The Ligurian curves become more and more insistent and offer a much more intimate experience, whether for the total lack of traffic, or for how the trees seem to envelop you, in some places almost forming a sort of tunnel that unites the highest and most curved branches above our heads. The temperature drops as the kilometers advance and we enter that range that is ready to transform that thin veil of tiny droplets that wet an asphalt in surprisingly excellent condition.

Words Matteo Lavazza / Photos Bruno Serra

Liguria is not just sea, pasta al pesto and our self-proclamed inhospitality. One of the most intriguing aspects of my region is the possibility of connecting salt water to mountain snow in just over thirty minutes by car. Auto Class has even dedicated a book collecting the best routes and in all likelihood most of those who live in this wonderful land have not even traveled them all. A good way to make up for it, right Matteo? That’s what I repeat to myself as I browse pages that portray photographs of some roads that in all honesty I had never even heard of. The precise moment I saw them I decided that I should not limit myself to reaching that place, but I would do it on one condition: waiting for the ultimate ingredient for an even more special experience.

Autumn means only one thing: foliage. And if we have already wrinkled our foreheads for weeks reading about it on the wall of each of our social networks, try telling me what is better than traveling along a road immersed in the woods in the heart of autumn? For example, I could start by saying that a Wednesday when forecasts call for snow could be a good way to ensure a pinch of solitude, an unexpected bonus when this means having the most scenic portion of the Val d’Aveto all to yourself.

As I leave behind the beam of Genoa and all that is most typical of the small Ligurian region nestled between the sea and the hills, I smile imagining the scene at the Hyundai headquarters. I see a large table with the brand’s highest executives sitting around it. The only figure standing, next to a blackboard, is the head of their design department, ready to show the fifth generation of the Santa Fe SUV. Starting from the previous series, the changes are as simple as effective. Eraser, set square and ruler. Here is the new Santa Fe, with its boxy style that winks at a British legend, while remaining faithful to its identity as a sport utility vehicle, available with 5 or 7 seats, front or all-wheel drive, Full Hybrid or Plug-In.

Wow, there’s no denying it. The new Santa Fe is the antithesis of going unnoticed. And just to make sure you catch the eye of anyone you meet on the street, Hyundai has put “H” signatures everywhere: in the front LED light clusters, at the base of the bumper with particular details that thanks to the Calligraphy pack are in glossy black, but also at the rear and in the passenger compartment. The most attentive – nerds alert – will have noticed that the “H” is also written in the center of the steering wheel, but in Morse code. This continuous reference between exterior and interior is something that many should take inspiration from and that helps create a logical thread that dialogues with the observer, who is immediately struck by the generous proportions of the car, emphasized by so many edges.

4.83 meters long, 2.82 wheelbase (+5 cm compared to the fourth generation) and a lot, indeed a lot of space on board, both for people and for luggage, with a reduced loading threshold and a tailgate that opens towards a livid sky of clouds. Comfortably perched in the driver’s seat, with heated seat and steering wheel, I eat up kilometers in total flexibility. Despite its look and size, the Santa Fe I tested relies on a decidedly modest engine, a 1.6-liter turbo 4-cylinder Full Hybrid combined with a 6-speed automatic transmission that delivers 215 horsepower on the front axle only. However, I note with pleasure that it is more than enough to move between motorway and secondary roads, not perceiving in any way the almost 2 tons of weight (1,920 kg) and the overall size of a car whose primary objective is to move families in maximum comfort.

If at higher speeds I was able to see that the aerodynamic resistance is much lower than the shapes would suggest (cx is just 0.29) the rolling of the winter tires is in fact the only external noise that creeps into the passenger compartment. Then when I decide to turn on the Bose sound system my five senses are spoiled by an excellent sound output and the notes of my boys, Boston. I know, I’m a romantic. Every now and then a few drops of rain wet the square surfaces of the Hyundai and while I make sure not to change gear instead of activating the windshield wipers due to the proximity of the levers on the right of the steering, I feel a slight laziness on the part of the transmission, which often tends to maintain a low gear when the next one would have been perfect. You have two paddles, which are used to increase or decrease the regenerative braking and thus always keep the small but very useful battery pack charged in Eco mode and to go up and down in Sport, which solves any residual doubts.

The road continues tortuous, sometimes wider, other times narrow to the point of requiring maximum attention, after all we are still talking about a vehicle of just five meters. The steering is precise and visibility too, also thanks to the corners perfectly visible from the driver’s position. In short, without even realizing it and after almost three and a half hours from my departure I finally pass the Rezzoaglio sign. I am in Val d’Aveto and I am ready to look on the map for the road that will take me to Monte Penna. From the driver’s seat you have a view that is no laughing matter. The dashboard is sumptuous and not only for the two large 12.3″ screens, one above the steering (customizable) and one – touch, of course – in the center, right above the controls (touch as well) for the climate, but also for the generous central block that involves a large armrest and two induction charging plates, which can also be used for charging or for connecting to the excellent infotainment system. And that UV-C button? I’ll tell you right away. It is used to activate the sanitization of the upper glove compartment. In short, no more dirty keys.

