Hyundai Santa Fe 2021 Review

In recent years, the mid-size SUV market in Malaysia has become increasingly competitive, with consumers' demand for practicality, rich configurations, and cost-effectiveness continuously rising. The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe public, as a popular contender in this segment, has attracted the attention of many family users with its rugged design, premium features, and balanced performance. This time, we got a test car, and the core purpose is to verify its actual performance in scenarios such as daily commuting and weekend family outings, to see whether its selling points can truly translate into user experience advantages.

The Santa Fe public’s exterior design follows a rugged and imposing style, with overall straight lines that align well with the mid-size SUV’s positioning. The front features a large mesh grille along with a full-width LED daytime running light, making it highly recognizable; the body’s side profile showcases a waistline extending from the front to the rear, combined with 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, appearing stable yet dynamic. At the rear, the full-width taillight design echoes the front, and the silver skid plate under the rear bumper adds a touch of off-road character. In terms of lighting, the LED headlights and taillights are bright enough to ensure clear visibility at night, and the cornering lights provide extra illumination when turning.

Stepping inside, the overall interior style leans towards simplicity and practicality. The dashboard adopts a symmetrical design, and a significant amount of soft-touch materials are used, providing a pleasant tactile experience. The central control area is equipped with a 10.25-inch touch screen, supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Its operation smoothness is decent, although the screen’s reflection can be somewhat noticeable on sunny days. In terms of features, practical functions such as automatic air conditioning, panoramic sunroof, and power tailgate are all equipped. The driver's seat supports electric adjustment, but the passenger seat is manually adjustable, which is slightly disappointing for a mid-size SUV. The steering wheel is wrapped in genuine leather with a comfortable grip, and the layout of the multifunction buttons is reasonable, making operation very user-friendly.

Space performance is one of Santa Fe public’s strengths. The body dimensions are 4770mm×1890mm×1680mm, with a wheelbase of 2765mm. The front row offers ample seating space; for a passenger with a height of 180cm sitting in the driver's seat, head and legroom are more than sufficient. The rear row space is equally impressive, able to comfortably accommodate three adults without feeling cramped, with legroom measuring about two fists. The middle floor hump is not high, ensuring comfort for the middle passenger. Regarding storage space, the front door pockets can hold two bottles of water, the central armrest box is quite spacious, and the rear seats can fold down in a 60:40 split. After folding, the boot space can expand to 1625L, fully capable of meeting the needs of a family outing for storing luggage. The rear row is also equipped with independent air vents and USB charging ports, showing attention to detail.

In terms of power, the Santa Fe public is equipped with a 2.5L naturally aspirated engine, delivering a maximum power of 191 horsepower and a maximum torque of 245N·m, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. During daily driving, the power output is smooth, with no significant lag during the initial start. The acceleration process is linear and sufficient for urban commutes. When switched to sport mode, the transmission’s shifting logic becomes more active, and the throttle response quickens, providing more confidence while overtaking. However, at high-speed driving, accelerating further would cause the engine's RPM to climb significantly, with noise levels increasing accordingly.

The handling performance is decent. The steering wheel has a moderate turning force and relatively precise direction, but the slack is quite noticeable—typical of a family car tuning. The chassis uses a front MacPherson independent suspension and a rear multi-link independent suspension, with an overall tuning biased towards comfort. It effectively filters out small bumps on the road, and the vibrations when passing speed bumps are not too harsh. When cornering, the body roll is well-controlled, without a significant feeling of swaying. However, due to the relatively high body, the stability during aggressive driving is not as good as that of sedans.

In terms of fuel consumption, we tested for a week under mixed road conditions, with an average consumption of about 9.5L per 100 kilometers. On highways, it can drop below 8L, while in congested urban conditions, it can rise to around 11L. This performance is considered average for a 2.5L mid-sized SUV. The braking performance is stable, with a linear feel to the brake pedal and evenly distributed braking force. During emergency braking, the body posture is well-controlled without a noticeable nose dive.

Regarding driving comfort, the Santa Fe public performs commendably. The cabin has good sound insulation, keeping wind noise and tire noise within an acceptable range during high-speed driving. Engine noise becomes more noticeable when the RPM exceeds 3000, but in daily driving, such high RPMs are rarely used. The seat cushioning is soft, offering good support, making it comfortable for long periods of sitting. However, the air conditioning's cooling speed is slightly slow and takes a while to achieve the desired temperature.

In summary, the core highlights of the Santa Fe public are its spacious interior, practical features, and comfortable driving experience. Compared to the Toyota Highlander of the same class, it has better pricing and offers more comprehensive features. When compared to the Honda Avancier, its rear passenger space is more spacious, making it more suitable for family users. Overall, this car is very well-suited for families focusing on space and practicality, making it ideal for daily commuting and weekend family outings. For users pursuing aggressive driving performance, its power may not meet expectations. However, for the majority of families, the Santa Fe public is a well-balanced choice.

To conclude, the Santa Fe public is a mid-sized SUV designed with family users in mind. Its main selling points are its spacious interior, practical features, and comfortable driving experience. While there is still room for improvement in power performance and some detailed configurations, its overall performance is sufficient to meet the needs of most families. If you are looking for a mid-sized SUV that can cater to both daily commuting and family outings, the Santa Fe public is worth considering.