Drive your way, Hyundai?

Words by Leslie Chang

Hyundai is not a name synonymous to motorsport. Other than a brief spell in the World Rally Championship starring Wayne Bell and Alistair McRae respectively, the brand is better known for its no-frills offerings. Locally, the marque is gaining acceptance with its vastly improved quality and is exceptionally popular among off-peak car buyers.

What drove Team Singapore, Motorsports (TSM) to elect Hyundai as its partner for the historic mission to China? The first vehicle, a Terracan, was a matter of convenience rather than choice. It belongs to SMSA’s President, Mr Tan Teng Lip who had kindly agreed to loan the car to TSM. It would be politically incorrect to refuse his generosity. Besides, this SUV with its 3.5-litre engine was already well proven during CAITA 2006 under the hands of William Lyou. The heat insulator to protect the spare tyre from the exhaust muffler's heat and the fabricated fuel tank skid protector plate were still intact after last year’s outing. However, the low-profile 18-inch wheels were replaced with the original specification of 16-inch all-terrain tyres in anticipation of the rough conditions in Cambodia. The choice of TSM’s second vehicle took a little longer.

The Subaru Forester that I drove during last year’s event was on pace with the competition but fell short on interior space. Thus, I went about shopping for a bigger car. Although my budget was limited, there was surprisingly no lack of choice. I decided to look beyond those makes that were fitted with conventional 4-cyclinder engines. Hence, the Santa Fe was chosen for its V6 engine / 7-seater combo plus the promise of a rear self-leveling system. Sadly, I later found that the latter feature was found lacking in real world conditions, thanks to constant heavy loads and the demanding stages that we encountered.

We were reasonably pleased with some of our pre-event preparations. Starting from the top, the antennas for our radio systems were meticulously calibrated for exact length and optimum placement. As a result, it came as no surprise that our communications were one of the best in the Rally. We could even use our powerful radio to help the occasional lost ‘sheep’ to contact their respective group. Next component that deserves special mention must be the after-market GPS that was installed in the Santa Fe. The unit was cleverly inter-faced with the car’s audio entertainment system so we could enjoy double-din size monitor display with touch screen capability. Best of all, it provided navigational aid and relayed advance information all the way to Nanning, China without the need to pre-load any costly software. It was certainly more useful than we had expected.

The punishing road conditions of Cambodia Highway No. 6 will stay in our memory for a long time. We traveled twice on this infamous route. The first passage was shorter and took slightly more than an hour without any notable incident. However, it was painfully difficult for both Hyundais when we traveled the entire length of the ‘highway’ on the return leg ie. from Siam Reap to the Thai border. It prompted me to write these remarks on Day 7 of our daily log: “…the run wasn’t trouble free. The suspension of our vehicles was clearly unable to sustain prolonged pounding of the rough terrain. Even the comparatively rugged Terracan suffered rear end bottoming. At times, the bone-shaking jolts from the ruts and holes shook the wiper stalk resulting in the occasional ‘automatic’ wipes on the windscreen. We had the opportunity to engage the 4WD Lock on the Santa Fe to keep the wheel spin and body twists in control on a muddy section.” Clearly, an upgrade of suspension and some improvements on the under-carriage would be in order for future attempts. The 3½ hour journey ended with the Santa Fe from hitting a rock near the border. Other than a noticeable compression on the metal underguard, the car’s lower frame was undamaged. The installation of the guard during our pre-event preparations saved the day.

I must admit that our expectations would be higher if we were given more up-market cars like Touareg, XC-90, or Discovery. Nevertheless, it would be fair to say that the Sante Fe was as good as a car could be. For most parts of the marathon drive, the silky engine, comfortable cabin and user-friendly handling often made us forget that we were in a Rally. On the other hand, the frame-on-ladder Terracan had enormous torque to make up for its lesser road behaviour. Save for a loosen steering rod, the bigger Hyundai had the rare credential for completing CAITA twice with remarkable flair. On that note, I shall conclude that Hyundai has accomplished more than just ‘drive your way’.

Work, play and sleep in my Hyundai