Hyundai S Ʌ4L4L

3.6 Updated seven-seater scores with its premium

DRIVING score

THE Santa Fe is the heaviest car on test, and it feels it from behind the wheel. While it’s comfortable enough cruising around, the body rolls a lot in bends, and the drawback of this extra weight is that the engine’s performance isn’t as strong.

The 2. 2-litre diesel produces 197bhp and 440Nm of torque, but it needs it to get the Hyundai’s bulk moving. As a result, at our test track the Santa Fe sprinted from 0-60mph in 9.1 seconds – only four tenths faster than the less powerful Mitsubishi.

However, the weight means the car rides pretty well, with a relaxed motion to the way it deals with bumps and ridges in the road. Just don’t ask the Santa Fe to carry too much speed through a corner, because you’ll find it quickly loses its composure.

In normal conditions there’s an acceptable level of poise. Engine refinement is similar to the Outlander’s, but the Santa Fe’s gearbox is more responsive. It’s not comparable with something like a Skoda Kodiaq’s dual-clutch

OWNERSHIP score

AS part of its recent round of updates, Hyundai added more advanced safety technology to the Santa Fe, including autonomous emergency braking.

This doesn’t come as standard, though; it’s part of the £1,500 optional convenience pack, which is only available on the top-spec auto model. Other advanced features such as lane departure warning, blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert are standard, but again, only on the top-spec car. Still, seven airbags are fitted across the range.

The brand’s ownership proposition isn’t the strongest here, either. Although Hyundai’s fiveyear/unlimited mileage warranty adds peace of mind, the company had a dismal showing in our Driver Power 2016 satisfaction survey, finishing only one place above Mitsubishi, in 30th position.