27/08/2024 Okay there is no denying it is big, but boy, it is excellent value for money! The seven-seat Santa Fe has undergone a model change and is now more luxurious and feature-laden than ever. The car looks very imposing and not unlike many a premium SUV e.g. Land Rover / Range Rover product, but at a fraction of their cost!Â
The fifth generation Santa Fe’s exterior is blocky and unashamedly SUV-like in appearance. At 4,830mm it is shorter than a LR Discovery (4,956mm) but longer than a five-door LR Defender 110 (4,758mm). The front end is striking with a really impressive face and ‘H’ light signature. Side on, there’s no hiding, it is a big functional car. There is a small flap on the C pillar that you can press in to act as a grab handle to allow users to stand on the rear tyre and easily access a roof box for example – clever.
Currently, there is a very vocal backlash against large-looking SUVs, yet the new Santa Fe, by global size standards, is not quite a U.S.-sized gas guzzler. The Korean brand is clearly targeting buyers who like this chunky style. For those who think large SUVs are potential pedestrian killers, look, it’s the driver not the vehicle who is at fault most of the time. The new Santa Fe comes with buckets of collision avoidance and driver safety systems, plus it is powered by a relatively green plug-in hybrid system. The slab-sided seven-seater can be very economical on fuel and emissions – once it is frequently charged up! If you don’t charge the battery you will be running a heavy car with a 1.6 litre petrol engine and even the dogs in the street know that’s not good for fuel economy. I did manage a 6.3 litre per 100km consumption figure on a run with no power in the battery.
Inside our range-topping ‘Premium Calligraphy’ model there is a near ridiculous amount of toys to play with. The dash is dominated by an impressive widescreen digital display screen that could have come from a Mercedes Benz or BMW that houses two 12.3-inch displays. Hyundai has thrown everything at the cabin including a UV sterilising tray, a domestic electrical power socket in the rear, ottoman-like reclining front seats, twin charge pads for phones, double-hinged centre console so the front and middle row occupants can have easy access to it plus heated and cooled seats up front and heated in the middle.
All round visibility is excellent and there is a superb camera system onboard. The rearview mirror (aka DCM / digital centre mirror) can be used conventionally or to display a camera view of what is to the rear (nothing new but oh so useful). Our range-topping test car had tonnes of kit and overall the cabin ambience made us feel quite smug. Hyundai Smart Sense suite and 10 airbags are among the many ADAS safety aids onboard to assist safety.
Under the bonnet of our PHEV is a turbocharged 1.6 litre petrol engine and a rechargeable battery at the heart of the hybrid system. Power output is 253hp and 367nm of torque. 0-100km/h takes 9.3 seconds – but feels quicker – as you feel like you are travelling in a sitting room. There is a VW ID-like auto gear selector on the steering column. The powertrain delivers drive to all four wheels. Paddle shifts allow the driver to select the degree of regenerative braking. While 58km of electric-only range is quoted for the PHEV this is a maximum figure in ideal conditions.Â
Ride quality is excellent, thanks to suspension revisions that include new dampers/shock absorbers and a tuned chassis. The Santa Fe rides as well as many a premium SUV!
Pricing starts from €66,996 – or to look at it another way that less than 10K per seat! Our Calligraphy model costs €69,995 (‘Premium’ grade) … significantly less than premium brand rivals. The new Hyundai Santa Fe is terrific. Michael Sheridan
