Carmakers regularly use focus groups to gain as much feedback as they can before launching a new model. Well, someone was in “big-car” approval mode when it came time to focus on Hyundai’s new Santa Fe. This is a large three-row seven-seater SUV petrol plug-in hybrid that compels you to look at it.
Some people wonder why anyone would drive something so big on our roads. There are several reasons. The main one is that a car with a plug-in system and seven seats is in great demand by larger well-to-do families these days.
I met one person who not alone wanted to buy one, but was heading off to a dealer that day to do so. He spotted me parking – it would be hard not to – and without introduction helped himself to a good sit-in and look around. He knew more about it than I did (not too hard) from extensive trawls of the net, but hadn’t seen one in the flesh.
He had a Land Rover Discovery. Not any more. It might be a bit over the top to say nothing quite prepares you for the first view, but the brand’s new H-design treatment of grille and light clusters is striking.
From the side it looks like a stretched Range Rover Sport. The Santa Fe is 4.83 metres long – just 45mm up on the predecessor – but it looks larger because it is 85mm taller (at 1,770mm).
There has been little or no change to the width. By good use of design, Hyundai has managed to plunder space for front and second-row occupants while the third row of seats beats many a competitor. Even the gigantic .