Hyundai Santa Fe

Surprisingly competent SUV's facelift pushes it even closer to its rivals, and is now a genuine contender. A very good car indeed.

• Comfort

  As you’d expect from a soft roader like this, the Santa Fe rides well, sucking up the bumps with aplomb. A new 2.2-litre diesel engine is also quite quiet, meaning refinement is surprisingly good.

  

• Performance

  The Santa Fe isn’t quick. Still, that new 194bhp diesel is more than adequate, boasting a 0-62mph time of 9.8 seconds (10.2 with the auto 'box) and allows for swift in-gear acceleration thanks to 311lb ft of torque.

  

• Cool

  Buy it because it’s practical by all means, but be under no allusions about how it makes you look.

  

• Quality

  Nothing to worry about here – Hyundai have been building decent, reliable cars for a while and besides, there’s a proper warranty as back-up if anything does go wrong.

  

• Handling

  The usual problems of these sorts of SUVs: softly sprung, woolly and lots of body roll mean you'll struggle to have fun behind the wheel, itself vague.

  

• Practicality

  The Santa Fe has a trick up its sleeve here. You can get it with seven seats now. The third row is cramped but will do the job for little ‘uns, and fold the lot flat and you have a massive load space in there.

  

• Running costs

  As a seven seater the Santa Fe is a comparative bargain, and the diesel returns decent MPG if you opt for a manual. Residuals won’t be great though. It is, after all, still a Hyundai.