Hyundai Santa Fe review and buyer's guide

 

The Santa Fe is one of Australia’s best-selling seven-seat SUVs. It offers the kind of refinement and equipment you’d expect from a premium European SUV - but at a fraction of the price. This means the value proposition with a Santa Fe is incredibly strong.

 
 
 

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a perfectly rational argument against buying a luxury 7-seat SUV from Mercedes or Audi, because it offers such breathtaking value it puts supposedly premium brands in the naughty corner.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a three-row large SUV that offers a compelling list of features, for a comparatively modest sum, with reliable engines and smart-yet-stylish interior design. It really will impress both the budget-conscious and the flexibly-financed.

Hyundai has kept Santa Fe updated, constantly adding extra features and without confronting pricing changes. It has remained modest, but contemporary. The sharp, borderline aggressive front styling is met with a polish inside that you’ll be hard-pressed to ignore.

This a vehicle so that it will continue to suit the modern school drop-off zone years after it is superseded. It’s fair to say the Santa Fe will age quite nicely.

So let’s break down what the Santa Fe gets right, see what it has to offer against its large SUV rivals, and ultimately which one will suit you.

Also in this category, you’ll be comparing against the Kia Sorento >>, the Mazda CX-9 >> and/or Mazda CX-8 >>, there’s the medium-sized by 7-seater Mitsubishi Outlander >>, the Toyota Kluger >> or potentially, if 7-seats is not a strict requirement, the 5-seat (but fairly large) Subaru Outback >>

You might also find interesting the Hyundai Palisade 8-seater >> or the Kia Carnival: a SUV-style people mover >>

 

FEATURES & PRICING

There are four model grades. The base version is the fleet manager’s special, simply known as

‘Santa Fe’ starting at $50,400 -

‘Active’ asking about $54,900,

‘Elite’ at $61,400, and the

Top-spec ‘Highlander’ is $68,300 - all pricing here is listed as ‘driveaway’.

At each model grade you’ll be adding about $3000 for the diesel-AWD powertrain over the V6 petrol front-drive arrangement, but there is a notable gain in performance and capability. So the premium is justified without being excessive; it’s actually quite modest.

Here’s a basic summary of the varying equipment levels on the relative model grades.

Santa Fe (base model) starts with:

  • Tyre pressure monitoring, 4X4 lock mode, standard transmission with drive mode selection, rear parking sensors and reversing camera, full-size spare, electronic park brake, auto high beam, 17-inch alloys, cloth seats, turn-key ignition.

  • LED headlamps and daytime running lights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, 2nd and 3rd row ventilation ducts with air-con, heated door mirrors, 8-inch multimedia screen, electric lumbar support (front seats).

  • Adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance, junction collision avoidance, rear blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, lane keeping, multi-collision braking.

Active gets in addition:

  • 18-inch alloys, front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, leather seats, proximity key & push-button start, paddle-shift, power folding mirrors, terrain drive mode selection, electric child locks, safety exit assist, auto dual-zone climate control.

Elite adds:

  • 20-inch alloys, advanced rear occupant alert, 10.25-inch navigation with DAB radio and premium 10-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, satnav, electro-chromatic rearview mirror, 10-way electric driver’s seat adjustment, power tailgate, rear window sunshades and rear door curtains, boot cargo net.

Highlander tops it off with:

  • Even snazzier 20-inch wheels, premium Nappa leather, 12.3-inch digital driver’s dash cluster, glass panoramic sunroof.

  • Head-up display, blind-spot view camera system, remote smart parking assist, reverse parking collision-avoidance, 360-degree camera, LED projector headlights.

  • Driver’s seat memory, powered front passenger seat, heated front seats and row 2 outboard seats, ventilated (cooled) front seats, heated steering wheel, LED daytime running lights, LED interior lighting.

Additional costs:

Premium paints: $695 (brown, black, silver, green, blue and ‘Magnetic Force’ - what ever that is)

Cognac Nappa leather interior: $295; Camel beige Nappa leather interior: $295

ENGINES

Australia has fallen in love with Hyundai’s grunty 2.2 diesel engine for smooth, efficient low-RPM power which is great for more than just taking a bunch of kids to school, or their sports gear to weekend practice - it’s also ideal for light to moderate towing assignments.

