Review of the new Hyundai Santa Fe Limited

Here's a question. How much would you expect to pay for an extremely well-equipped seven-seater family-sized 'lifestyle' 4x4? The answer is £30,000-£40,000 if you're looking at a Land Rover Discovery or a Toyota Land Cruiser. Of course, if you switch your sights to something with a Hyundai badge, you'd expect to pay less - but maybe not this much less.

Let's get down to brass tacks. This car could be in your driveway for less than £25,000 - £24,895 to be exact, or £23,795 if you only need five seats. For that, you get most of what would normally lie on Hyundai's options list: leather seats, a seven speaker audio system with MP3 compatibility, air conditioning, an electric driver's seat and a whole lot more.

You also get thrown in the normally extra cost 'special equipment' package which runs to all the things you'd normally like but couldn't afford to perfectly finish your car off. Stuff like integrated running boards and wheel arch trims, privacy glass, reversing sensors and a sports mesh grille. This little lot would normally cost £900 for the 7-seater and £1,200 for the 5-seater. Santa Fe Limited customers also get to choose between four unique colours - Ebony Black, Sleek Silver, Gun Metal or Black Pearl. It is a bit galling however, that metallic and mica paint finishes do attract an extra cost of £375.

It's worth also mentioning that all Santa Fe models come with safety features like the Electronic Stability Program, ISOfix child seat fittings, side impact bars, traction control, active head restraints, multiple airbags and adjustable head restraints all round. You also get an outstanding warranty package that includes 5 year unlimited mileage warranty, 6 year anti-perforation warranty as well as 3 year Hyundai RAC assistance.

This Santa Fe derivative comes at a good time, given the arrival in this sector of a whole range of competitors including Chevrolet's Captiva, Mitsubishi's Outlander, Citroen's C-Crosser and Peugeot's 4007. A well equipped version of any of these could be yours for a similar sum to that being demanded for a Santa Fe Limited. However, there are two factors that you'll need to bear in mind before opting for any of these alternatives. First, your choice won't have as complete a set of kit as is offered by the Hyundai. Second, all of these competitors are powered by 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines rather than the 2.5-litre unit boasted by the Santa Fe.

"Newer rivals may have bigger advertising budgets but the Santa Fe Limited might just be the best buy.."

That doesn't seem to matter much when you look at the bald bhp statistics: like its rivals, the Hyundai's engine puts out around 150bhp. Where the extra half a litre counts in the Santa Fe's favour however, is when it comes to pulling power. The Santa Fe's 148bhp CRTD engine puts out a huge 335Nm of torque - compared with the 310Nm being offered by the rival 2.0-litre turbo diesel units. That may not sound like a huge difference but you should feel it in day to day motoring. Put simply, it's the difference between not having to change down to pass that swaying artic in front - or not having to row the car along with the gearlever in urban motoring.

Of course, you won't have to do that anyway if you opt for an automatic: in this case, automatic versions are priced at £25,195 and £26,295 respectively. Despite the larger engine, you can still expect decent fuel economy: manual versions should return 38.7 mpg on the Combined Cycle, delivering a potential range of over 600 miles. Emissions are pegged at 193g/km, while the sprint to 60mph is dispatched in 11.5 seconds en route to a top speed of 111mph.

Hyundai are nothing if not sensitive to the current limitations of their badge equity. Although they could build a car that went head to head with a Range Rover, they're smart enough to realise that a label-conscious public would thumb its nose up at it. That may well change in future. Twenty years ago nobody would have countenanced a Japanese luxury saloon and been able to keep a straight face but all that has changed. Korean cars are the next to make that switch in perception but it needs time and for the moment, the current Santa Fe represents a manageable aspiration for Hyundai.

Bigger than its predecessor, it also tones down that car's rather controversial styling with more conventional, but still distinctively Hyundai, lines. The rising waistline is the most obvious change, giving the Santa Fe a more athletic stance, and the rear end is particularly shapely for a vehicle of this type, with well integrated tail lights and a deep rear window. There is still some evidence of the sculpted flanks that proved so controversial on the original Santa Fe, but this design feature is now integrated far more elegantly into the wheel arches and the swage line that runs from the top of the tail lamps to form a distinct 'shoulder'. The front lights are significantly larger and more rakishly swept back onto the front wing and bonnet while the grille is narrower and deeper, giving the Santa Fe a more imperious - and expensive - look.

One area where the MK1 Santa Fe was noticeably behind the pack was in terms of interior build quality. Although everything seemed durable and customer satisfaction surveys have shown that little goes wrong, the perception of quality was an aspect that needed addressing. So it is that the latest MK2 Santa Fe now offers higher quality wood and metal detailing, mesh type upholstery fabrics and piped leathers.

The 175mm in extra length over the old model has been put to good use though adults cramped into the third row of seats on long journeys may gripe. Still, you can't argue with an extra 84 litres more cargo space over the MK1 Santa Fe - the total rising to 774 litres.

Overall, this is a car with a great deal to recommend it, should you be in the market for a well equipped family-sized 4x4 on a manageable budget. Newer rivals may have bigger advertising budgets but the Santa Fe Limited might just be the best buy.

TOP 5 SANTA FE DEALS

The results below show the top SANTA FE deals on buyacar

Hyundai Santa fe 2.2 CRDi Premium 5dr [7 Seats] diesel estate
Price £21,580 Read Santa fe Reviews	Save £5,150
Hyundai Santa fe 2.2 CRDi Premium 5dr Auto [7 Seats] diesel estate
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Hyundai Santa fe 2.2 CRDi Premium 5dr [5 Seats] diesel estate
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Hyundai Santa fe 2.2 CRDi Premium 5dr Auto [5 Seats] diesel estate
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Hyundai Santa fe 2.2 CRDi Premium 5dr Auto [Media Pack] [7 Seats] diesel estate
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