Test drive Hyundai Santa Fe vs Nissan Murano

A large family crossover can be purchased for $ 25, but those who dream of premium should add another one. Closer to $ 889, cars get not only the right equipment, but also the right sensations

Salon managers will tell many stories about which cars buyers sometimes compare to each other, going beyond direct comparisons in terms of power and equipment. The main parameter was and remains the cost, and within the price limits indicated for themselves, the client is free to choose even seemingly not quite similar options.

In the segment of large family crossovers, you can focus on an amount in the range of $ 25, but if you want some premium, then the limit should be increased to $ 889, for which you can get a spacious and solid car with very good equipment and an engine of decent power. It is not too important whether it is a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, an in-line "four" or a prestigious V38 - in any case, the stock for this money should be more than sufficient.

The whole appearance of the new Santa Fe seems to be very personable. The new style not only saved the brand from the eternal Asian bracing, but also turned out to be very trendy: an almost vertical trapezoid of the radiator grille, strict LEDs and narrow false lamps located at the upper edge of the hood, which are in fact running lights. The real headlights are lower here, and this is already a controversial decision: in the snow and rain, these will get dirty faster. But - fully LED, and even with a turning mechanism in expensive versions.

Against the backdrop of the Korean, the undulating Nissan Murano with a large chrome-plated radiator grille seems a little outdated, although more recently it looked futuristic. Designers transferred the breathtaking 2013 Nissan Resonance concept to the series without fundamental changes, and these embossed sidewalls, openwork headlights and a floating roof with a dark C-pillar are truly impressive to this day.

In Nissan, the engine is also located across, and it does not really need a long sloping nose, but the driver still sees the humps of the fenders and the hood going down somewhere. In the cramped city of Murano, it seems heavy, but very solid, and the soft beige interior only emphasizes the feeling of a big important car.

It is very likely that the principles of the formation of the salon were borrowed from their colleagues from Infiniti. Murano has plenty of both style and comfort with the familiar feel of riding on an expensive leather sofa. Also, the exposed gloss shines a lot here, quickly collecting fingerprints. But the chairs are top class. NASA's ZeroGravity technology really makes the seats completely unobtrusive, and despite the fact that they hold the body very well. Similar sensations in the back row.

There is too much space on the second row, and the angle of inclination of the back is adjustable, and electric drives are provided for unfolding parts of the sofa from the folded loading position. In top-end configurations, rear passengers are provided with monitors in the headrests of the front seats and a set of interfaces for connecting to them. Finally, there is a huge panoramic roof.

The driver has not a seat, but a waiting room. One could criticize the rustic graphics of devices with fonts familiar from earlier models, but the fact is that in use it turns out to be absolutely appropriate and understandable. The Japanese didn’t twist it in another way - in a car for $ 38, only the driver had a window regulator.

It's funny, but the test Hyundai Santa Fe had exactly the same drawback. And in sensations the cars are close - adjusted for the slightly greater seriousness of the Korean. Maybe it's the dark tones of the two-tone interior, or maybe the abandonment of the former slanting - in any case, the style of the Santa Fe salon does not correspond too much to its solid appearance, but here and now it is perceived as very relevant.

The multi-storey panel is trimmed with good leather, the plastic of the buttons leaves a pleasant feeling, and individual elements such as a flat "TV" of the media system, a compact sports "steering wheel" and a very elegant automatic transmission lever are really impressive. The speaker grilles of the audio system, like the rubber mat on the shelf above the glove compartment, have a structure of convex rhombuses - another hint of things found in the most premium cars.

Compared to its predecessor, Santa Fe has added 7 cm of length, which was spent on the extension of the wheelbase. Hyundai has not outgrown Murano in size, but the strict design visually makes it more massive, and this feeling is transmitted to the driver and passengers. And it's not just a visual transformation. The fourth-generation crossover has a higher stance, thinner body struts and mirrors on legs, that is, a better view.

Santa Fe chairs with the same volumetric rhombic print with dense padding and side hugs are more similar to European ones. It is difficult to assess which of the cars is more comfortable, but Santa Fe is definitely more practical, because, in addition to adjusting the angle of the backrests, the rear sofa can be moved entirely. For the inaccessible Murano, the third row of seats, the Koreans ask for an additional $ 647, and this is a very reasonable expense if it is supposed to carry children in the gallery. The passage opens with one lever, there are USB charging outlets and a separate air conditioner in the back, but the overall riders have nothing to do there - the future Hyundai Palisade is more suitable.

