2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Test Drive Score Sheet

In its latest iteration, the Hyundai Santa Fe offers a fascinating combination of ability, equipment and comfort. However, is it enough to disturb the status quo in the segment?

It would be fair to say that the Santa Fe was one of the biggest surprises in our large gathering of cars. While we did know that it was a very capable SUV in its own right, we weren’t sure how it would perform on the track. Well, the answer we got is – very well indeed.

The Sante Fe was actually marginally quicker than the BMW X3, thanks to its 194bhp 2.2-litre CRDi diesel engine that enables it to move with a fair amount of urgency down the main straight of the BIC. The all-wheel drive traction and well sorted body control helped as well. What we sorely missed, however, were steering mounted shift paddles. In fact, the gearbox is what lets the Sante Fe down when you’re attempting to get a move on. Despite that, however, the performance on the track was truly surprising.

Stylistically too, the Santa Fe has a lot of appeal – with Hyundai’s fluidic design philosophy giving it a lot of presence on the road. The large chrome grille and 18-inch wheels make it a very handsome machine indeed. The interior too is well built – and the seats are especially comfortable – while the equipment count is quite high, as one has come to expect from Hyundai.

The Sante Fe is certainly representative of Hyundai’s new range of vehicles – which is to say that it looks good, is packed with features and is quite dynamically sorted as well. In fact, this could well be the best SUV in its segment in the country at the moment. Now, if only Hyundai could find a way to price it a little more competitively, it could make a real impact and do wonders for the brand.

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