Hyundai Santa Fe VS GWM Tank 300
Hyundai Santa Fe
Likes
- Superb storage in cabin
- Forgiving to drive for most driver types
- Passenger comfort in all three rows
Dislikes
- Not as efficient as hybrid siblings
- Exterior design won't land with everyone
- Basic warranty terms on offer
GWM Tank 300
Likes
- Price-tag
- Packed with features
- Very capable off-road
Dislikes
- Payload
- A few driver-assist tech issues
- Needs better all-terrain tyres
Summary
Hyundai Santa Fe
A big welcome to one of the first turbo-petrol four-cylinder versions of the new-generation Hyundai Santa Fe, a model that launched locally with only its hybrid variants available to our market.
While it might not satisfy the fans of the previous-gen's V6 petrol engine, it might be enough for those who have been on the fence about going the hybrid route.
This is my third time in the new Santa Fe, and each tested variant has managed to offer something different and the base petrol grade, in FWD, is no different – but does it offer enough?
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| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Hybrid with Premium Unleaded |
| Fuel Efficiency | 9.3L/100km |
| Seating | 7 seats |
GWM Tank 300
A new petrol-powered 4WD seems an anomaly in a world seemingly hell-bent on rapidly embracing EVs.
However, there’s still room for a traditional off-road vehicle or two – especially those with front and rear diff locks – for the time being, anyway.
I tested the Chinese-made GWM (Great Wall Motors) Tank 300 petrol in late 2023 and noted there was a lot to like about it, although I also highlighted a few negatives.Â
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After recently revisiting it for another hard-core off-road test, have I changed my mind?
Read on.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Regular Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 9.5L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Hyundai Santa Fe8.5/10
So I asked at the beginning if the Hyundai Santa Fe FWD petrol offered enough for families looking for a large seven-seat SUV and the answer is: YES!
It's practical, has people-mover space and storage and is downright comfortable to drive. There's so much to like here.
GWM Tank 3006.6/10
The GWM Tank 300 is an impressive 4WD wagon. Build quality, ride and handling and off-road capability all deserve praise.
So, is the petrol Tank 300 4WD worth spending your hard-earned cash on? After two off-road tests in it, and spending a bit of time in it on-road as well, I reckon, yes.
It’s packed with standard features, purpose-built for 4WDing and it’s well priced, especially when anything that can match it for features, comfort and capability costs about $20,000 more.
Design
Hyundai Santa Fe
It's boxy and bold and you certainly won't mistake it for anything else on the road. That's both good and bad.
The front works beautifully; pairing a chunky and square aesthetic with cool H-shaped LED headlights (a running motif throughout the car). The front and sides look like the chiseled face of a Greek hero or the latest Romantasy crush, but the rear is just awkward. It's essentially just a big blank body panel and the only interesting thing about the back are the H-shaped tail lights.
Head inside and the interior is exactly the same as the base FWD hybrid variant - you get an interesting black and grey tartan fabric upholstery across the seats, and enough soft touchpoints scattered throughout to stop you looking too hard at the heavy use of plastics.
The dashboard shares similar chunky proportions with the exterior and you can see lots of H shapes in the air vents and panelling, so it flows pretty well inside.
The highlight is 100 per cent the large curved panel on the dash that houses the dual 12.3-inch displays. They look high-end and instantly lift the cabin from feeling 'basic'.
Joinery is flush, nothing rattles and there's an overwhelming sense of high-build quality inside. It's a cabin you'll be able to spend a lot of time in.
GWM Tank 300
The Tank 300 looks like a mash-up of a Ford Bronco and a five-door Suzuki Jimny; it’s a boxy 4WD with prominent wheel arches and just as pronounced side steps.
Inside and out, it’s a striking blend of old and new, cool retro style with a modern touch.Â
Our test vehicle was an eye-catching Dusk Orange colour. You’ll like it or loathe it.
Inside, there is a lot of hard plastic everywhere, more than merely a nod to its engineered purpose as a rugged 4WD adventure machine, and that ties in with its all-around ready-for-real-life character.
But leather and soft-touch surfaces throughout provide a low-key sense of classy balance to those durable plasticky aspects.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen is clear and bright and the centre console is a mix of traditional and on-screen buttons – but more about the multi-media system below.
Worth noting is the fact that while the directional air vents look fine they feel rather flimsy once you start moving them around to open/close/direct them.
Practicality
Hyundai Santa Fe
I've said it before but I'll say it again. The cabin offers similar, if not the same, level of practicality of a people mover with passenger space and storage solutions.
In fact, Hyundai may have shot their other three-row SUV, the Palisade, in the foot here because I'm not sure why you'd now bother forking out an extra $13,800 on the base Elite grade over out test model. Not when each row will be comfortable for an adult and feature decent amenities.
With seats that don't sit too high and a 177mm ground clearance, the Santa Fe is an easy SUV to get in and out of, even for kids.
The front- and middle-row seats are the most comfortable when it comes to padding and under-thigh support. The powered drivers seat also offers adjustable lumbar support on top of the heat functions that both front seats get.
Storage is top-notch with lots of cubbies to choose from up front with dual gloveboxes, one that can fit a manual and one that will hold smaller items like a wallet, wet wipes etc.
The middle console is huge and has a removable shelf but is also shared with the middle row as the bottom pulls out into a storage drawer for them. This means you can cut out the middle man (AKA the parent) and have a handy place to put any roadie snacks.
The centre console features two phone cradles and a large shelf underneath that easily holds a handbag or Saturday night's takeaway.
There are a total of 12 cupholders (2/6/4) and four drink holders (one in each door storage bin) plus a sunglasses holder and map pockets on the back of the front seats. So, definitely spoiled for choice when it comes to individual storage.
The technology is easy to use and high-quality with display screens that feature crisp graphics and a responsive multimedia touchscreen. The system features wireless phone mirroring for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Bluetooth connectivity.
Charging options are good throughout the car with six USB-C ports (2/2/2), and a 12-volt socket and wireless charging pad up front.
Rounding out the cabin is the large boot which offers 642L when the third row is stowed, and up to 1963L when just the front seats are in use.
The loading space is level but you still get a handy under-floor compartment for small items. And the full-size spare tyre and powered tailgate are always practical to have!
GWM Tank 300
The interior is either 'Comfort-Tek' synthetic leather seating (Lux), or Nappa leather seating (Ultra) and beyond those soft-touch surfaces the Tank 300 has a practical and comfortable interior.
The Ultra has five seats, bucket-style up front for the driver and front passenger (both okay, but not ideal in terms of support and comfort), and a three-seat bench-style second row in a 60/40 split configuration.Â
In the grand tradition of second-row seats it's okay, not great. The second row folds flat to expand the rear cargo space.
Cargo space is a listed 400 litres when the second row seats are in use, and 1635 litres when that second row is stowed away.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system is easy enough to use even if the English-as-a-second-language wording on some of the driving-mode explanations is off-target every now and again.
The audio system is nine-speaker in the Lux and Ultra, but the Ultra's is described as 'Premium'.
There's wireless charging, front and rear USB ports, as well as 12V and 220V power outlets.
The seats are Nappa leather accented, heated and cooled (up front), and the driver gets an eight-way power-adjustable perch (with lumbar adjustment and massage function).Â
The 64-colour ambient lighting is a discotheque touch at night.
Price and features
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Hyundai Santa Fe is offered in three grades, with the base- and mid-spec options now having the option of having a turbo-petrol engine or a self-charging hybrid powertrain.
Our test model is the front-wheel-drive base-petrol grade, which is priced from $53,000 before on-road costs. That makes it the most affordable variant in the Santa Fe line-up, being $2500 more affordable than the base FWD hybrid model.
This positions it in between its three-row large SUV rivals, the Kia Sorento S ($50,680) and even larger Nissan Pathfinder ST-L ($60,220). But the Sorento is still offered with a choice between V6 petrol engine and a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which will entice some.
Our test model is incredibly well-equipped for a base variant and includes features like heated front seats, a powered driver's seat (with adjustable lumbar support), rear privacy glass and LED external lights.
There are great practical items like a full-size spare wheel, a powered tailgate, keyless entry/start, a 360-degree camera system, dual-zone climate control and tyre pressure monitoring.
Technology is also a standout with dual 12.3-inch displays taking centre stage, FM/AM and digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto, Hyundai 'Bluelink' app, over-the-air updates, Bluetooth connectivity, a wireless charging pad, six USB-C ports and two 12-volt sockets.
Bluelink connected car services brings features like ‘Automatic Collision Notification’ an emergency call (SOS) function, geo-fencing, valet, speed and time alerts and more.
GWM Tank 300
The Tank 300 petrol line-up has two variants: the Lux ($46,990 drive-away) and Ultra ($50,990 drive-away).
Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), wireless charging, 12V and 220V power outlets, Nappa leather accented seats, heated and cooled (front) seats, eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar adjustment and massage, nine-speaker premium audio, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, front and rear diff locks, 18-inch alloy wheels, 64-colour ambient lighting and more.
It has LED headlights and tail-lights, front and rear USB ports, a sunroof, side steps, roof rails, seven airbags (including front centre), and a stack of driver-assist tech including AEB and forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, lane centre keep, emergency lane keep, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert with brake, tyre pressure monitoring, front parking sensors and rear parking sensors, 360-degree around-view camera, transparent chassis function and more.
The GWM Tank 300 is available with five different paint jobs: 'Fossil Grey' is no-extra-cost standard, but 'Lunar Red', 'Pearl White', 'Crystal Black' or 'Dusk Orange' each cost $595, at time of writing.
Under the bonnet
Hyundai Santa Fe
Our Santa Fe is the front-wheel-drive base variant, which features an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces up to 206kW of power and 422Nm of torque.
Our model has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg, which is up from its hybrid siblings which can only tow up to 1650kg.
GWM Tank 300
The Tank 300 petrol has a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, producing 162kW at 5500rpm and 380Nm from 1800 to 3600rpm.
It has an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission (the hybrid has a nine-speed auto) and a part-time four-wheel drive system with 4WD high-range and 4WD low-range for off-roading.
Efficiency
Hyundai Santa Fe
The base petrol Santa Fe has an official combined fuel cycle usage of 9.3L/100km and 67L fuel tank, giving it a theoretical driving range of 740km, which isn’t as good as its hybrid siblings but still sufficient for the odd road trip.
After doing lots of open-roading this week and a good three days of city dwelling, my real-world usage has popped out at 8.7L/100km, which is a solid result for such a large SUV.
GWM Tank 300
The GWM Tank 300 Ultra petrol has a listed combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 9.5L/100km. It uses regular unleaded fuel.
On test I recorded 10.4L/100km from pump to pump.
The Tank 300 has a 75-litre fuel tank so, going by the fuel figures above, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 720km from a full tank.Â
Note: Drop 30-50km off any driving-range figure for a better idea of your vehicle’s safe touring range. Also, remember that numerous other factors affect your fuel consumption and so impact your touring range, including how much extra weight you have onboard (passengers, camping gear etc), whether your vehicle is fitted with any aftermarket equipment (bullbar, spare-wheel carrier, etc), whether you are towing (a camper-trailer, caravan, or boat etc), your vehicle's tyre pressures and the conditions.
Driving
Hyundai Santa Fe
The petrol engine definitely has more pep to it than the hybrid variants I've sampled. The power is responsive and you still feel like there’s heaps leftover when you have to overtake or get up a hill without any annoying engine whines.
The steering isn’t too heavy, despite the size of this car but turning off the lane-keeping aid will keep the on-road experience feeling smooth. Otherwise, you sort of ping-pong in your lane as the aid readjusts strongly.
All Santa Fes feel way more nimble than they have any right to in corners. You do get some roll, but our test model is sure-footed, even in heavy wet weather.Â
The eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission is smooth enough and you don’t get any annoying lags when you accelerate from a full stop, which is unusual for such a unit.
Ride comfort is pretty high as well, with suspension that feels forgiving over the worst of the bumps and a cabin that remains quiet, even at higher speeds.Â
You have really great visibility in this model because of how big the windows are and the taller driving position helps as well. None of the pillars hindered my vision either from my driving position.
The Santa Fe well and truly fills out a car space and it was easy to see it in a car park because the butt hangs out a bit, but it’s still easy to park with its very clear 360-degree camera system and parking sensors at the front, side and rear. So while it is big, it doesn't feel big to park.
Overall, the petrol Santa Fe is an simple SUV to drive and will be a forgiving choice for lots of different driving styles.
GWM Tank 300
I covered about 400km in total, on sealed surfaces in between off-road testing and overall the Tank 300 was rather impressive.
It’s quiet and refined on-road but has few alarming characteristics, which I’ll get to soon.
The petrol engine is lively and punches this 2106kg wagon along at a nice clip.
Steering has a sporty weight to it and is precise enough for easy driving in the city, suburbs and on the highway.
Ride and handling is nicely composed – mostly. It feels a bit floaty at times, some body-roll creeps in during livelier turns and there is a spongy feel to the coil-spring suspension.
But, other than that, this 4WD consistently feels stable and planted.
NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels are kept to a minimum, though there’s some wind rush around the chunky wing mirrors.
Visibility is reasonable but a bit pinched in places. The big bonnet can impact the driver’s forward vision, and that’s why, when you’re 4WDing, the Tank 300’s transparent chassis function comes in handy.
As for those 'alarming characteristics' I mentioned earlier…
Under heavy braking the Tank 300 pitches forward severely, with seemingly all momentum forcing the vehicle into a disconcerting nose-dive. Not good.
Driver-assist tech is generally seamless, but lane keep assist is too harsh and too pre-emptive in its application – wrenching you into line whenever it ‘thinks' you have drifted too far off-centre.
Auto stop-start engages abruptly and there is a disconcerting amount of lag before the vehicle starts again from standstill.
Not good at all when you need quick off-the-mark pace to safely merge with traffic from a stop light or after a lengthy pause at a roundabout.
The Tank 300 did however prove to be an effective off-roader. It handled the gravel track to our 4WD test site with ease.
This route is peppered with light corrugations, as well as, deeper into the bush, severe ruts and potholes, so it’s not an easy drive for any standard 4WD.
But this GWM wagon in 4WD high-range, did well, and was only ever rattled (a bit) when we hit a section of much deeper wheel ruts and potholes where modified 4WDs had damaged the track.Â
My patented ‘Watch out for that 'roo!' emergency-braking test again revealed the Tank 300’s tendency to pitch forward dramatically under heavy braking and it took some work to keep the vehicle on track.Â
The Tank 300 is well suited to low-range 4WDing. It may not have a ton of torque on tap (380Nm), but that pulling power is available across a decent rev range and this 4WD makes efficient use of what it does have.
Its off-road driving modes, including 'Mud/Sand', 'Rock', 'Mountain' and 'Pothole', seem calibrated appropriately for the demands of different terrain, although I wouldn’t rely on them, too much.
In the middle of an Aussie summer I didn’t get to test the ‘Snow’ setting, but when you engage some of the modes it will lock diffs where appropriate.
Low-range gearing is sound, without being Jeep Wrangler Rubicon great, and with its front and rear diffs locked, the Tank 300 tackled every 4WD challenge with ease.
Visibility is restricted in places due to the cabin build style, but that’s not such an issue when you’re 4WDing at very low speeds – you can always stop and get out of the vehicle to check the track ahead.
However, the Tank 300’s 'Transparent Chassis' function goes some of the way to improving driver visibility.
This system is similar to the 'Transparent Bonnet' view in the Land Rover Defender in that its aim is to extend the range of the around-view camera to include a view under the Tank 300 (represented on-screen as a ‘ghost vehicle’ outline when Transparent Chassis is selected).
Wheel travel is decent enough – the Tank 300 has a live rear axle – but the standard Michelin Primacy SUV tyres (265/60 R18) are not well suited to 4WDing. Fit a decent set of aggressive all-terrains to make this 4WD wagon even better off-road.
The Tank 300 loses a few off-road efficacy points, though, because…
It feels low. Ground clearance is listed as 224mm, and it has official approach and departure angles of 33 and 34 degrees, respectively (no ramp-over angle is listed), but it feels vulnerable to scraping its undercarriage on the earth.
Its pronounced side steps also seem to nudge the ground when you’re traversing rough terrain. Not among the Tank 300’s best features.
Listed payload is 446kg, which will quickly be used up once you add aftermarket equipment, passengers, camping gear and your dogs to the mix.
Unbraked towing capacity is listed as 750kg, while braked capacity is 2500kg.Â
Safety
Hyundai Santa Fe
All hybrid Hyundai Santa Fe variants are covered by a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2024, but the petrol variants are not, so our test model is currently unrated. It does feature 10 airbags, though, which is excellent for a family SUV and the curtain airbags extend to the third row.
The standard safety equipment includes blind-spot monitoring, LED daytime running lights, driver attention alert, leading vehicle departure alert, safe exit assist, rear occupant alert (first two rows only), rear collision warning, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert and a lane-keeping aid.
There's also lane following assist, traffic sign recognition, an intelligent seatbelt warning (first two rows only), adaptive cruise control (with start/stop), the 360-degree camera system and front, side, and rear parking sensors.
It's also nice to see the blind-spot monitor on the base model, which is a system that pops a video feed of your blind spot onto your dashboard.
However, some of the safety features, like the driver attention monitor and traffic sign recognition, can be intrusive to daily driving. If you could permanently disable the sound alert, it would be a lot more enjoyable to drive long term.
GWM Tank 300
The Tank 300 has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2022.
As standard, it has seven airbags and a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including AEB, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, lane centre keep, emergency lane keep, adaptive cruise control (it worked for me on this test), traffic sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert with brake, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree around-view camera.
Ownership
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Santa Fe comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which isn’t as good as some of its rivals, especially with Nissan now offering a 10-year warranty on its models, albeit conditional.
The pre-paid servicing plans are competitive, though, and the five-year plan averages just $481 per service.
Servicing intervals could get a bit annoying if you do a lot of kays every year as they're at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.
The Santa Fe petrol is a simple gal and enjoys 91RON unleaded petrol and is even E10 suitable.
GWM Tank 300
The Tank 300 has a seven-year/unlimited kilometre factory warranty, five years of roadside assistance and five-year capped price servicing.Â
Servicing intervals are set for every 12 months or 10,000km.Â
Capped price servicing puts the costs at $300 each for the first, second and fifth service, and $550 each for the third and fourth service. That's an annual average of $400.