AutoExpert proved how good Hyundai’s diesel-AWD system is by torturing it >>

The 3.5-litre petrol V6 is a budget option, and that’s evident in its peaky revs and higher fuel consumption over the diesel. Generally speaking, as powertrains go, it is a reliable, punchy motor using direct injection and it generally performs well if you squeeze the throttle. But it’s not been as popular as the diesel, by about 4 to 1 in sales.

Offering the V6 petrol as an alternative powertrain choice on the Santa Fe makes sense for those who can’t quite stretch their budget the additional $3000 for the 2.2 diesel, and that’s okay. But logically, the diesel is the superior engine in terms of performance and fuel economy - by about 20 per cent in the real world and about 30 per cent in the laboratory fuel economy test, which puts the diesel at about 6.5 litres per 100km versus 9 litres in the V6.

The diesel is an engine running on fuel that is 30 per cent more energy dense than petrol, meaning that despite the V6 having more cubic capacity at 3.5 litres, it drinks more fuel.

Just to prove how much better the 2.2 turbo-diesel engine is than the old V6, here are the figures:

3.5L V6: 200kW @ 6400RPM, VS 2.2L TD: 148kW @ 3800RPM, 440Nm @ 1750-2750RPM: peak power in the diesel arrives in half the revs of the V6, so it’s already making the most power while the V6 is still trying to get going.

Plus you get the quite excellent, and very robust eight-speed dual-clutch transmission - more on that below.

The unique relationship between Hyundai and Kia means you do have options when it comes to how and where you can access the distinct advantages of its trusty powertrains.

The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine, which gets the eight-speed DCT, is still available with all-wheel drive in the Hyundai Palisade if you still want that grunty powertrain with big payload potential. But you can get the benefits of the diesel without the need for AWD by also considering a Kia Carnival, depending on the size and demands of your fridge-emptying teenagers.

On the other hand, if you want that same 2.2-diesel powertrain but need it in a strong towing platform, again with the big family practicality element taken care of, there’s also the Kia Carnival. Having said that, Carnival is front-wheel drive only, in which case you could also consider the big less aesthetically pleasing by still remarkably practical Hyundai Staria, which gets all-wheel drive.

It’s certainly a game of powertrain tennis, but this does at least mean you still have options when it comes to long-distance cruising, holiday trailer towing of light to medium loads.

The Carnival is good for towing 2000kg (braked) with 200kg of towball download, with seven seats including four ISOFix points and full-length side curtain airbags.

Read my full Carnival Love/Hate Guide here >> or my Hyundai Palisade practicality analysis here >>

 

TRANSMISSION

Hyundai’s robust eight-speed conventional auto transmission provides smooth (at times uncanny) ratio changes, especially considering what an engaging and efficient driving experience it provides. It does all the right things when you expect it to. (Sometimes before you’re even expecting it to do them.)

This transmission also improved fuel economy, according to Hyundai, by 19 per cent when it was first introduced. That was incredible because, usually with a new or updated model we see tiny, single-digit fuel economy improvements. But 19 per cent is massive, simply by having two clutches, each with a hair trigger on constant duty, ready to change gear in an instant.

And the push-button selector is yet another step forward in ergonomic best practice.

2021SantaFeHighlander-52.jpg

The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission was launched with the new Kia Sorento where the ultimate test for this gearbox was slowly creeping off the line on a slope. It passed with flying colours: Kia Sorento review and buyer's guide >>

Having also pitted the 8-speed DCT against the AutoExpert driveway from hell, you too might live on a replica of the North Face of the Eiger. If so, you have a steep driveway or perhaps live in hilly suburbs, meaning you’ll appreciate the fact Santa Fe’s transmission can handle a daily dose of mechanical hard work.

Check out: Hyundai Santa Fe dual clutch transmission extreme endurance test >> for more on that.

