THE SANTA FE is one of only two enduring, continuous nameplates since Hyundai made things official locally in 2003 with an Australian subsidiary. In case you haven’t guessed, the other is Sonata; while Tucson still exists, it was interrupted between 2010 and 2015 by the ix35.
Looking like a big SUV that’s just escaped from Minecraft into the real world, the rectangular, fifth-generation Santa Fe is the latest Hyundai to demonstrate just how far the Korean brand’s confidence has blossomed in a couple of decades.
The fifth-gen Santa Fe is 4.5cm longer than the outgoing model (which is still selling strongly), including a 5cm stretch to the wheelbase, and height is up by 3.5cm.
It brings more interior space to a large SUV that Hyundai says is better equipped than ever before for transporting families around the suburbs and into the great outdoors. There’s extra practicality before even jumping inside, however.
