The Santa Fe has racked up 24 years on our market, where it has built a strong and loyal band of owners. How they react to this new comer’s "out the gate" appearance compared to the staid styling of the vehicle it replaces, will be fascinating, because its looks aren’t for the faint hearted. Sporting a new squared off upright design, with more than a fleeting resemblance to its cousin the KIA EV9 all electric wagon, are the keys to unlocking more cabin and load space inside this latest Santa Fe.
Prices for the three-model range starts at $84,990 for the Active, then it’s a bit of a step up to $96,990 Limited fronted for this road test. From there you head through the six-figure barrier en-route to the flagship $104,990 Calligraphy model. A three-year or 100,000km warranty is far from the best in the market when rivals are offering up to 10-year warranties.
This SUV is a passenger and load space star, giving its rivals a lesson in intelligent interior packaging and space maximisation.
Hyundai’s next-generation cockpit provides the user interface for an all-new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, that’s standard across the range.
The test vehicle was assured and competent traversing reasonably well-formed tracks that aren’t too badly weathered or rutted. [Abridged]