But what’s great about this AWD system and the smooth application of its diesel engine is that heavy rain, or dewy, mucky winter ground cover is not going to result in the Santa Fe overwhelming its own tyres’ ability to grip. This is thanks to:

 

‘ACTIVE’ AWD & TERRAIN MODES

Arguably the biggest highlight of the Santa Fe platform is the fact you get to marry the plush comfort of a large SUV (and it’s subsequent seven seat capacity) with the adaptability of a clever transmission able to get you through tricky driving conditions - without resorting to the comfort-compromise of a full off-road 4X4 wagon or ute.

Do not conflate these two very different types of drivetrain: Santa Fe and Sorento will happily venture down loose gravel tracks and slippery-when-wet tarmac or lightly rutted terrain, but they are not hardcore 4-wheel drives. But they do offer more than the typical front-drive SUV.

Hyundai’s HTRAC AWD system is ‘active’, which means it is constantly calculating and sending some percentage of the drive/torque to the rear wheels. This is to maintain optimum grip and almost eliminate the likelihood of generating wheelspin. It is different from the ‘on-demand’ AWD system you’ll find in a Mazda CX-9 or Toyota Kluger, which waits until the computer detects wheelspin before splitting the torque to send some to the rear. CX-9 and Kluger default to front-wheel drive.

Both of these systems are different again to a Subaru Outback which is always dividing its drive/torque between the four wheels, at all times - it never adjusts or waits or limits the drive - which is why you’ll (basically) never get wheelspin in a Subaru.

If you like to take the kids camping, one light shower overnight can render the grassy campgrounds impassable in anything front-wheel drive, or on-demand AWD.

Santa Fe has a multi-mode system, which provides an electronic, variable torque-split between the front and rear axles, and has three selectable drive modes, ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Smart’. Smart mode acts as an on-demand system; it’s not a fully-fledged mechanical all-wheel drive system like a Subaru Outback or Forester, but those vehicles don’t offer the seven-seat versatility of the Santa Fe. Hyundai is also confident it’ll do sand, snow and mud - but don’t get ahead of yourself.

Similar electronic torque-splitting systems, which are able to be locked-on, are also in use on diesel-variants of Kia Sportage and Kia Sorento. So if you can’t get hold of the Santa Fe you want, you might find the equivalent Sorento an option - it should be on your shortlist, for this reason alone.

All this doesn’t endow Santa Fe with the hardcore off-road capability of low-range transmission and mechanically lockable centre and rear differentials, such as the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport or Nissan Patrol, or even a dual-cab ute like the Triton or Mazda BT-50.

But it will get you through light mud, moderate dirt roads and slippery sealed roads with inclines or declines that might otherwise make you require new underwear.

 
 

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DRIVING SANTA FE

Given Hyundai and Kia’s track record for actually tipping money into the R&D of their major powertrain components (DPFs, petrol/diesel engines, AWD), the DCT will be quite capable of stop-start traffic conditions, although it is not as well suited as a conventional epicyclic auto in those short sub-60km/h bursts between sets of traffic lights.

The new shift-by-wire system means there’s no more convention lever-shifting for ‘park’, ‘reverse’, ‘neutral’ and ‘drive’. It’s now a push-button design in the Highlander, which has both benefits and inherent drawbacks for real-world driving situations.

For example, removing the cumbersome lever is always a good thing for improving use of cabin space - but then there’s the adaptive nature of using buttons when you’re in the middle of a cognitively-demanding maneuver, such as a three-point turn, or reversing out of a driveway and proceeding forward in a hurry with approaching traffic.

What I’m saying is it could take time getting used to selecting forward or reverse in a hurry without the need to look away from the road, which you don’t have to do when using a conventional transmission shifter.

Thanks to ample legroom provided by the 2.76 metres of wheelbase (which translates into cabin space for the first two rows of people) the Santa Fe is such a no-brainer for long-distance touring. Long weekends, school holidays, trips afar or even interstate - perhaps multi-hour drives for work or to meet with clients. These are all absolutely within Santa Fe’s remit.

The standardisation of tyre pressure monitoring means you’ll always know if you’re running on low pressures and fuel consumption is increased as a direct result. This is on the base model, so it’s not like Hyundai is milking you here.

