Hyundai Santa Fe gets everywhere

It’s funny what you notice when you’re out on the road. And once you start noticing something, it’s hard to stop. For me, over the last few weeks, it’s been the number of Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs I’ve been seeing out and about. I live in rural Suffolk, so I’m used to a higher percentage of 4x4s that perhaps there are in other parts of the UK, but just lately the dominant model has been the Santa Fe. It’s timely because this week What Car? named it Used SUV of the Year. The judges said: “The Hyundai Santa Fe has improved with age, offering space, practicality and reliability and an ever-more bargain price. The only drawback is its rarity, so you may need to hunt to find the perfect car.” Not much of rarity in East Anglia but I think it means on the used car forecourts. By chance I’ve been driving a Santa Fe this week, revised for 2012. There have been a number of very minor tweaks, not even enough to call it a facelift. But I think the What Car? guys are right: it’s an excellent package and living where I do, and coming into winter, it makes a great deal of sense. It’s excellent family transport.