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3.4 3.1
DESIGN & ENGINEERING 3.4
DESPITE last year’s facelift, the third-generation Santa Fe is still based on the same platform that made its debut in 2012. This architecture also underpins the Kia Sorento; Hyundai and Kia are sister brands and share many components. Both cars use the same 2. 2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine and six-speed automatic gearbox as well.
Strut-type suspension takes care of the damping at the front, with a multi-link axle at the rear the standard set-up for the class.
Every Santa Fe comes with four-wheel drive, as do the Outlander and Sorento. As with those two cars, there’s an electronically controlled four-wheel-drive lock mode to provide even more traction away from the tarmac; this could come in handy because owners often use these machines for towing or light off-roading.
However, most buyers are more likely to appreciate the tweaked interior of the 2017 model year Santa Fe. It easily outshines the Outlander for quality and is on par with the Kia. The plastics feel robust, while there’s enough softtouch material higher up to give the cabin a slicker ambience than the Mitsubishi’s – and so there should be, when the Hyundai costs £2,006 more to buy.
Still, you get a decent level of kit for your money. Sat-nav, Bluetooth and cruise and climate control feature as standard, while also included are front and rear parking sensors with a reversing camera, and self-levelling suspension to help with towing.
PRACTICALITY score
NOT only does the Santa Fe have the smallest boot in five-seat mode, but it also feels the most cramped choice in terms of passenger space.
Although the seats in the middle row fold and slide forward in one movement by pulling a handle, you can only access the third row from the kerbside of the car, as in the Kia. The space you squeeze through to get into the back is also tight, which makes access the most difficult of the three models on test.
Leg and headroom are good in the second row, but in the third row things are tighter than in the other cars. The higher floor means you sit with your knees closer to your chest, so it’s not quite as comfortable as the Kia, but pretty much on par with the Outlander for space and packaging.