Feel like a king of the road in this motor

HYUNDAI can now proudly claim that they are Ireland’s fastest growing car brand.

The Korean company saw passenger car sales increase by 30 per cent last year and they are now sixth in the Irish motoring charts behind VW, Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Renault.

The Korean company has produced some neat economical small cars in recent years, but speaking at the Irish launch of the third generation of the Santa Fe in October Hyundai’s Irish MD Stephen Gleeson admitted that the Santa Fe was the company’s spiritual brand leader.

And there is no doubt that when you mention Hyundai many people think of the impressive Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe is named after the city of the same name in New Mexico and it was introduced in 2001. The second generation came in 2007 and Mark III was introduced last June. Most new cars are longer and wider than the model they replace and it’s the same with the Santa Fe. But while it still looks commanding on the road, it is slightly lower than the model it replaces. However, we are only talking millimetres here.

Still the views over the hedgerows are impressive and you will feel like a king of the road from the high driving position.

At the front the car now looks more imposing and the LED lights add to the classy look. Side on it has a sleeker look, while the rear end is now more muscular. It is a very big motor and you need to be careful if you are not used to driving big SUVs and that’s why the reversing camera is appreciated.

Impressive outside and the interior is classy also. The dash is well laid out and all the instruments are easy to use with slave controls on the steering wheel. Regular readers will be aware that I really like car radios and I appreciated the decent-sized button to scroll up and down the wavelengths in the Santa Fe. There is ample room for five adults and if you use the third row of seats you can also carry two small children. If you fold down the third row then you get plenty of boot space. And there is a decent-sized handle on the boot door to close it down.

So in summary, a massive, but impressive SUV and one that should help Hyundai gain an even stronger grip on the Irish market. The only thing I didn’t like is that the spare wheel is located under the car. With seven seats there is no room in the boot for a spare. It’s been a long time since I got a puncture in any car, but I would hate to have to try and change a wheel if I had to lie on my back and try and get the spare wheel off. I long for the day when car manufacturers will have a James Bond-like device in big SUVs like the Santa Fe whereby the spare wheel can be dropped automatically by pressing a button on the dash.

Prices start at

?¬37,995 for the entry level and naturally the price will increase the more luxury you desire. Hyundai’s Korean cousin Kia offer their famous seven-year warranty, while with Hyundai you get a five-year, triple care unlimited mileage warranty. By then it will be time to upgrade to their Mark IV Hyundai.