Even if you live rurally or regionally, where a 40-minute trip into the nearest provincial city like Ballarat, Bendigo, Bathurst, Cairns, Port Augusta, Kalgoorlie, or Catherine is necessary several times per week, you’re not only going to get good fuel economy and everybody where they need to go, you’ll be very comfy indeed and always driving on correct rubber thanks to the full-size spare. And diesel is everywhere in the bush, so it’s not like you’ll see ‘Out of order’ on any local servo pumps.

What’s the icing on the cake for Santa Fe is the driving experience itself - actually sending it through time and space. Thanks to Australian market-specific ride and handling tuning by Hyundai Australia’s suspension engineers, this thing is beautiful to steer on our terrible roads. And they didn’t just do the R&D on well-made city roads and call it a job well done - they tested

 

TOWING

If you’re questioning whether the Santa Fe will be up to the task of pulling your average-size boat or perhaps a medium-size camper, of even a small tool or utility trailer, here’s how capable the Santa Fe is at towing >>

The figures are: maximum braked capacity is potentially 2500kg, with 200kg of towball download (which is deducted form remaining available payload), but you need to purchase the Hyundai Load Assist towing kit to increase that download allowance to 220kg. The Load Assist kit is a set of different springs and dampers designed to better resolve the load placed on the rear axle. For a small $500 sum, you significantly improve the vehicle’s overall stability and safety when towing more than about 2000kg.

Check out our comprehensive Best Heavy Towing Vehicles list here >>

It’s important to note that a Santa Fe Highlander weighs, with a full 67-litre tank of diesel, 1943kg. So towing anything over about 2.2 tonnes is getting ‘up there’ in terms of pushing the safe working limit of the vehicle - with regards to the trailer’s ability to overwhelm the tow vehicle. That doesn’t mean the Santa Fe is inherently deficient, this is a conservative towing suggestion to avoid (as much as possible) the temptation to more than the vehicle’s gross vehicle mass. In Santa Fe’s case, it’s 2610kg.

The closer to that GVM the trailer weighs, the less able the Santa Fe is to keep the load restrained in a dynamic scenario, on the road, in the traffic, under the wrong set of circumstances. For more on this check out why towing 3500kg with a dual-cab ute is stupid >>

If you max out the towing an a Santa Fe Highlander, with 250kg on the towball (because the vehicle has to take some of the weight; typically 10% of the trailer) you’re left with 417kg of notional payload. As soon as you climb on board, if you weigh 90kg, that 417 becomes 327kg remaining. Add a 27kg bag of dog food, you’re left with 300kg - and so on.

Happily, there’s the inclusion of a full-size spare wheel and tyre under the boot floor to substantially increase your mobility out there in the wild brown yonder should you cop a puncture an hour from the nearest tyre shop. These are the kinds of things Hyundai Australia thinks about, unlike Mazda, for example.

Santa Fe does better at towing than its twin-under-the-skin sister the Kia Sorento which is limited to 2000kg.

Check out Hyundai Palisade vs new Santa Fe vs new Kia Sorento: Best Towing Capacity >> if you’re considering a 7-seat people mover but need towing prowess as well.

And if you’re a regular tower of medium-size trailers, you’ll appreciate some actual research on the durability of a Santa Fe or Sorento dual-clutch transmission reversing up driveways.

MORE TOWING INFORMATION:

Do I really need a 4x4 ute? >>

What is the perfect SUV for towing? >>

What is the Gross Combination Mass for towing with my SUV?

 

INTERIOR

The Santa Fe has a bunch of features to push the envelope of ‘family-friendly seven-seater’, and certainly it continues to be a rational case for ignoring the allegedly premium German SUV, despite Hyundai trying desperately to make it look like one.

The interior of a Santa Fe is not only a wonderful place to sit, but it’s quite a functional space, with plenty of door bins, charging ports and a central transmission console not endowed with the presence of a vertical transmission selector.

Large-34869-2020Palisade.jpg

Everything that should be on the steering wheel is, and Hyundai has resisted the temptation to over burden you with unimportant functions that have no place at your fingertips while driving. Cruise control and various vehicle-related functions are on the right, audio/entertainment and phone call functions are on the left, as is the discreetly-integrated touchscreen.

