EXCLUSIVE: Christopher Sharp lived with CarsGuides’ 2026 automobile of the yr to seek out out if it may change his thoughts about SUVs
Hyundai Santa Fe: In Overview
I’ll fortunately admit I’ve not been the world’s largest fan of the latest stratospheric rise within the reputation of SUVs (Sport Utility Automobiles). Being utterly trustworthy, in the event you don’t have youngsters or canines (plural) to hold round, I’ve questions over why you’d go for a car outsized to your wants.
An excellent hatchback or small property will do nearly as good a job as its excessive driving SUV equal and can use much less gas and be a greater drive on the similar time. No less than, that is what I believed.
On the tail finish of February, I had CarsGuide’s 2026 automobile of the yr (a Hyundai Santa Fe) on check for every week and the decision I reached has modified my view on SUVs without end.
The Hyundai Santa Fe (Picture: Christopher Sharp)
The specs
We had on check a Hyundai SANTA FE Hybrid Final, 1.6T 239PS Hybrid 6AT, Computerized, 4WD. In layman’s phrases that’s an enormous £55,895 petrol hybrid SUV with seven seats, an enormous boot, and a few good non-compulsory extras hooked up.
The automobile in query is 4.8m lengthy, 2.2m large, 1.72m excessive and comes with 5 doorways. Boot area with the seats up is round 620litres, however with them down is anyplace between 985 to 1,949litres. To this point, so sensible and versatile. However there’s extra.
Slot your self into the driving force’s seat and that is the place the intrigue actually begins. The Santa Fe’s system can keep in mind what place you wish to have the seat in and has a system the place it can save you your place. This implies if you open the door, the steering wheel and seat transfer aside. Whenever you’re in they transfer into your most popular place; helpful in the event you’re switching between drivers.
The infotainment is a combination of buttons, dials, contact screens and haptic contact pads. Most of your time utilizing the system is thru the close to sprint large contact display in entrance of you. By way of ease of use it’s proper up there, though adjusting the heated seats and aircon on the transfer is a bit fiddly with the contact pads.
Above the driving force sits the controls for the panoramic sunroof and beneath their left elbow is a really deep and cavernous cubby gap which was large enough to suit our filming tripod. It was lined with some type of non easy materials on the backside, so those that like consuming sweets within the automobile finest save these for the come out tray.
Total, in our spec at the very least, I discovered it to be a cushty and liveable place to be with no awkward aches after a very long time on the wheel throughout a weekend spin to Caffeine and Machine for a espresso.
This journey was a very good alternative to have a correct look inside and marvel on the sheer variety of charging stations – wired and wi-fi – contained in the automobile.
The boot of the Hyundai with the third row of seats up (Picture: Christopher Sharp)
Within the center and rear
The second row of Hyundai seats (Picture: Christopher Sharp)
The center row of seats are, just like the entrance, heated. Moreover, they got here with entry to the cavernous central compartment and blinds that passengers can pull up above their home windows.
The rear seats reveal themselves simply sufficient with toggles atop and behind to allow them to be folded out whether or not somebody is coming from the boot or by way of the rear set of seats. Returning the center row to their electrically assisted authentic place is a bit fiddly, but it surely’s not the worst system on the earth.
The third row of seats comes with its personal charging ports and aircon programs which is all properly and good. Nevertheless, it was identified to us by one household that in the event you don’t use the third row that always, having aircon that the second row passengers can’t entry is a bit pointless. One thing to kind out within the facelift?
Aesthetics and Driving
This was the place the Hyundai actually modified my thoughts about the way forward for SUVs. Each particular person I talked to concerning the automobile identified how large and lengthy it was.
However right here’s the factor, it could look large, lengthy, and heavy, but it surely doesn’t really feel like that. It feels by way of the controls like a hatchback or a small property. Driving throughout London (whose potholes it dealt with with backbone softening ease) to see buddies, it was straightforward to overlook how large a automobile you have been in.
The automobile felt much less like an elephant and extra like an athletic and energetic golden retriever. Sure, you’re very removed from the entrance and rear of the automobile, however the steering provides you excellent suggestions while being.
On the street, the hybrid system engages in a relentless balancing act between charging the battery and transferring you alongside. It may well run on electrical solely mode for some time, however very hardly ever hangs round in there for very lengthy. There are driving modes, however actually simply depart it in Eco and ignore Sport. There are terrain modes, exhibiting there are some off street contingencies in place for once we return to winter.
I feel quite a lot of this comes from the truth that the automobile appears and feels real, it’s actually not about being sporty in any respect. Sure, the engine pulls properly, but it surely doesn’t look sporty and it isn’t sport, and that’s the purpose. It pulls off the cool, boxy styling schtick higher than Land Rover’s Defender, and it’s somewhat comfy. On the street it’s not thrilling to drive, but it surely corners very flat; there’s a bit low velocity understeer, however that’s to be anticipated.
It gained’t win lap time checks or set B roads alight, however that’s not what it’s for; its household centered. Even the dreaded lane help (probably the most pointless characteristic in trendy automobiles) isn’t that intrusive, a lot so I didn’t at all times really feel the necessity to flip that blasted factor off on a regular basis.
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Christopher subsequent to the Hyundai (Picture: Christopher Sharp)
Conclusion
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe good? No. I do really feel the facilities of the third row of seats ought to be moved to the second row, or at the very least the second row ought to have the identical choices because the third.
The haptic contact pads ought to be changed by buttons, and the 4 cylinder engine sounds very stretched when it’s revved exhausting or charging the battery. There have been a number of events after I was on the town at sub 20mph speeds and the battery is 50 %, however the engine continues to be charging it and I believed ‘Why isn’t it ready till the battery is at 20 % to start out charging?’.
Within the grand scheme of issues these are solely little or no issues to think about; and it has modified my thoughts that SUVs aren’t all leaning an excessive amount of in the direction of the S aspect of the acronym. For those who’re in search of a succesful household SUV that isn’t German or British, give this a glance.
Christopher’s verdict: 7.5/10
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