Hyundai Santa Fe 4x4 full 9 point review

  • Performance

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad The Santa Fe's 2.2-litre diesel engine has 194bhp, which is a lot more than most rivals. It's got a walloping 311lb ft of torque, too, (322lb ft for automatic versions), so it's certainly brisk. Progress is pretty effortless and all that muscle means a useful 2500kg towing limit. You can choose a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.

  • Ride & Handling

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad The Santa Fe isn't as nimble as some rivals, but that's partly because it's larger. It handles and grips well enough, though, and feels impressively assured on country roads. It demands little effort around town, too, and although the ride can thud over sharper bumps, it's generally comfortable.

  • Refinement

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad One of the Santa Fe's best points is its impressive refinement. The diesel engine is smooth and quiet, even on the rare occasions that you need to work it hard. You can hear the suspension working over sharp bumps, but there's little road and wind noise at speed, so it's a fine motorway cruiser.

  • Buying & Owning

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership The Santa Fe is keenly priced when you consider the amount of practicality, power and kit it provides. Dealer discounts are available, too. The Santa Fe won't hold its value as well as a Freelander in the long-term, however. Running costs aren't as low as some rivals', either, although an average of 41.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 176g/km (for manual versions) aren't too bad.

  • Quality & Reliability

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership The Santa Fe's cabin isn't the last word in style, with a rather dour design and lots of hard plastics. Some of the switchgear is a bit lightweight, too, but the build quality is solid and everything's well put together. We don't expect any reliability horrors and there's the reassurance of a five-year warranty.

  • Safety & Security

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership Every Santa Fe comes with front, side and full-length curtain airbags, and there are active front head restraints for the front seats. As well as the reassurance of four-wheel drive, stability control is standard across the range. In tests by the security research centre, Thatcham, the Santa Fe scored three stars out of five for resisting drive-away and the same for resisting forced entry.

  • Behind The Wheel

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin The Santa Fe has a classic 4x4 driving position - you sit high, with a commanding view and excellent all-round visibility. The buttons/controls on the dashboard are a bit haphazardly placed and the indicator stalks are the other way round to what you might expect, but you soon get used to both. The driver's seat is comfortable, but the front head restraints push your head forward too much.

  • Space & Practicality

    5 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin You can have a spacious five-seat Santa Fe with a cavernous loadbay, but it's worth paying extra for the seven-seat version, which has MPV-rivalling practicality thanks to an extra pair of folding seats. These are fine for kids or smaller folk; adults will want more head- and kneeroom. In both versions, the rear bench folds down almost flat so you can transport extra-long loads.

  • Equipment

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership The Santa Fe comes in two trim levels and both give you lots of kit for the money. Style models are pretty well equipped, with alloy wheels, air-con, reversing sensors and a USB socket. Premium spec adds leather trim, electric driver's seat adjustment, heated front seats, automatic headlights and wipers, and dual-zone climate control.

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