There’s a scroll wheel to select various soft-roading terrain management modes, and once you get practice using the push-button transmission selector system, you’ll be getting the timing just right to make smooth, slick direction changes to reverse up the driveway.

What’s doubly nice about the Santa Fe is that everything is clearly labelled, there are buttons for all the necessary features, and you’re not always forced into delving through sub-menus on the touchscreen to do things - which is a concerning trend in the modern car industry design departments.

 
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ENTERTAINMENT

Here’s everything included in a mid-spec Santa Fe Elite:

  • 8-inch infotainment screen, includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Hyundai has never been a tight arse on providing basic smartphone software connectivity for many years now, so that’s nice

  • Haptic touch infotainment screen: Essentially, it’s a software-based touchscreen which measures the duration of a finger touching an icon and responds, building on the previous tech which registers finger pressure. So it’s much more like a mobile phone, in that regard

  • The Qi wireless phone charging pad was something of a luxury in the Highlander, but is now standard on the base model, just to make it that much harder to justify that allegedly premium German shitbox which charges extra for that stuff. Compatible with Android and iPhone

  • A premium 10-speaker Harmon Kardon branded stereo - including a fully sick separate amplifier which offers surround sound to drown out all five kids

  • Hyundai’s so-called ‘Blue Link’, despite not actually linking anything in that hue, offers safety, diagnostic, remote and voice activation

  • You also get a remote-start feature which includes climate control activation, remote door locking/unlocking, a car locator for all those times you forget whether you parked in the Itchy or Scratchy Lot

Click to enlarge:

Highlander simply adds:

  • Panoramic sunroof

  • Heated & ventilated front & rear seats

  • Steering wheel heating

  • Driver intercom - to deal swift audible law & order to rear occupants

  • Heads-up display

  • LED: projector headlights & combination taillights

  • Nappa leather

  • Remote parking

  • 20-inch alloy wheels (incl. full-size spare)

  • Driver’s electric seat position memory

ROW 3 & LOADING LUGGAGE

Let’s first acknowledge appreciate that Hyundai designed a tailgate that just opens when you walk up to it.

There’s no fumbling around trying to reach your right hand into your left pocket while holding too many bags in your left hand to push the key fob. Nor do you have to swipe furiously under the rear bumper with your foot (while balancing on one leg) to engage the auto tailgate release like on other vehicles. You don’t even have to shove your pinky up under the badge to push the release button on the tailgate itself (where spiders are always co-inhabiting), just to open up the car.

It just opens. (This auto-open function is on the Elite variant - so not even the top-shelf Highlander. You’d pay extra for that in some luxury pack on an Audi or Merc.)

With the Santa Fe’s key in your pocket, the ‘smart power tailgate’ simply opens when you approach it. Nobody wants to set down the rapidly defrosting shopping onto the hot, hard, black, dirty carpark bitumen.

I digress. The boot. It’s pretty big, especially in five-seat mode, which, let’s be honest, is going to be the primary configuration you’re going to use. Click to enlarge:

Child restraints can be fitted to all three row-2 seating positions thanks to 3 x top tether anchor points, with corresponding ISOFix anchorn points on the outboard seats. There are no anchor points of any kind on the row 3 seats, making them suitable for teenage kids who’ve outgrown their restraints and booster seats - where the seatbelt sits correctly across their shoulders and torso.

At least they’ll also be comfortable back there thanks to third-row air conditioning vents, cupholders and USB device charging ports on both sides of their very comfortable leather pews.

Speaking of, leather is usually a point of extorsion on a Merc SUV. Not here.

If you have long-distance touring in mind with your 2.8 children and your fine wife aboard, you’re going to start struggling for room once you start deploying either seat six or seven (or both).

Speaking of, row three does not get full-length curtain airbags - which I specifically lambasted Kia for the same thing on Sorento. The row 2 curtains do reach into the row three compartment, covering the windows, but they don’t extend all the way back to the ‘D’ pillar, which is probably right where you’re going to cop a head injury in a major crash.

