Breathe in the air of sophistication

Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a town of heritage, culture and high-end art – from Native American jewellery  to modern sculptures, watercolours and oil paintings.

It’s a sophisticated, handsome  town. Yet it is no sombre, high-falutin town. Santa Fe is full of life and laughs and beers.

So, this latest Hyundai Santa Fe will fit right in.

This square-jawed (a bit like some Land Rovers of old), smart-looking wagon with its air of sophistication, inside and out, would well suit the New Mexican high-desert country.

There’s all that space for four or five (maybe six with smaller folk in the third row) to motor in comfort down Route 66.

Even in base trim with front-wheel-drive (for around $55,000 before on-road costs), the Santa Fe is packed with most of the necessary mod cons, including Apple CarPlay and the like. Even that far back row has access to USB ports and ventilation controls.

There’s that good fuel economy to cross open plains, or climb down and up canyon roads of America’s south-west.

Back here, it was running under six litres for 100 kilometres for town and country work, thanks to the petrol-electric hybrid power plant.

There’s a decent amount of storage spots for long-distance drinks and snacks, and plenty of cubby holes for saved souvenirs. There are the usual – but mostly polite – driver assistance systems to help stay in the right lane, avoid running up someone’s rear or backing into oncoming shoppers. The overhead camera work when parking is a boon.

And, among many highlights, the wagon’s instruments, graphics and any driver instructions are easily read and understood. It’s all 21st century equipment and assistance features, yet there’s not the confusion of information and controls some ‘trend-setting’ makers serve up.

On top of all this, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is a nice thing to drive. It’s no sports wagon but a very confident machine on all manner of roads – bitumen or dirt. Steering is direct and responsive for the family driver, the Hyundai rides quiet and comfortable, plus there’s 172Kw, thanks to the 1.6-litre petrol engine plus battery.

Transitions between electric and petrol power and back are seamless, while the regenerative braking system – supplying electricity back to the  battery – appears more efficient than some and can be helped along by paddle shifters on the steering column for more or less braking.

It could handle more power (and there’s a 206kW engine option). It’d be nice to compare the all-wheel drive version with the base front-drive model.

An AWD Santa Fe could then be made a better, more able, rough-road rider with Hyundai’s XRT kit: it’s $6990 for the basic outfit including 17-inch wheels, special Pirelli tyres, skid plate plus a 30mm suspension lift; for $9990, there’s all that plus bonnet protectors, a roof platform and other bits.

Yet in base, front-drive trim, this Santa Fe Hybrid – with its style, substance, fuel economy and packaging – is maybe the best family wagon to come along since Australia’s Ford Territory.

Around here, the Hyundai was certainly best in class in 2024.