Behind the wheel
Rating 4.5 out of 5

All versions of the Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid come with fully electric heated front seats including adjustable lumbar support, while top-spec Ultimate versions add front seat ventilation and a memory function for the driver’s seat. That means all shapes and sizes will be able to get comfortable with ease.

While Premium trim has conventional analogue instruments with a small digital display in between, Ultimate gets a clear 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that’s able to show things like your economy, route guidance and music more clearly. It doesn’t have the handy fully screen maps of the Land Rover Discovery Sport, though.

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How is the quality and layout?

The centre console loaded with buttons might be daunting at first, but you soon remember where the major controls such as the heating are. These physical controls are much easier to find and operate on the move than the touch sensitive ones found in some rivals like the Peugeot 5008.

Quality on the whole is good, with soft touch materials covering much of the dash and tops of the doors plus leather seats and a leather steering wheel. However, many of the switches don’t have as precise a feel as premium rivals while you don’t have to look hard to find disappointingly scratchy plastic. There’s a large patch of it around the interior door handles that isn’t great on something of this price.

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Infotainment and tech

Regardless of version, the Santa Fe comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system is mounted nice and high on the dash so you don’t have to look too far from the road to use it, while the graphics are sharp and system responsive. Only a few small icons let it down.

Ultimate trim not only adds the 12.3in digital driver’s display we mentioned above, but a heads-up display that shows important information such as your speed, traffic sign information and whether there’s an object in your blind spot.

Equipment
Rating 4.6 out of 5

You won’t find a bargain-basement entry-level Santa Fe, with the range kicking off with Premium trim. This is equivalent to a mid-range trim in most rivals, including such niceties as 17-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and a heated steering wheel. To make life a little easier, you get keyless entry and start with a gesture controlled electric tailgate while music lovers will appreciate the powerful Krell stereo.  

Upgrade to Ultimate and you’ll gain an opening panoramic sunroof, 19in alloy wheels, a chrome highlight on the door handles, rear door blinds and the parking and safety kit we’ve mentioned already.