Some concessions on this: Row three in Santa Fe and Sorento is deemed an ‘occasional use only’ function - like dropping the neighbour’s kids off at school or taking Nanna and Grandpa along for the ride to beach day, yet another wedding or funeral - whatever.

Look, if you’re going to use row three full-time because you’re expecting twins on top of the two you already have (or some variation on this theme), then stop kidding around… and get a Kia Carnival. (Pun intended.)

Row three gets air vents and air-con, USB charging ports for ‘shut-up factor’, and 746mm of legroom. But there are no ISOFIX or top tether anchorage points in row three, meaning only children who’ve left booster seats behind can use seats 6 and 7.

There are two ISOFIX points in the outboard row 2 seats, and three top-tethers. And you get two top-tethers and no ISOFIX points in row 3. In the Kia Carnival, however, you get five top tethers and five ISOFIX points. So there’s that.

 

SANTA FE SAFETY

  • ‘Blind-view monitor’ and ‘Blind-spot collision avoidance’: Side cameras project traffic behind the B-pillar, although not entirely necessary if people learned to adjust their door mirrors correctly. Still good to have, especially for towing, where you might actually readjust your mirrors to accommodate a large caravan or trailer and recreate that blind-spot.

    Blind-spot collision avoidance will simply apply the brakes if the driver inadvertently changes lanes into said blind spots, say, with an indicator on (thereby cancelling out lane-departure & lane-keeping) and into the path of a neighbouring vehicle. Not that anybody should be firing into another lane without checking if the space is already occupied, but, there’s a reason warning labels are put on clothes not to be ironed while being worn.

  • Rear occupant alert: detects a door opening and closing sequence to alert the driver if a person or animal is present in the rear seat when the driver leaves the vehicle

  • Heads-up display: Projects critical driving information such as speed, radar cruise control, satnav, blind-spot monitoring and collision-avoidance warnings into the windscreen, at what appears to be about seven metres ahead of where you sit, for optimum clarity. Anybody with compromised eyesight may need to adjust that setting.

  • Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist: If you start barrelling down a driveway - which you definitely should not do because, Pro Tip: it’s really stupid - the car will hit the brakes if you’re imminently about to crash into a vehicle travelling perpendicularly across your path, or worse - a child. Which they obviously have every right to do.

  • Safe Exit Assist: Heaven (not actually a thing) forbid your most precious kid or dog or grandmother attempts to open the rear door in front of an approaching vehicle detected by the Santa Fe’s rearward sensor array - it’ll arm the doors and lock them shut to avoid being opened. There’s no second-chance after death, it’s binary, on or off, lights up or lights down - there’s no dimmer switch. This might be one of the next best safety innovations for in-vehicle technology, along with the centre airbag.

Santa Fe vs Palisade

For that somewhat niche market of overenthusiastic breeders, if you have kids who are mostly all beyond child restraints and can dress themselves, feed themselves (and the dog) as well as answer you back at every opportunity, then they’ll also appreciate being able to storm away from you and climb into the furthermost row of seats by walking through the middle of row two.

You cannot do this in the Santa Fe. It’s slide-and-fold only. Equally, if you have elderly parents or perhaps someone with a bad back, A) they should probably sit up front or in row 2, but if they wanna get in on the row 3 action too, then B) folding themselves like human origami won’t be required because you can option Palisade as a 7-seater.

Or, if you refuse to symbolically have yourself snipped by getting a people mover, you can spec Palisade with the full 8 seats for ultimate brat-hauling awesomeness. This is especially good if you want a Toyota LandCruiser but refuse to be extorted for $130,000 and motoring around with about 300-400kg of heavy duty hardcore off-road drivetrain underneath you. The 200 Series (which is increasingly going to run out of stock until the new one arrives in 2022) is also comparatively shit to drive around town, whereas Palisade is an actual SUV - big, comfy, spacious. Kinda like how Kia Carnival is a proper people mover and the Honda Odyssey is a sorry excuse for one.

