Hyundai Santa Fe road test review – Clever lighting and loads of practicality

Hyundai Santa Fe road test review: With distinctive lighting, boxy styling and seven seats, DAVID HOOPER says this giant of a car offers hugely practical family transport.

I LOVE clever and thoughtful design and Hyundai’s stylists have really excelled themselves with this fifth generation of the Santa Fe which has caught my eye when I’ve previously spotted other examples on the road. They have cleverly made the headlight signatures into an “H” for Hyundai, a theme continued with the rear lights as well, which makes the car very distinctive and something a bit different which in these days of SUV jelly moulds is to be applauded.

Our test car’s colour did make me think it is doing something of a Land Rover Discovery impression with this Terracotta Orange paintwork which is a no cost option, but may well attract some Land Rover buyers as the Hyundai comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty from the manufacturer as standard. It also has a towing capacity of 1,110kg

Customers have a choice of 10 colours with prices starting from £46,775 and there is a selection of three trim levels, Premium, Ultimate and Calligraphy, combined with two powertrain options, full Hybrid with two or four-wheel-drive, or Plug-In Hybrid. Our test car came with seven seats, which is standard, but there is also an optional six seat configuration.
This is the fifth generation of the Santa Fe and it bears little resemblance to its predecessors with its boxy silhouette, which did seem to polarise opinions, but does give owners optimum interior space.

Inside, the Santa Fe makes for a great family Transport. It can accommodate seven people, but with the rear two seats folded down provides a large luggage space.
There is a generous centre console upfront which offers two wireless charging mobile phone slots which is the first time I have seen that in a car to date, so his and hers can be charged at the same time while on the move. You also get cupholders, a large storage bin and generous door pockets.

The interior is quite dark with black trim and black leather but there are two sunroofs which can be opened independently although my more discerning passengers did suggest that a full panoramic roof would have been a nice addition to the car.

The Santa Fe is very well equipped and comes with all the mod cons, including heated seats with memory positions, a heated steering wheel, adjustable steering column and climate control.

You also get radar cruise control, lane keeping assist and a silky smooth automatic gearbox.
The hybrid power plant is impressive and switches from petrol to battery completely seamlessly and imperceptibly and for such a big car provides impressive fuel consumption, with an average return of 38.1 miles per gallon during my test of around 300 miles.

The gear selector is a third stalk on the steering column and gives you the simple choice of drive or reverse although you do get flappy paddles on the back of the steering wheel if you prefer manual controls occasionally.

It also has Hill Start Control and you can select from Eco or Sport settings on the road, or if the terrain or weather conditions are more challenging you have a choice of Snow, Mud and Sand so hopefully you won’t get your Santa Fe stuck anywhere you don’t want it to be. The Bose stereo system which is included sounds great when you crank up the volume on the move.

I also liked the fact you could move the passenger seat from the driver’s side by pressing buttons on the side of the seat and they also come with USB charges for rear seat passengers which is great for kids in today’s techy world.

Make no mistake, the Hyundai Santa Fe is a big car to park or manoeuvre, but a whole suite of cameras and assistance options do make life easier than it might be and a good turning circle also comes in handy. If you like its looks, it offers excellent transport for the whole family.
Rating:

If you like this, read our review on the Hyundai i20N

THE VITAL STATISTICS
MODEL: Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy 1.6T 215PS Hybrid 4WD
ENGINE: 1,598cc, 160PS four-cylinder petrol engine and hybrid system (215PS combined) driving four wheels through a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 98 mph. 0-62mph in 13.2 secs.
ECONOMY: City: 35.6mpg.
Country: 47.1mpg.
Combined: 46.3mpg.
Wheel World test average: 38.1mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS: 167g/km.
FUEL TANK: 67 litres.
PRICE: £54,830
WARRANTY: Five years/Unlimited mileage
WEBSITE: www.hyundai.com/uk
• All data correct at time of publication.