The revised, re-engined Santa Fe was out for a good three weeks before the motoring media got a look at it properly.

Of course, NZ4WD managed to secure a quick round the rugged rocks run at the annual 4WD Show in Clevedon during April, but we were under orders – very strict orders - not to talk about it too much back then. A photo did slip into May’s issue but that was it.

Well, the cat’s well and truly out of the bag now and it arrived with profuse apologies from Hyundai for the Santa Fe’s delay, the SUV was later getting here than even Hyundai had anticipated.

Still, we reckon it was worth the wait, and Hyundai’s first week of sales spoke volumes to the assembled motor noters in Omapere’s Copthorne, our final destination on Day one of the recent two-day launch.

Yes, that’s right – I did say Omapere’s Copthorne, as in Omapere, Hokianga. Fantastic hotel, if you’re ever up that way, hugging a Kauri tree or whatever.

Get an ocean-side room and you may also see a seal cavorting in the shallows, happy as a – well, as a fat seal in the sanctuary of the Hokianga harbour, I guess.

Back to the Santa Fe. After the first week of sales, Hyundai reports 33 units sold, which according to the big H himself – managing director Philip Eustace - sets up Santa Fe nicely to hit its somewhat conservative, target of 50 units a month.

Last year in the month of July, the old model sold 33 units – for the month! So selling a month’s worth in the first week sounds pretty good now, doesn’t it?

So what’s so good about the new one?

Well, Santa Fe has done some growing up – it had to, just to keep up with the sophisticated models the brand has fielded in the passenger car segment recently.

The Santa Fe now looks considerably more conventional in its styling - not quite as squat-looking as the last model.

Despite that impression, the 06 model is longer by 175mm, wider by 45mm and 65mm higher than before and it needs to be, to accommodate the new engines and an optional third row of seats, making the 06 Santa Fe a credible 7-seater.

The pronounced ‘muscle arches’ - such a characteristic feature of the old model - have been toned down, which now gives the body a more streamlined and ‘take me seriously’ appearance.

And that is just what the brand needed, to properly execute its assault on ‘the changing face of the automotive landscape in New Zealand’, as Mr Eustace put it.

And Hyundai is gearing up to do it, streamlining its operations and proud to be the only New Zealand owned car company (distributor) to be included in the top 10 sellers this year.

That pride extends to the dealers too, who are fired up and fizzing about the new Santa Fe. (No one else was going to print that, and Hyundai are chuffed that their people are so supportive and committed).

But we’re off the beaten track again.

Santa Fe is categorically defined by Hyundai as a multi-purpose SUV, and one of its purposes is to acknowledge that an SUV is more than acceptable on the road as well as being capable off it.

So the exterior’s been cleaned up a bit, what else?

Before going into too much detail, it should be mentioned that Santa Fe now has two specifications, the entry level – if you can call it that – and the higher-specification Elite.

Both specifications give you the option of the 2.2 CRD common rail diesel or a 2.7 V6 petrol engine.

Now there’s a small caveat that goes with the CRDi engine. The one we have in our Santa Fe’s are EU spec engines, but come September or October, they’ll be ADR, or Australian Design Rule engines and the reason is simple. The Aussies won’t get their Koala claws on the new generation Santa Fe’s until then so, unlike Pavlova, we can document who had the Hyundai CRDi engines first!

As an aside but as an adjunct to that, Hyundai is looking at investing heavily in diesel-powered models for its next round of releases. A Tucson diesel should be arriving August/September while Sonata picks up the Santa Fe diesel soon after.

New Elantra, due at the same time as Tucson, will have a CRD option as will the diminutive Getz 1500, four cylinder.

All right, so what about the specification differences on board the Santa Fes?

You can have a base 2.2 CRD with 5 or 7 seats or you can have the Elite spec with the mandatory 7 seats. In petrol, you can get the 5-seat base model or the 7-seat in Elite spec only. There’s no base model petrol 7-seat specification.

All of which adds up to five total options for engine and spec level, with a heavier weighting towards the diesels, which Hyundai sees as the ‘jewel in the crown’ as far as powerplants go.

Intriguingly, the transmissions have a little quirk. The CRDi engines are all mated to five-speed transmissions and they are all Tiptronic type, with an automatic and a sequential manual option.

The 2.7 V6 however, offers a five speed manual selection but only a four-speed auto with Tiptronic, which seemed a little daft, given that an extra cog is available for the diesel.

Word from Hyundai is that the four-speed is better suited to the 2.7-litre V6 as it doesn’t ‘hunt’ for the right gear, whereas the five-speed apparently does.

As to the engines and whether Hyundai is barking up the right tree by placing a higher emphasis on the diesels, we reckon they’re right.