Dynamically, they both ride and handle about the same - these a big, heavy SUVs which control themselves quite well on Australia’s crap roads, but there are slight differences between them in slower, tighter traffic. Palisade has a slightly bigger turning circle (although you’ll never notice the difference), and the Palisade has a slightly bigger wheelbase at 2.9 metres versus 2.76 in Santa Fe (135mm difference) which roughly translates into slightly better cabin space for rows 1 and 2 between the wheels. There’s also 20mm difference in overall length between the two, obviously Palisade is longer at 4.9 metres.

However, do not be conned by other motoring journalists who’ll repeatedly tell you how enormous this thing is. It’s not. A Kia Cerato is 4.6 metres long - 300mm is almost the length of a rugby ball.

Palisade also offers you significantly better ground clearance which will be an advantage if you have a steep or sharp crested driveway, or if you have any light gravel or slightly rocky but relatively tame unsealed roads on your hit-list. Perhaps your mob are avid campers and stones pinging the underbelly are not uncommon.

Hyundai vs Mercedes-Benz

Seating: 7

Engine: 2.2 turbo-diesel 4cyl (148kW @ 3800RPM & 440Nm @ 1750-2750RPM)

Brake mean effective pressure: Santa Fe 2.2: 2,513,274 Pascals. (Pro Tip: the Hyundai diesel is superior; sure, the Merc produces more power and therefore torque, but it requires more cylinder capacity to do so.)

Fuel: Santa Fe takes normal diesel. Tank 67 litres. Consumption: 7.8L/100km (combined). Emissions: 196g/km CO2.

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch (wet).

Features: Wireless phone charging, 360-degree camera, heated/cooled seats, satnav, terrain selection, heated/cooled seats row 2, auto-braking, radar cruise, junction assist, 20-inch alloys, Nappa leather, power tailgate, LED headlights & taillights, head-up display, full-size spare, heated steering wheel, premium sound.

Automatic electronic child safety door locks.

Towing: 2500kg (braked), 250kg towball download, GVM 2610kg

Dimensions: Length: 4.77m. Width: 1.89m. Height: 1.7m. Wheelbase: 2.67m. Ground clearance: 175mm. Turning circle: 11.4m. Kerb weight: 1870kg

Government charges: Registration: $872, Statutory charges: $5000 - Total: $5872

Seating: 7

Engine: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol 6cyl (270kW @ 6100RPM & 500Nm @ 1600-4500RPM)

BMEP: Merc GLS 3L: 2,094,395 Pascals.

Fuel: Mercedes demands premium 98 RON as a minimum. Tank: 90 litres. Consumption: 9.2L/100km (combined). Emissions: 210g/km CO2.

Features: Wireless phone charging, 360-degree camera, cooled seats, satnav, all-wheel drive, cooled seats (incl. row 2), auto-braking, radar cruise, 20-inch alloys, Nappa leather, power tailgate, LED headlights & taillights, head-up display, heated steering wheel, premium sound.

Manual child safety door locks. Temporary ‘collapsible’ spare wheel.

Princely options:

  • Tyre pressure monitoring $850

  • Off-road package $3500 (low-range gearbox, terrain selection, underbody ‘protection’)

  • Towing package $1900

  • Energizing Package (incl. heated row 2 seats) $3900.

Not available: Nappa leather

Towing: 3500kg (braked), 280kg towball download, GVM 3340kg

Dimensions: Length: 5.21m. Width: 2.03m. Height: 1.82m. Wheelbase: 3.13m. Ground clearance: 199mm. Turning circle: 12.52m. Kerb weight: 2700kg.

Government charges (Vic): Vic Luxury Stamp Duty $13,700, Luxury Car Tax $19,400, (dealer delivery $3000), Rego: $872 - Total: $36,000.

Seating: 8

Engine: 2.2 turbo-diesel 4cyl (147kW @ 3800RPM & 440Nm @ 1750-2750RPM)

Brake mean effective pressure: Palisade 2.2: 2,513,274 Pascals. (Once again: the Hyundai diesel is superior; again).

Fuel: Normal diesel, 71-litre tank.

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch (wet).