The Ligurian curves become more and more insistent and although they are less soft than those of the Passo della Scoglina just climbed, they offer a much more intimate experience, whether for the total lack of traffic, or for how the trees seem to envelop you, in some places almost forming a sort of tunnel that unites the highest and most curved branches above our heads. The temperature drops as the kilometers advance and we enter that range that is ready to transform that thin veil of tiny droplets that wet an asphalt in surprisingly excellent condition.

The white object that is difficult to identify by the few people we met just outside Rezzoaglio is at ease and wanders under bare vegetation. Hundreds, or rather thousands or even millions of leaves in a thousand shades of yellow and orange are the crackling carpet on which the Michelin Pilot Alpin with 20-inch black rims rest and are the only noise that can be heard, given that except for the climbs, the Santa Fe makes the most of its batteries, often moving forward in 100% electric mode. Eco, which is also the driving mode in which the car starts, is the best one for everyday driving. Sport always keeps the petrol active and Personal allows, obviously, to set the parameters according to your preferences.

I don’t know this place and I’m already in love with it. The Santa Fe proceeds discreetly and does so with me too, letting itself be led as if we had been a couple for a long time, yet surprising for the incredible amount of details that confirm the South Korean brand among the absolute leaders in terms of innovation and product quality. Suddenly, after a turn like many others, I am forced to stop in the middle of the road. There is a little corner of the world that I didn’t think existed so close to home, a piece of woods that seems to have come out of those American TV series set in Montana or Colorado, in this case with a strong Genoese accent. The lights irradiate the camera lens and the hide-and-seek of that continuous shades that filters through trees much taller than usual is the frame of a picture that I absolutely had to see in person and strictly from outside the car.

While I am there in the middle of the road and immersed in the total silence of the woods, I spot a deer that is furtively wandering not far from us. Still with a tuft of grass in its mouth, it begins to jump and then disappears where the vegetation becomes thicker. The magic of nature is something you can’t get used to, a bit like Hyundai that mixes the cards and isn’t afraid of risky moves, playing on lines that haven’t been seen for too long and that I personally consider far better than the curvy ones that have characterized the price lists of 90% of the automotive fleet in recent years.

The Santa Fe is a functional, practical and intelligent car. You understand that the 7-seater version –optional for €1,200 – would be the ideal tool to share all this with as many people as possible, but at the same time you are jealously happy to keep this experience for yourself, because it is also thanks to the company of silent solitude that every moment is a good time to contemplate the surrounding landscape and the car that brought me here. If I had a roof tent, the best way to mention the practical retractable handles positioned on the C-pillar, I would have no doubts about where to camp for the night, not caring about challenging negative temperatures and a soundtrack provided by wolves and owls.

The Passo del Chiodo is short but intense. It is like a shot of some spirit you have never heard before and that you will continue to look for every time you see a road of perfect asphalt, fence and bare trees. Shortly after I reach a wider portion, a straight road that is not too long but much wider and literally dominated by two rows of very tall trees. From the road you struggle to see the peaks, from the cockpit it is just impossible. At the end I turn right and a dirt path begins. Once again it is not something reserved for hard and pure 4X4s, but a white road that demonstrates how the Santa Fe, even with only front-wheel drive, takes advantage of the good ground clearance to tackle terrains that are certainly not smooth like those representing your usual school run.

Once again silence fills the woods and lets you hear the songs of birds running in search of food and shelter. The small electric unit seems to join us punctually in the most opportune moments. The dirt road turns back to asphalt and then dirt again, until we reach the access point to the Rifugio delle Casermette del Penna, close for the winter season now upon us. I could have continued further, perhaps taking advantage of the zero emissions plus guaranteed by the Full Hybrid, but such a majestic place requires profound respect, just like its four-legged inhabitants. This is the Liguria I didn’t know, that I would never have imagined, just like the new Santa Fe is the Hyundai I would never have expected.

Those edges are like the bare trees in the forest, an unusual aspect that embellishes the general picture of things. I close the door and take shelter from the cold and at that very moment I see a gray figure moving no more than twenty meters away. It was a wolf, a solitary observer who in a fraction of a second disappears from our sight and leaves me wondering how long it was following us. Maybe it was also interested in the Santa Fe, it remembered it differently. This is better, isn’t it, my dear solitary friend?

HYUNDAI SANTA FE HEV XCLASS

Engine 4 cylinder Full Hybrid, 1.598 cc Power 215 hp Torque 265 Nm @ 1.500 rpm

Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission 6-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 1.920 kg

0-100 kph 9,6 sec Top Speed 180 kph Price €54.850