing model, being 44mm wider and 89mm longer while the wheelbase has increased by 20mm. This gives it a roomier, more comfortable interior, with additional cargo and occupant space compared with the previous Escape. The second row of seats can be moved forwards or backwards to juggle between legroom and boot space. Despite this increase in size new Escape has a signiďŹ cant weight reduction of up to 90kg, as well as 10 per cent increase in torsional rigidity. Infotainment includes DAB+ radio; SYNC 3 with Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto smartphone compatibility The safety of driver assist technology in the Escape includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection; evasive steering assist; forward collision warning; dynamic brake support; traffic sign recognition; blind spot detection; lane departure warning with lane keep assist; driver impairment monitor (a polite way of describing inattentive driver) and emergency assistance. Most Escapes use a 2.0-litre EcoBoost (183kW/387Nm) engine with an eight-speed automatic. Escape PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) uses a 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle in its petrol unit. It has 14.4kWh lithium-ion battery to produce a total of 167kW. Ford’s ďŹ rst PHEV in Australia will deliver a fully-electric driving range in excess of 50 kilometres.
Ĺś URBAN DREAM: Mazda CX-8 is a good looking people mover.
Mazda CX-8 now offered with petrol power By EWAN KENNEDY, Marque Motoring
Ĺś MORE FOR LESS: New Ford Escape is an attractive SUV that promises added comfort and plenty of high-tech equipment.
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MAZDA CX-8 is now offered with petrol power. Previously all came to Australia with turbo-diesel engines. At the same time as introducing the new engine more variants were added, safety was upgraded and convenience has been further improved. Petrol power for the 2020 update comes from a 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit (140 kW and 252 Nm) driving only the front wheels. Mazda is promoting it as being for urban owners, while the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine is for those planning a lot of country driving. We’re not sure if we agree with that as today’s engines are such excellent units that they can handle just about any type of driving with ease. Anyhow, we will leave it to buyers to make their decisions. As well as the engine choices the number of variants in the Mazda CX-8 range have been increased from three to eight, with the introduction of Touring and GT models. All-wheel-drive models are equipped with Mazda’s newly developed Off-Road
Traction Assist function for rough road driving. This works with a traction control system to suppress tyre spin and distribute the right amount of torque to the tyres that the computers sense Mazda CX-8 Touring and above models now have a one-touch walk-in switch added to the left and right seat cushion sides on the second row. The seats fold down with a single touch making simple work of third row entry and egress. The third row also gets two 2.5A USB power points in CX-8 GT and Asaki, making it possible to charge smartphones and other devices from any seat. Both grades also add an electric sunroof. Engineers have further revised NVH quality for this CX-8 2020 update by adding more damping material to the roof to reduce noise in the cabin on rainy days. A fresh key fob and new generation nameplate badging cap off the CX-8’s changes. New Mazda CX-8 is on sale now, starting at $39,910 plus on roads for the petrol powered Sport.
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