Seven-seat SUV gets a bold new look and a roomier, more upmarket interior On sale Early 2024 Price from £48,000 (est)
George Hill george.hill@haymarket.com
SOME NEW CARS can be hard to tell apart from their predecessors, but not the new Hyundai Santa Fe. Gone are the curves and gaping grille of the outgoing model, and in its place comes a boxier shape that gives the seven-seat SUV a more substantial appearance.
So, why has Hyundai gone down this route? Well, as well as going up against its previous rivals, which include the Kia Sorento and Skoda Kodiaq, the new Santa Fe will need to assert itself against premium rivals, too – cars like the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Land Rover Discovery. Indeed, the straight-edged styling and pronounced wheel arches of the new Santa Fe have more than a hint of the previous-generation Discovery about them.
Along with its angular new design, the Santa Fe has gained a few inches in its wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) to help improve interior space. This should help its already strong footing in the practicality department; the current Santa Fe – our 2023 Seven-seater of the Year – already has roomier second and third seating rows than the Kodiaq and Nissan X-Trail.
Indeed, we’ve already had the chance to sit in the new Santa Fe, and can confirm that space in the second row is generous, with more than enough head and leg room for tall passengers. As for the third row, the car’s boxy shape means that head room is much better than before, while leg room remains good by class standards, albeit tight for six-footers.
The tailgate has also been enlarged to create a wider boot opening that should make it easier to load bulky items, and when the second and third row seats are folded away, the extended floor is completely flat. Even when the second row is in use, though, you get 725 litres of luggage space – 91 litres more than the outgoing car offered and 32 litres more than the Sorento can muster.
At the other end of the interior, the dashboard is dominated by a giant curved display made up of two 12.3in screens, one for instrumentation and another for the infotainment system.The operating system that underpins the latter is new for the Santa Fe, and our initial impression is that it’s responsive and easy to use. As a bonus, it can be updated remotely over the air (OTA).
As for materials, a mixture of leather, wood and metal effect finishes give the car a high-quality feel inside. What’s more, the new Santa Fe retains a mixture of phy
