So yes, it can handle the school run.
In 1917, a British adventurer by the name of Sir Ernest Shackleton returned to England with his 56-men, after his daring trans-arctic expedition took a tragic turn after his ship, the ‘Endurance,’ became flash-frozen in an ice floe, causing him and his team to end up stranded out in the cold yonder. While Sir Shackleton’s name may not be one that commands instant familiarity, it cannot be denied that his contributions toward Antarctic exploration are considerable to say the least. It was over a year before Sir Shackleton and his 28-strong team were rescued, which led Sir Raymond Priestley (one of Shackleton’s contemporaries) to say “when you are in a hopeless situation, when there seems to be no way out, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.”
In a world of satellite imaging and digital mapping, the term ‘adventure’ doesn’t quite take on the same meaning as it once did. Where an ‘adventurer’ used to mean someone who explored new lands, charted new territories or took on the worst the the wild could throw at them, the adventures of today are rather limited to trying new cafés or not using Waze to get home. That is, unless you’re Patrick Bergel, the tech entrepreneur who lists Sir Shackleton as his great-grandfather. With Hyundai, Bergel successfully drove a production car across the Antarctic to commemorate 100 years since the journey his great-grandfather took across the frozen horizon.
We say “production car” with a little creative license, admittedly. The Santa Fe SUV that undertook this journey was first subject to a suspension lift, before (enormous) low-pressure tyres were fitted to ensure progress over the snow. An engine block heater was also fitted (so that it would always start), and then they put on some really awesome-looking fender flares.
Oh, and they made it run on jet fuel. That may seem a little odd, but jet fuel is the only fuel that’s available out in those parts due to its inability to freeze. Aside from all that, the Santa Fe that Bergel piloted is exactly the same as the kind you or I could get from a local dealership. The journey lasted a month, covering almost 6,500km at a blistering pace of 28km/h. Temperatures hit lows of -28ºC during the expedition, so we hope the Santa Fe had seat warmers.
We hope this answers any questions you might have about Hyundai durability. No wonder they offer outstanding warranties.
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