Standard features: Walk-through row 2, satnav, terrain selection, heated/cooled seats (incl. row 2), auto-emergency braking, radar cruise, 20-inch alloys, Nappa leather, power tailgate, LED headlights & taillights, head-up display, full-size spare, heated steering wheel, premium sound.

Extras: Premium paint $900

Towing: 2200kg (braked), towball download 150kg (200kg with load assist kit, forthcoming).

Dimensions: Length: 4.98m. Width: 1.97m. Height: 1.75m Wheelbase: 2.9m. Ground clearance: 203mm. Turning circle: 11.8m.

Kerb weight (heaviest): Palisade: 8-seat 2069kg, 7-seat 2059kg

Government charges (Vic): On Road Cost (Statutory Charges, Delivery) $6594.20, Luxury Car Tax $2149.50, Registration $872 - Total: $8743.70

Seating: 7

Engine: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol 6cyl (170kW @ 4750RPM & 500Nm @ 1750-3250RPM)

BMEP: Audi Q7: 2,094,395 Pascals. The Audi produces more power and torque - same as the Merc GLS - but with more cylinder capacity it produces less cylinder pressure.)

Fuel: Premium 95 RON as a minimum, 85-litre tank.

Transmission: Q7: 8-speed epicyclic auto with torque converter.

Features: Adaptive cruise, 360-degree camera, parking assistance, cross traffic assist, door exit warning system, auto-emergency braking, junction assist, power tailgate, LED headlights & taillights, heated front seats, premium sound.

Tyre pressure monitoring, head-up display not available.

Costly extras: Panoramic glass sunroof $4000, Head-up display $3200, Towbar and wiring (excludes tongue and ball!) $1500, Electric steering column adjustment $900, four-wheel steering $2750, premium paint $2300.

Towing: 3500kg (braked)

Dimensions: Length: 5.06m. Width: 1.97m. Height: 1.75m Wheelbase 2.99m. Ground clearance: 179mm. Turning circle: 12.4m.

Kerb weight: 2463kg

Government charges (Vic): (Federal) Luxury Car Tax (LCT) $7288, Registration $872, VIC Luxury Stamp Duty $7644 - Total: $15,800

 

Similar alternatives to Hyundai Santa Fe include the Mazda CX-9 and Kia Sorento as discussed at the beginning. You can check out their respective review and buyer guides by clicking on the image below:

Conclusions

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In the context of buying a new SUV, the Santa Fe is awesome value, and minimal compromise in the context of what others sacrifice versus their price.

Mazda CX-9 is a very good thing to drive with its powerful turbocharged petrol 2.5 SkyActiv engine, it’s crammed with creature comforts and an interior worthy of the brand snobs. The boot (which includes third row seating) is massive, but filling it with kids and stuff for a week away in the hills means you’re burdened with a maximum 80km/h crawl home in the pouring rain in the event of a tyre puncture. Have fun catching pneumonia, won’t you?

You also don’t get a CX-9 diesel for towing unless you downsize to the CX-8 (now discontinued).

The Kia Sorento does so much right, (especially where the Mazda is limited) thanks to a full-size spare wheel, a torquey 2.2 diesel ideal for paring with its 2000kg towing capacity.

Hyundai Santa Fe, unlike its bigger brother the Palisade, doesn’t get third row ISOFIX child restraint anchor points, so you’re limited to two in row 2, and no anchorage points in row 3.

But you get so much other additional equipment at such a compelling price point, especially in the Highlander compared with other notionally ‘luxury’ German SUVs. Tyre pressure monitoring has been a standard feature on Santa Fe for years now, but it’s still a pricey extra on ze others.

If you have next-to-zero towing aspirations, Palisade might be the better option if money isn’t a barrier and your grown teenage kids prefer bling and having their white-bread crusts cut off.

Otherwise, Santa Fe is arguably the best all rounder in the field with decent off-road performance and exceptional on-road dynamics and handling, especially thanks to that super-refined diesel and dual-clutch combination. It’s so good, I put my money where my mouth was and bought one.

The wise money is on Santa Fe, but good luck using logic an reason to argue against its dizygotic twin, the Sorento. It’s that good.

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