New Hyundai Santa Fe vs Volvo XC60 – R800,000 SUV showdown

The new Hyundai Santa Fe recently went on sale in South Africa, at a starting price of R769,500.

This is for the front-wheel-drive model, and the range-topping Elite specification – which is four-wheel-drive – will cost you exactly R100,000 more.

This trim is squarely aimed at taking on the premium players in the market, such as the Volvo XC60 Inscription.

Less than R10,000 separates their prices, and their feature sets closely match each other.

Equipment

Catching the eye in either of these SUVs are the electrically-adjustable leather seats, a dash dressed in premium, soft-touch materials, and a large infotainment display.

The latter supports Bluetooth and voice control – while the Sante Fe adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the XC60 gets road sign recognition and navigation.

The Volvo also plays media through a 10-speaker sound system, whereas the Hyundai only has six speakers.

Both then come with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a leather multifunction steering wheel that handles the standard telephone, cruise control, voice control, and infotainment capabilities.

Dual-zone climate control is also standard, while front heated and ventilated seats increases comfort for passengers.

Additionally, you will get an electric tailgate, keyless entry, a reverse camera, automatic LED headlights and daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, and several drive mode settings on both.

Extra points are awarded to the Hyundai thanks to the wireless charging pad that is available throughout the range, along with a panoramic sunroof and rear-window sun shades in the range-topping trim.

Volvo does offer certain of these features, but they need to be added on when ordering the XC60.

Safety

Neck-and-neck is a good way to describe this showdown, and the matchup continues in terms of safety and assistance systems.

Both are fitted with driver, passenger, and side airbags; ABS with EBD; hill start and descent assist; vehicle stability management; electronic stability management; and front and rear parking sensors as standard.

The Hyundai then comes with a few extra features that you will need to pay for on the Volvo.

These include rear cross-traffic alert, rear occupant alert, safe exit assist, and blind spot assist.

You will also be glad to know that both the Hyundai and Volvo achieved 5-star Euro NCAP ratings, meaning there is no wrong choice if safety is what you are after.

Performance

The Santa Fe Elite is powered by a 2.2-litre, turbo-diesel engine that produces 148kW and 441Nm of torque.

Drive is handled by an 8-speed shift-by-wire transmission, and power is sent to all four wheels via a variable all-wheel-drive system.

This set-up produces a combined fuel consumption of 7.9-litres/100km, a 0-100km/h time of 9.2 seconds, and a top speed of 205km/h.

The Volvo XC60 D4, on the other hand, is fitted with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel motor that delivers 140kW and 400Nm.

This specification sports an 8-speed automatic transmission, and drives all four wheels.

Combined fuel consumption comes in at a lower 5.2-litres/100km, 0-100km/h acceleration is 8.4 seconds, and top speed is 205km/h.

The Volvo then boasts 505 litres of luggage capacity with all the seats up, and a maximum of 1,432 litres with the seats folded down.

The Hyundai carries a lower 332 litres with its seats up, but offers a significant maximum capacity of 2,041 litres of storage with the seats down.

Pricing

The Hyundai Santa Elite DCT AWD has a South African price of R869,500.

This price includes a 5-year/150,000km manufacturer warranty with an additional 2-year/50,000km powertrain warranty, a 6-year/90,000km service plan, and 7-year/150,000km roadside assistance.

The Volvo XC60 Inscription D4 AWD has a South African price of R861,000.

Along with this you will get a 5-year/100,000km warranty and service plan.