Review: Hyundai CM.I Santa Fe (2006-09)

Overview

Released in May 2006, the Hyundai CM Series I (CM.I) Santa Fe was a mid-size SUV, available with five or seven seats. Manufactured in Ulsan, South Korea, the CM Santa Fe was initially powered by 2.7-litre V6 petrol engines. In November 2006, however, the line-up was substantially revised with the introduction of the 2.2 CRDi and 3.3 V6 variants. The full range is given in the table below.

Engines; Mu, Lambda and Diesel

Of the engines,

The 2.7-litre V6 ‘Mu’ engine had an aluminium block and cylinder heads, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, continuously variable intake valve timing (CVVT), a variable intake system (VIS) and a compression ratio of 10.4:1;
The 3.3-litre G6DB ‘Lambda’ V6 engine had similar properties to the Mu engine (including compression ratio of 10.4:1); and,
The 2.2-litre D4EB-G ‘D’ diesel engine had a cast iron block, aluminium alloy cylinder head, common-rail direct injection (operating at 1600 bar), a variable geometry Garrett GTB1549V turbocharger, a single overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 17.3:1.

Dimensions and body

Compared to the SM Santa Fe , the CM Santa Fe was 175 mm longer (at 4675 mm), 45 mm wider (1890 mm), 65 mm taller (1795 mm) and had an 80 mm longer wheelbase (2700 mm). The CM Santa Fe chassis achieved a 50 per cent increase in bending rigidity, in part due to the use of a heavily ribbed floor pan pressing, tubular cross-bracing within the firewall, central vertical bracing, reinforced windscreen pillars, side sills and side-impact door beams.

Suspension

The CM Santa Fe had MacPherson strut front suspension and upper wishbone, multi-link rear suspension (both with coil springs, gas-filled dampers and anti-roll bars).

Hyundai CM.I Santa Fe specifications
Variant	Edition	Years	Seats	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
2.7 V6 (AWD)	[Unnamed]	2006	5 or 7	4sp auto, 5sp man	138 kW at 6000 rpm	248 Nm at 4000 rpm
	SX	2007-09	5
	SLX	2006-07	5 or 7
	Elite	2006-07	5	4sp auto
2.2 CRDi (AWD)	SX	2006-09	5	5sp auto, 5sp man	114 kW at 4000 rpm	343 Nm at 1800-2500 rpm
	SLX	2006-09	7	5sp auto
	Elite	2006-09	5
	Elite	2007-09	7
3.3 V6 (FWD)	SX	2007-08	5	5sp auto	180 kW at 6000 rpm	309 Nm at 4000 rpm
	SLX	2007-08	5 or 7
	Elite	2007-08	7

AWD system

The Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi and 2.7 V6 variants had a Borg-Warner Torque Management all-wheel-drive system. In normal conditions, the engine’s torque was primarily directed to the front wheels. In the event that traction was lost, however, up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque could be redirected to the rear axle.

The driver could also select a ‘4WD Lock’ mode which provided a fixed 50:50 front:rear torque split for speeds of up to 30 km/h.

Safety equipment

Initially, standard safety equipment for the Santa Fe included dual front airbags, front seat-mounted side (thorax) airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for all rows of seats), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability control, traction control, active front seat head restraints, anti-submarining front seat steel pans and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

From November 2006, the newly introduced Santa Fe SX omitted front side (thorax) airbags, curtain airbags, electronic stability control and traction control, with these features reserved for the SLX and Elite editions. From July 2008, however, the Santa Fe SX was fitted with the same safety equipment as the SLX and Elite (i.e. front side (thorax) airbags, front and rear curtain airbags, electronic stability control and traction control).

Euro NCAP crash testing

In Euro NCAP crash testing , a left-hand drive CM.I Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi with dual front airbags, front side airbags and curtain airbags achieved a four star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 29.34 out of 37. In the frontal offset crash test, protection from serious leg injury was marginal for the driver.

Features: Santa Fe, SX, SLX and Elite

Standard features for the Santa Fe and Santa Fe SX editions included 17-inch alloy wheels, six speaker sound system with CD player and MP3/WMA compatibility, air conditioning, cruise control, front fog lights (entry-level V6 only), rear fog lights, 60/40 split and folding second row seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, a height adjustable driver’s seat, a cargo blind and net, roof racks and rails, 12 volt power outlets, a trip computer, an alarm and immobiliser.

Beyond this, the Santa Fe SLX added front fog lights, mesh-weave seat fabrics, a centre console cool box and heated door mirrors; where fitted with seven seats, the third row seats featured rear air conditioning controls and could be folded flat into the floor. From July 2008, the SLX was also fitted with dual-zone climate control air conditioning.

The Santa Fe Elite was distinguished by its 18-inch six-blade alloy wheels with 235/60 tyres, seven speaker sound system with six-disc CD player, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, leather seat facings and trim, ten-way power adjustable driver’s seat, four-way power adjustable front passenger seat, automatic headlights, electrochromatic rear view mirror, power tilt/slide sunroof and rear roof spoiler.

Review: Hyundai CM.II Santa Fe (2009-12)