The 2.7 V6 with its continuously variable valve timing is pleasant enough, but the trend seems to be increasingly toward diesels. Hyundai is predicting sales of 8 to 1 in favour of the diesels anyway.

It needs to be said though, that diesel fuel is getting pretty darn close to petrol price and with RUCs, some might question the economy.

As Hyundai points out however, the unofficial fuel indications show nearly 1000kms on one tank for the diesel, vs nearly 500km for the petrol. So, expect to be getting double the k’s out of tank of diesel from Hyundai.

On the launch, we had a pit-stop in Dargaville on the way from Auckland and the petrol powered beasties needed a sip at the pump, whereas the diesels were OK to keep running north to Baylys Beach and beyond, not refuelling until well, they just didn’t refuel. At least not until after a beach run, a farm tour and a scenic route through the Waipoua Forest roads to Omapere. What happened during our media briefing, at the hotel, I don’t know.

The diesels, in addition to being common rail with 110kW at 4000rpm and 335Nm from 1800 to 2500rpm, are equipped with a variable vane geometry turbocharger, optimising low down pulling power for brisk acceleration and sustaining a wider gap between the blades at cruising speeds for maximum efficiency.

The petrols, with their CVVT, have 138kW available at 6000rpm and 248Nm of torque, peaking at 4000rpm.

We would normally tell you more about the interior after we’ve had more of a play with the vehicle in our own back yard, but we can say that the Santa Fe interior has had a fresh start with special attention given to the quality of materials.

Forget the plastics of your previous Santa Fe, leather is big, though cloth trim is available – no cost difference – and the colours of the interior are far more sophisticated.

Not mono-chromatic, but nicely matched so that hard surfaces don’t clash with the softer textures. There is a fake wood grain band which serves as a buffer ‘twixt the lower and upper dash assemblies and this wasn’t met with universal adoration, but it didn’t really detract from the perception that a lot of thought has gone into the interior aesthetics.

Critical points of note include: that on the Elite models, driver and passenger seats are electrically adjustable, though the passenger’s lower squab doesn’t have the same full-height adjustment of the driver’s side.

There is also a secondary mirror just above the main mirror – complete with digital compass – which is designed for nosy parents to keep an eye on ‘sproglets’ in the back. After all, this is a family-oriented vehicle and it is important to know who pulled whose hair and who really started it. Sorry kidlings, Mummy and Daddy DO have eyes in the back of their heads now.

Not that they need them - except for disciplinary purposes. The 06 Santa Fe is very well equipped when it comes to safety spec – it had to be to gain a five star US NHTSA (National Highway and Transport Safety Authority) NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) equivalent safety rating.

OK, so what makes it go off-road? Glad you asked. Like the previous model, the Santa Fe for 06 runs a torque-on-demand, four-wheel-drive system that is electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system which automatically routes power to the wheels offering the best traction. A new driver-selectable AWD lock provides a fixed 50/50 torque split between front and rear wheels, which can improve traction in certain conditions.

This system, combined with all sorts of other traction wizardry, also prevents binding, when you accidentally forget to disengage the AWD lock, on harder surfaces.

And since we can’t tell you much more about the electronic gadgets, which allow the Santa Fe to tackle sand, rock, grass, tarmac and most other on and off-road surfaces – winterless North launch remember, so we couldn’t do any snow work – we’ll tell you a little about the bouncy bits.

Santa Fe retains the conventional independent MacPherson strut up the front and follows up with the 5-link coil spring independent system at the rear. There is an anti–roll bar at each end too. All of which indicates that this Santa Fe is set to do the business on-road, offering a high level of stability and pliancy, while at the same time reducing intrusive surface noise interference into the cabin.

So who is Hyundai gunning for with the new Santa Fe?

In terms of competition, Santa Fe has been sent in to play with the big boys of the sandpit: the likes of Ford’s Territory in Ghia specification and Nissan’s Murano in Ti spec are firmly set up in the gun-sights of the petrol Santa Fe, while the diesel CRD is apparently ready to take on Toyota’s 3-litre RV Landcruiser Prado.

Santa Fe CRD, despite being smaller in outright engine capacity, has more power and torque than the old Toyota diesel, although an upgrade isn’t far away. That’s not the only area of difference either and we suspect Kyron, Sorrento, RAV4, Highlander and the like are more obvious targets.

Hyundai’s marketing guru summed the new model up, describing it as "new ground for Hyundai price-wise, but offering a good model range and specification with distinct advantages over its competitors."

We’re not about to argue with that given the excellent diesel option that many soft-roaders lack.

Pricing for the Santa Fe starts at $45,490 for the 5-seater 2.7 V6, moving to $47,990 for the 5-seater 2.2 CRDi. The 7-seater CRDi recommended retail is $49,990 and the Elites are priced at $52,490 for the V6 and $54,990 for the CRDi. .: