Hyundai Santa Fe VS Range Rover Evoque
Hyundai Santa Fe
Likes
Dislikes
Range Rover Evoque
Likes
- So much power!
- Incredible charging specs
- Luxury look and feel
Dislikes
- Painfully expensive
- Rude options list
- Be prepared to wait for delivery
Summary
Hyundai Santa Fe
We’re comparing the Kia Sorento Hybrid in the highest spec GT-Line grade and the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid in the range-topping Calligraphy spec. Two SUVs so similar they’re pretty much the same, just wearing different clothes.
But there are a couple of crucial differences that might be deal breakers for you when it comes to choosing one over the other. But first, let me give you a bit of background.
The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento are direct rivals, but in a sibling rivalry sense as well because both brands are related through a parent company which allows them to share engines and technology, even standard features like stereos and touchscreens.
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So, what you’re really looking at is the best SUVs Hyundai and Kia could independently develop using pretty much the same parts.
The Sorento was updated this year with new tech, improved suspension and some cosmetic changes to keep it looking new.
Thing is, the Santa Fe hybrid in this comparison is the all-new, latest generation version that brings with it a more modern design inside and out and even some safety equipment the Sorento doesn’t have.
And at this point, I'm duty-bound to tell you the Santa Fe has airbags completely covering the third row while the Sorento doesn’t. Didn’t want to bury such vital information further down in the review in case you don't get that far.
Well, with that… let’s get into it.Â
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.6L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.6L/100km |
| Seating | 6 seats |
Range Rover Evoque
Range Rover has developed a bit of an image problem in the last few years.
To many the brand is still the face of a quintessentially British aspirational luxurious off-roader. But to a growing group, it has become synonymous with the concept of an environmentally reckless fuel-guzzling SUV.
They’re big, heavy, and still feature V8 engines, but Range Rover knows all too well the writing is on the wall for its increasingly infamous range of combustion vehicles.
The trouble is, customers love them, and while the I-Pace from sister brand Jaguar is a big leap into the future, there needs to be a happy medium for easing some of its existing customers away from combustion, while still offering the kinds of excess and aspirational performance the Range Rover brand is associated with.
Enter this car, the Evoque HSE P300e. It’s a plug-in hybrid, notably only available in the top trim level, with top-shelf performance, too.
Is it the right car to represent Range Rover’s entry-level model at a critical time of technological transformation? Let’s take a look.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Hybrid with Premium Unleaded |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Hyundai Santa Fe/10
The Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid and Kia Sorento GT-Line Hybrid are both good value for money, plush, practical and super fuel efficient.
The Santa Fe, however, presents a more compelling case based on its third-row airbag coverage, clever storage and how easy it is to drive.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Price and features | 9 | 9 |
| Design | 8 | 8 |
| Practicality | 9 | 7 |
| Under the bonnet | 8 | 8 |
| Efficiency | 9 | 9 |
| Driving | 9 | 8 |
| Safety | 9 | 8 |
| Ownership | 8 | 8 |
| Total Score | 8.6 | 8.1 |
Range Rover Evoque7.9/10
The Range Rover Evoque is more highly specified and more luxurious than ever, and this plug-in hybrid version makes the most of what’s on offer with its slick but familiar feel from behind the wheel.Â
Unfortunately, it does have an eye-watering price tag to go with its classy design and the options list is a bit rude, all things considered, but the core offering is a solid luxury buy for city-slickers, nonetheless.Â
What makes the Evoque P300e stand out for me is its impressive EV driving range and excellent charging specs which make it as convenient as possible to make the most of its electrified features.
It’s up to the buyer whether these conveniences and the Range Rover badge are worth swapping into a car a full size down from its luxury plug-in rivals for the same money.
Design
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Santa Fe and Sorento’s standard features are almost identical but these two SUVs couldn’t be more different in their designs.
The Santa Fe is the newer of the two and this fifth-generation model only arrived in Australia this year, so its boxy styling is more on-trend than the Sorento's design which is a little more rounded.
The Santa Fe’s more blocky build looks good to my eyes but more than a few in the CarsGuide office think the 2015 Land Rover Discovery must have been an inspiration, or perhaps it's just a coincidence.
In Hyundai’s defence the rear of the Santa Fe looks nothing like a Land Rover. Its design with the low placed tail-lights and bloated tailgate looks more awkward than me attempting to high-five someone. Apparently if you look at their elbow it helps. High-fiving that is, not the design of the Santa Fe.
This current-generation Sorento arrived in Australia in 2020 and while an update earlier this year added a few cosmetic styling tweaks to try to keep it looking fresh, I think it's a tough looking, handsome SUV even if the smoother, more rounded design is starting to date.
The LED daytime running lights on both cars are distinctive. The Sorento’s, which skirt the bonnet edge before dropping down the side of the headlights, is a Kia design signature seen across its line-up from the tiny Picanto to the EV9 electric SUV.
The Santa Fe’s 'H' design is unique to Hyundai, a theme that’s mirrored in its tail-lights. The Sorento’s Ford Mustang-style tail-lights look good, but could do with an update.Â
The interiors are just as different as the exteriors with the Santa Fe’s cabin looking more modern and luxurious in its design with some quirky styling touches (Morse Code dots on the steering wheel anybody?) while the Sorento has a sporty and plush but more conservative look and feel.
These are large SUVs with almost matching dimensions. As you can see in the table below the Santa Fe is only slightly taller and longer than the Sorento.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 8 | 8 |
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Range Rover Evoque
The Evoque has always been a car all about its sleek, city-slicking design, an iconic piece of modern SUV art from Jaguar Land Rover head of design, Gerry McGovern.
With its shapely proportions, clever descending roofline, and a silhouette which successfully reflects a miniaturised version of the Range Rover, the Evoque is at once classy with a faint suggestion of toughness under the skin.
The blacked-out grille, slimline headlights, and contemporary strip across the tailgate all serve to add intrigue to this SUV, and the extra detailing in the front bumper, shapeliness of the bonnet, and contrast black trims (with extra contrast panels on our test car matching the gloss black wheels) serving to add to its premium appeal.
It’s important to remember, while the Evoque slides into a busy small SUV landscape now, it was one of the first to make a premium car so successfully appealing in this small SUV space way back in 2011 with the first Evoque, following Land Rover’s historic trend of being in front of the SUV curve.
Rival small SUV designs may have caught up in the minds of many with the likes of the Audi Q3, BMW X2, and Volvo XC40 shining in recent years, but few have won as many design accolades as the Evoque.
Range Rover seems to be leaning into a more upper luxury trend, not just with the pricing, but with the vibe of the car’s interiors, too.
The new generation Evoque, for example, took a big jump in the look and feel of its interior appointments when it launched in 2019, and over time has only consolidated its market positioning.
The HSE grade which our P300e hybrid arrives in is lavish on the inside, with lovely suede-like seats, intricate contrasting grey cloth trims in the doors (do I detect an influence from Volvo here?) and a plush-looking dash, all finished in soft-to-the touch materials.
Attention to detail, like the silver bezels which adorn the centre console and media screen, add to the premium flair which lifts the Range Rover badge above the Land Rover one, and I do like the way the additional function screen seamlessly melts into the piano finish and integrated dials. While it’s always a nightmare to keep gloss piano finishes clean, it looks oh-so primo.
It’s a little odd the P300e has analogue dials, which seems to miss the premium edge which a fully digital dash might provide although the 7.0-inch centre dash screen has a great resolution and speed, as well as a mostly well laid out operating system.
I found the R-Dynamic modes, which can sharpen up the accelerator response and steering buried two menus deep, unnecessarily hard to find, as were various EV information screens and other less important functions.
Practicality
Hyundai Santa Fe
Not all SUVs are created with equal practicality and even though the Santa Fe and Sorento are much the same in many ways one of these vehicles is more spacious, has better storage and a bigger boot. Oh, and it has two wireless phone chargers, not one.
Yes, it’s the Santa Fe. Not just the more practical one because it’s shaped like a box, although that does have something to do with it. What makes the Santa Fe so much more practical is the interior design with storage more of a priority.
Look at the area under the centre console - there’s a tray big enough for a backpack or handbag. And above it are the two wireless phone chargers, USB ports and cupholders.
There’s the glove box, of course, but above that is a shelf with a grippy surface for keys or wallets and purses. And above that is one of the weirdest contraptions I’ve seen not just in a car, but anywhere - a sterilisation compartment.
It looks like another glove box but it’s actually a space to put anything you want decontaminated - freed from bacteria and germs using UV-C radiation. Stop looking at me like that, I’m serious.
You put your phone in, shut the door, press the UV-C button on the dashboard and 10 minutes later - bing! - your phone is sanitised. Have a look at the video we've made if you still don’t believe me.
The second row of the Santa Fe has excellent legroom, even for me at 189cm tall, and good headroom, too.
For storage, I love the way the centre console box between the driver and front passenger can also be opened from the back by the second row passengers. And below that is a long, deep drawer.
The second row also has door pockets, cupholders and directional air vents, plus USB ports in the sides of the front seats.
Third row seats in SUVs are never the most accommodating for someone my height, but the Santa Fe’s offer good leg and headroom for children. There’s also a USB port on either side along with air vents with fan control and cupholders.
Worth noting the Santa Fe’s large and tall rear doors made putting our toddler into her car seat easier than in the Sorento with its more angular aperture.
The Santa Fe and Sorento have dark-tinted privacy glass for the rear windows and pull-up sunshades.
The six-seat option for the Santa Fe reduces this SUV’s practicality in a couple of ways. Obviously, you lose the capability of carrying seven people, but not being able to have a middle section to slide across to the other side or even just place items on is a problem.
A hire car company might prefer the six-seat option, but if you have a family the seven-seater is the way to go. Not only does it cost less, it's more practical.Â
The Sorento is by no means impractical, but compared to the Santa Fe there are fewer storage areas in what feels a more compact cabin.
Up front in the Sorento there’s a wireless phone charger forward of the shifter but it’s in a small hidey hole which makes retrieving the phone tricky.
There are USB ports there, too, as well as cupholders and big door pockets. You won’t find a floating centre console with storage underneath as in the Santa Fe, or shelves and there's no sign of a sterilisation compartment. Â
In the second row the Sorento has little buckets in the doors, bottle holders and more cupholders in the centre folding armrest. USB ports are in the sides of the front seats along with power adjustment controls.
There’s good legroom and headroom in the second row, and directional air vents in the rear of the centre console.
The third row is on the cramped side for me, but most third rows are and they’re really for kids. My eight-year old son wanted me to let you know the windows for back seats in the Sorento are tiny, while the Santa Fe has much larger windows. There are still storage wells, USB ports and fan controls with air vents, though.
The Santa Fe and Sorento both have small cargo capacities when the third row is in place but there's enough space for one carry-on luggage-sized suitcase. With the third-row seats folded flat the Sorento has a volume of 608 litres while the Santa Fe is slightly larger at 628 litres.Â
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 7 |
Range Rover Evoque
While it still plays the role of Range Rover’s smallest SUV, the current Evoque is much bigger than the car it replaced in 2019. I would go so far as to say it’s deceptively large on the inside.
Front occupants are treated to a cabin which now feels almost as wide as an actual Range Rover, with plenty of room for elbows on either side, which are, of course, met by lovely soft-touch surfaces.
The raised console helps with the upmarket feel, as does the plush dash. The standard 14-way adjust front seats help to accommodate most passengers, with my only criticism being the large A-pillars and height of the dash can make it feel a little bit claustrophobic compared to some rival luxury SUVs.
Storage is offered through a set of large door pockets, a centre console box, dual bottle holders behind the shift lever, and a healthy nook underneath the climate controls, which also hosts a wireless charging bay.
The rear seats share the same comfortable rim as the front ones, and also have large pockets in the doors. Despite the descending roofline, I had just enough room for my head at 182cm tall although it is notable the space in the PHEV feels smaller with the raised floor needed to accommodate the batteries.
I had a little airspace for my knees behind my own driving position, too. The main drawback for rear passengers is the large transmission tunnel, making it difficult to accommodate an adult in the centre position.
There are adjustable air vents for rear passengers, but it is frustrating Land Rover has chosen to make rear USB-C charging ports an arbitrary $270 option.
The boot is also deceptively large for such a small SUV, measuring in at 472 litres (VDA), it’s above average for the small SUV class and fits the full CarsGuide luggage set, provided you remove the parcel shelf as it's just a smidge too high.
You'll also need to keep your charging cables in the boot, as there's no underfloor storage, the entire space being taken up by a space-saver spare wheel.
Price and features
Hyundai Santa Fe
We tested the top-of-the-range Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid here. It’s the Calligraphy grade with all-wheel drive and although it comes standard with seven seats you can also option it with six (as per our test car) and this means the bench seat in the second row is replaced by two 'captains chairs' for a more luxurious feel.
The list price for the Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy all-wheel drive is $75,000 and $500 for the six-seat option, so the MSRP comes out as $75,500. Â
The Kia Sorento Hybrid we tested was also the fancy one in the range. It’s the GT-Line and also all-wheel drive with a list price of $73,330.
As well as sharing a lot of the same engineering these SUVs have nearly identical standard features lists.
Standard on the Sorento GT-Line Hybrid and Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid are LED headlights and LED running lights, roof rails, proximity unlocking, privacy glass, rear side window sun blinds and split-style sunroofs.
Both cabins feature Nappa leather upholstery, the front seats are heated and ventilated, while the second-row outboard seats are heated. There’s dual-zone climate control, too.
You’ll find the same curved, double 12.3-inch displays for media and instruments in each, as well as head-up displays. There’s sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio and both have 12-speaker Bose sound systems.Â
Both feature wireless phone charging but only the Santa Fe can charge two phones wirelessly at the same time. The Santa Fe also has a sterilisation compartment. Sounds weird and is weird… I’ll show you how it works in the practicality section.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 9 |
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Range Rover Evoque
While we’re on the topic of excess, the Evoque HSE P300e certainly reflects it in the price tag. This plug-in starts from a whopping $105,060 price-wise putting it in the same league as luxury PHEV rivals a full size up.
Because there are no small luxury segment small SUVs in this league currently, we’re in fact forced to compare the Evoque to cars like the Volvo XC60 Recharge (from $100,990), BMW X3 xDrive30e ($107,000), or the particularly good-value Lexus NX 450h+ (from $88,323).
All are larger than our Evoque here, so it’s automatically at a disadvantage, and as is the usual case with Land Rover products, there’s an extensive and occasionally rude options list which can add thousands more to the price.
Our test vehicle, for example, had over $10,000 worth of options attached to it, only three of which (dual-zone climate with second row vents - $1000, and the additional Type 2 charging cable - $528) I would bother to add.
The included equipment at the HSE grade is good, with 20-inch alloy wheels, 14-way electrically adjustable front seats, Matrix LED headlights, a 10-inch tiltable ‘Pivi Pro’ touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as built-in navigation, and a second screen for the climate and car functions.
There’s also a semi-digital dash (oddly, with analogue dials for engine rpm and road speed, but a 7.0-inch digital element for everything else), the choice of either leather or suede interior trim, a leather-bound steering wheel, and keyless entry with push-start ignition.Â
It’s nice to see the Matrix LEDs as standard here, as well as a swish set of screens and a premium feeling interior. But it’s also frustrating things like digital radio ($520), a head-up display ($1690), data plan ($1040), and USB-C for the rear seats ($351) are optional on a car north of $100,000, especially since most of these are standard on its rivals.
One major catch is how long you might be waiting for one. Some dealer sources tell us customers will need to wait up to 12 months for delivery at the time of writing, so be prepared for this if you want one.
Under the bonnet
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Santa Fe hybrid and Sorento hybrid share very similar drivetrains - they both have a four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive.
While the drivetrains are virtually identical (because both companies share engines, transmissions, motors and other engineering technology) Hyundai says the hybrid system in the Santa Fe is a generation ahead of the Sorento's.
Hyundai claims its set-up produces more power and torque, but we felt no noticeable difference in the outputs when we drove them back-to-back. You can see all the output figures in the table below.
These hybrids are also not plug-in hybrids - they will recharge through regenerative braking, which means you don’t have to worry about charging - it’ll do it for you automatically. It’s the easiest kind of hybrid to live with.
So, how much fuel will you use? Let’s talk about that.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 8 | 8 |
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Range Rover Evoque
The Evoque now sports Jaguar Land Rover’s hybridised ‘Ingenium’ engine family across the range, and the set-up which appears in the plug-in hybrid model might be the most interesting.
It consists of a 1.5-litre three-cylinder combustion engine which is said to produce 147kW/280Nm, and an electric motor powering the rear axle producing 80kW, the two of which combine for an impressive quoted total output of 227kW/540Nm, driving all four wheels.
The motor sources its power from a 15kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the floor of the car, which provides a claimed 62km of fully-electric driving range.
Land Rover also replaced the mechanical brake pedal with a drive-by-wire one to allow for improved ‘blended’ regenerative braking.
Efficiency
Hyundai Santa Fe
We take testing the manufacturer’s fuel efficiency claims seriously and don't take their word for it.
We filled the fuel tanks of the Sorento and Santa Fe with the recommended 91 RON petrol, then set out on a 100km test covering city and urban traffic, motorways and country roads to approximate the combination of conditions an owner would encounter. We then measured the amount of fuel used over the distance to calculate the fuel consumption.
As you can see from the tables below we achieved better results than the manufacturer claims and both of these hybrid SUVs use almost exactly the same amount of fuel. These are large SUVs consuming about 5.0L/100km. That’s outstanding fuel economy.Â
Not having to plug these kinds of hybrids into an external power source to charge makes them very easy to use. There’s nothing to do, they charge automatically and after a while you’ll just forget it's a hybrid.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 9 |
Range Rover Evoque
Claimed energy consumption on the combined WLTP cycle for the Range Rover Evoque P300e is 2.0L/100km. As with all plug-in hybrids though, this will heavily depend on how it is driven.
The 15kWh battery is said to provide a 62km driving range (again, on the WLTP cycle), which seems healthy for a PHEV, and I was pleased to find that my car was reporting about 56km on a full charge, not far off the claim.
Importantly, the Evoque has stellar charging specifications, which make it ideal for a city-slicker with minimal time to conveniently charge.
I was shocked to find a DC charging port when I flipped open the panel, which is capable of charging the tiny battery up in just 20 minutes (at a peak rate of 35kW), while on a slower but easier-to-find AC charger, it can extract 7kW allowing a charge time of around two hours.
This is well above par for a plug-in hybrid, and makes charging quick, painless and convenient, even for those who can’t charge at home.
As a result of this ease-of-charging and therefore minimal time spent in the hold or hybrid modes, my car reported an astounding 1.0/100km of fuel consumption during my week, covering mostly urban kilometres.
The only drawback is the need to fill this small turbo engine with mid-shelf 95RON fuel.
Driving
Hyundai Santa Fe
You’d imagine these two closely-related SUVs with the same engines, same vehicle platform and same standard features would drive the same.
They don’t. We drove them back-to-back for two days on motorways at 110km/h, course-chip country roads and even at walking pace around car parks.Â
Both are extremely comfortable and composed across every type of road condition. The Sorento, however, has better handling for a sportier drive while the Santa Fe has a ‘floatier’ feel for a more luxurious experience.Â
An interesting fact for you is that Kia has a local engineering team which tests and develops the Sorento’s suspension for Australian conditions, constantly improving the ride and handling.
The latest retuning was done for this version of the Sorento which was updated this year.Â
Hyundai also had a local engineering team but doesn’t anymore. Instead, the local subsidiary is most often given a choice of suspension tunes used in other markets in the hope it will work well on Australian roads. The Santa Fe has a 'global' tune.
The hybrid powertrains feel equally matched despite the Hyundai’s slightly higher combined output. Neither feels underpowered and for regular duties they perform well with a smooth transition from motor to engine that only becomes noticeable on hills where electric power isn't enough and petrol has to come to the rescue with a relatively abrupt shove.
If you’re after a sporty experience the Sorento is for you, but I found the Santa Fe’s higher driving position, light steering, more luxurious ride and better visibility through larger windows makes for an easier SUV to drive day in and day out.Â
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 8 |
Range Rover Evoque
The second-gen Evoque is still the lovely, luxury, small SUV it was when it launched in 2019, and this plug-in hybrid version only serves to improve the formula, adding sleek electric driving characteristics to the already-smooth turbo engine and torque converter automatic.
Interestingly, and like its Volvo XC60 rival, the electric motor is located on the rear axle, giving this car the odd characteristic of being rear-wheel drive when driven electrically, or predominantly front-wheel drive when driven in combustion mode.
Speaking of modes, this car does the bulk of the management, with only three driving modes available to the pilot. These include the default ‘hybrid’ mode, which as the name suggests, blends the two power sources with more of an emphasis on electric driving when the battery is charged.
There's also an electric mode, which will only use the rear axle motor until the battery runs out, and a ‘Hold’ mode which will still blend the two sources but predominantly rely on the combustion engine to maintain the car’s state of charge.
You might want to use the last mode if you're travelling long-distance, to maintain the electric range for where it is most efficient - in low-speed stop-start driving.
The regenerative braking is not adjustable, having just a single mild level. It’s far from the single-pedal driving you can experience in a fully electric car, but Land Rover has made the brake pedal fly-by-wire so it can blend increased regen with the mechanical brakes.
It makes for a familiar experience from behind the wheel for those coming straight out of a purely combustion vehicle.
The electrified brake pedal does have the consequence of removing a bit of feel for a keen driver, and the same can be said for the rather slow steering tune in the default settings which makes the Evoque feel more luxurious and less sporty or reactive than it could be.
It’s a shame, because the two power sources combine to make for a thumping amount of power when you stick your boot in, and the all-wheel drive system and nicely balanced suspension keep this little SUV well under control in the corners.
As with my original Evoque range review in 2019, though, it is notable how heavy this SUV feels, particularly compared to some rivals like the Audi Q3.
The heftiness suits the Evoque's expanded dimensions and even more upmarket feel, but despite the power on offer it’s not an agile SUV to be carving corners in.
At least the ride quality and quietness is superb, making the Evoque an ideal SUV for driving around the centre of pothole-stricken Sydney, with a notable amount of poise. At the end of the day, isn’t that what this Range Rover was built for?
Safety
Hyundai Santa Fe
At the start of this review I pointed out some crucial safety information about these SUVs. This new-gen Santa Fe has side curtain airbags which fully cover the occupants in the third row, while the Sorento does not.
For many parents, including me, that could be a deal breaker especially if that's all that separates these two similar SUVs.
Still, the Sorento is a very safe vehicle and scored the maximum five-star ANCAP assessment in 2020. The Santa Fe is still so new that its ANCAP rating isn’t in yet, but there’s nothing to suggest it wouldn’t score five stars, too.Â
Both SUVs have a large amount of advanced safety technology including AEB which can detect pedestrians, cyclists and other cars, lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert with braking.
For child seats both cars have two ISOFIX points in the second row and two in the third. There are also top tether anchor points for each of the seats in the second and third rows.
Both provide full-sized alloy wheels located under the vehicle.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 8 |
Range Rover Evoque
Despite its long options list, thankfully all key safety equipment is standard on the Evoque. Active items include auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert, a clear exit monitor, and adaptive cruise control.
Only two items which could be considered under the safety umbrella remain on the options list (the options list becoming a recurring theme in this review), a 360-degree parking camera ($500), and the ‘ClearSight’ rear view mirror, which is able to show a camera view out the rear if the mirror is obscured by luggage or people in the cabin ($1230).
Elsewhere, the Evoque scores two ISOFIX child seat mounting points on the outer rear seats, and three top tethers across the rear row.
There are six airbags, and despite notably missing a front centre airbag, which is often required for a maximum safety rating to today’s standard, the Evoque maintains the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating it was awarded in 2019. For the record, it scored very highly across all categories.
Ownership
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Sorento is covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited km warranty. Servicing is annual or every 15,000km and over five years the cost averages out to be about $500 per year.
The Santa Fe has Hyundai’s five year, unlimited km warranty and services are recommended annually or every 10,000km, Service cost also averages around $500 each year over five years.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 8 | 8 |
Range Rover Evoque
As of April, 2021 all Land Rover products are finally covered by an industry-standard five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, matching its key rivals, and beating out BMW which persists with an old three-year warranty promise. Five years of roadside assist is also included for the duration.
When it comes to servicing, the P300e is available to be purchased with a five-year plan ($2650 - $530 annually) which covers 102,000km of visits.
This pack is well worthwhile as Land Rover servicing is generally quite expensive when purchased a-la-carte.