HYUNDAI’S Santa Fe has come along in leaps and bounds since the original V6-engined model arrived on our shores in late 2000. Over time, Santa Fe has increasingly become known for its keen dynamic ability and classy top-shelf variants, however it wasn’t until the fourth-generation’s arrival in early 2018 that Santa Fe could confidently claim to be a pukka seven-seater.

Almost three years later, this substantially altered 2021 model proves that Hyundai has been working hard at making Santa Fe a consistent high achiever. Along with its Kia Sorento cousin and Mazda’s excellent CX-9, Santa Fe competes with the most talented large SUVs around, and this extensive makeover is all about ensuring it’s the perfect companion to Hyundai’s even larger new Palisade.

“Youthful” is the buzz word, with an increased focus on dynamic finesse, drivetrain slickness and interior tactility. For any model beyond the rather austere base ’21 Santa Fe (which carries over its 17-inch alloys and plain interior), that youthful flavour extends to striking new wheel designs, impressive LED lighting signatures and a greater focus on transcending its value-for-money pricing.

You get plenty of kit for your coin in the new Santa Fe, as outlined in detail by GoAuto on December 15. But does it deliver beyond the showroom?