Hyundai

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Friday – A New Star?

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I’ll admit it. I’m probably too old  buy a Veloster. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate what Hyundai is trying to do here. Remember the Hyundai Coupe? It was legendary for being a cut-price 2+2 that looked just that little bit different to everything else that was on the market.

The Veloster is cut from the same cloth – although this top spec Turbo version is a little pricey at £22,000. It therefore comes up against other great coupes, like the VW Scirocco and Renault Megane.

That said, it out poses both for looks. You will see other drivers scratching their heads trying to work out exactly what has just overtaken them. And overtake them you will because the Turbo’s strong engine is surprisingly quick too.

It has a little trick up its sleeve too, two-doors up front and one at the rear, just like the Mini Clubman. The only difference is that Hyundai got it right – they put the rear door on the pavement side.

The Veloster is one of those cars that is going to take some getting used too. There’s lots to discover, especially around the space age dashboard. Cool, funky and rather in your face. The Veloster promises to be a fun drive for the next seven days.

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Wednesday – The Way To Santa Fe

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Jeremy It’s the last day for the Santa Fe – an SUV I wouldn’t normally have considered on my list of possible buys. However, after a week behind the wheel, the seven-seat version has ticked so many boxes it would be hard to ignore its potential as a family mover.

The 2013 version gets the thumbs up primarily because it does look incredibly good. Compared to the 2012 version, it’s exceptionally pretty, well-styled and dynamically shaped. And while our top of the range Premium test car comes in at a weighty £32,000, some of the lesser Santa Fes are much more realistically priced.

Inside, the Premium is best described as adequate. The cheap plastics and clunky buttons are a let down, while the leather seats just don’t have that luxury feel. Unlike Jeremy Clarkson, at least we found the off switch for the satellite navigation easily enough!

Well-equipped and user friendly, BMW X5 drivers could save themselves a small fortune driving a Santa Fe. If you can get your head around the badge on the boot, the big Hyundai makes perfectly good sense.

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Tuesday – Max Headroom

Jeremy – Ever had that worrying moment when you drive a new car into a multi-storey car park? The ‘max headroom’ sign says 6ft 8ins but you still duck your head in anticipation of a crunch.

The underground car park in Bath looks safe enough – except the metal height limit sign hanging above the entry point was dented and scratched by other drivers who thought they also had room to spare.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is one of the more squat SUVs on the market. Although Jessica measures 5ft 10 ins, she has plenty of headroom in the drivers’s seat. It’s not so roomy sat in the rear fold down seats, where headroom is limited if you have two tall teenagers to contend with. At least they are easy to fold out and there is decent legroom.

The long wheelbase version we are testing this week also has a fantastic load area. It’s just a shame I can’t get the auto boot opening to work from the keyfob – is it something I’m doing wrong? Whatever the answer, there’s a button that doesn’t seem to work however hard I press it.

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Monday – From Unlikely Beginnings

Jeremy – About the same time my father acquired his second Datsun 120Y (not easy to own up to), Hyundai launched the Pony hatchback on an unsuspecting British public. It was Korea’s first mass-produced car and, thankfully, you won’t see many around today because the Pony never achieved classic status.

It was developed by George Turnbull – the former MD of Austin Morris – and a team of five other Brits hired by Hyundai. Styled in Italy by Giugiaro, it was instantly forgettable, apart from the headlights, which did a good impression of a Ford Capri.

That was 1982 and how times have changed. Hyundai Motor Group (which incorporates Kia) is now the world’s fourth largest car manufacturer. It operates the world’s largest car plant too. The Ulsan site can produce a staggering 1.6 million cars every year and employs 35,000 people.

Our third generation Santa Fe must be one of the best Hyundai models ever produced. In long wheelbase, seven-seat form it really is a masterclass of an SUV – a fact confirmed by huge sales in the USA, where they know their SUVs. You’re not getting German design standards on the inside but in terms of looks, value-for-money and equipment levels, I think you would be hard pushed to find a better option.

Fortunately, CarCouture has escaped the worst of the weekend snow so we can’t report on its 4×4 abilities. We have the Santa Fe for another couple of days, so you never know…

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Friday – Fashion Wagon Or Get Away Car?

Jessica Imagine shopping on a budget and finding a piece of furniture that looks well designed, has good lines and appeals to the expensive side of your nature, for a modest price.609648_santafe_050

That’s what this car feels like…………from the outside!

Once you get inside you realise you have been shopping in IKEA, everything is basic, utilitarian and clunky although the drivers seat feels like a guilty pleasure as it is like siting in a battered old arm chair.

This week the car and I have sat in London traffic visiting a London, back to its fashion roots ( it is used by models for London Fashion Week) where it was easy to handle, a good height for keeping an eye on cyclists, ignoring irate taxi drivers and avoiding buses.  We have covered the motorways, from the South West to Newmarket the home of British horse racing.

The car goes well enough, however you would not use it as a get away car and I don’t feel confident overtaking on a main roads as we are not talking throughbred under the bonnet here.  Once you are up to speed it is relatively responsive and there is some power there.

I wonder if, being basic inside it would be a good country car, mud no problem, space for dogs, lambs, children (their friends) and the paraphernalia of pony clubbers.

How it would manage pulling a trailer I don’t  know but it would be worth finding out.With the coming snow I am looking forward to seeing how it manages en route back to the South West!

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Thursday – Screen Test

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Jeremy Poor old Jeremy Clarkson. He had such a terrible time trying to switch off the ‘voice’ on his Santa Fe’s satellite navigation that he Tweeted for help in frustration. With 870,000 followers, it wasn’t long before the Hyundai press office got back to him with simple instructions.

Our Santa Fe Premium has sat nav built in to the dashboard. A couple of the touchscreen buttons are  small and fiddly but it’s still better than many BMW systems I’ve battled with.

What I’ve discovered this week is that Jessica and I have a different approach to switching on sat ‘nag’ in the first place. Whilst I tend to drive around with the map permanently on, she only uses it when she has to. As soon as we swap places at the steering wheel, the screen is turned off.

For Jessica – and Jeremy Clarkson – this is very straightforward in the Hyundai. Click one button on the centre console and the job’s done. I’ve even managed to set up the voice-operated Bluetooth and operate the rear, fold-in-the-floor seats without losing a finger.

Car manufacturers have a tendency to over-complicate these days but operating the controls of the Santa Fe is intuitive, no-nonsense common sense. Next time to sit in a new car for the first time, see if you think the same.

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Wednesday – An Alternative BMW X5

Jeremy It took me a couple of days but I’ve finally worked out what the latest  Hyundai Santa Fe looks like – a  cheap version of the BMW X5. I say ‘cheap’ because even this top spec Santa Fe costs some £13,000 less than the entry model X5.

Yes, of course, this isn’t a luxury brand German vehicle but a Korean pretender. Yet look at the stylish lines of the Santa Fe and you can understand why it’s a hugely popular SUV in the UK. I wasn’t a fan of the previous model, especially the rather naff rear end. However, the 2013 version is massive leap forward.

I’ve clocked up another 80 miles in the big Hyundai and, while I accept the interior may not have the same quality or refinement as a BMW, it is excellent value for money. The Premium version really wants for nothing and the seats are among the best I’ve sat in for months.

Today I’m heading in to London with the Santa Fe for the opening of the David Bowie costume exhibition at the V&A. Follow our tweets and pictures through the day at Twitter.