In fact, the knee room in the second row of Hyundai is slightly less, but still with a lot of headroom. "Superfluous" went into the trunk, and the volume of this compartment, even in a seven-seat configuration, is truly amazing. There is almost one and a half times more space than in the Murano, but the keys can only lower the backs, not raise them. But there is an adjustable body leveling system. But in terms of remote trunk opening systems - parity.

The sets of electronic assistants for cars are also similar, with the only difference that the Nissan Murano is packaged with them by default, and in the case of the Hyundai Santa Fe, you will have to pay extra. And there is a reason: adaptive cruise control can stop the car, the lane departure assistant turns independently, and the blind zone control system will gladly slow down when leaving the parking lot backwards. But the most interesting thing is the Safety Exit Assist complex, which will not allow the rear door to be opened if another car is rushing by at that moment. And also - it will warn the driver about the presence of rear passengers and will not allow them to be closed inside.

Murano also has a collision avoidance system when reversing, but the Russian-assembled crossover itself does not know how to brake. It also monitors blind spots and recognizes moving objects, displays a beautiful panoramic picture from all-round cameras and adequately monitors traffic. He does not have an active system of keeping in the lane, but this is just not scary, because in Santa Fe it works too intrusively, all the time jerking the steering wheel in the process of uninvited steering.

Nissan is a little annoying for others - too heavy steering in parking mode. Although the rest is in complete order, and it is very pleasant to cut turns on it. They say that this is the merit of Russian engineers who adapted the car to our market. They also managed to save the Murano from unnecessary buildup, while maintaining the highest smoothness on any surfaces. But with large 20-inch wheels, the crossover sometimes shudders violently on a very bad road.

Santa Fe, on the contrary, is tuned in a European way, collects road trifles in more detail, shudders sharply on sharp irregularities, but behaves very lightly when driving actively. The car perfectly stands on the road, holds tight in corners and gives a good steering feel. From the driver's point of view, he seems tight and collected, but only as long as the sense of proportion is working. Hyundai does not recognize too rough driving, starting to actively connect the stabilization system.

The range of engines of the new Santa Fe includes a naturally aspirated 2,4 GDI with an output of 188 hp. from. and a 200-horsepower 2.2 CRDi diesel. The second plays the role of flagship, and for good reason: decent dynamics, strong overtaking on the track, correct expected reactions to the accelerator. The character of the motor is not explosive, the sound is calm, but paired with an eight-speed "automatic" this unit seems infinitely reliable in terms of recoil here and now. And the fact that the fuel consumption in the city easily overcomes the mark of 14 l / 100 km is fully compensated by the strong traction and completely imperceptible operation of the "machine".

Nissan's petrol V6, of course, is completely different and constantly reminds of what exactly the "six" is loved for. Even without the sport mode, like a Korean diesel, it pulls perfectly at any rhythm. But this thrust is of a different kind - lively, intense, accompanied by the rich voice of the engine. With such a sound, I don't want to complain about the imperfect sound insulation, in which it was as if an acoustic hole was made to let the roar of the engine through.

The feeling could be spoiled by the variator, but in the Murano, when accelerating, it imitates fixed gears quite well, which makes the ride as familiar as with the “automatic”. In urban mode, there is even an excess of traction - Murano jumps forward so zealously when you touch the accelerator that you have to immediately use the brakes or turn on the sluggish economy mode. And there is a feeling that this stock can be very useful in some difficult situation. Judging by the geometry of the body, both cars have no way to go into serious jungle, but Murano does not even have a button for forced locking of the all-wheel drive clutch. Santa Fe has such functionality, and the lock works at speeds up to 60 km / h.

If the Hyundai Santa Fe in theory can be bought even for $ 25, then the prices for the all-wheel drive Nissan Murano start at $ 889 - the initially richer equipment and the V35 engine affect. Murano is well packaged already in the base and does not require additional payment for either LED headlights or camera, and the Safety Shield complex appears from the second configuration. Even a remote start system and electric front seats are standard.

The High version features 20-inch wheels, heated rear seats and a steering wheel, a more sophisticated media system with navigation, and costs $ 37. For an additional $ 151. the car will have all-round visibility, blind spot monitoring systems on the side and rear, seat ventilation and electric steering column adjustment. Finally, a rear seat media system is only available on the $ 1 Top trim.

The Hyundai Santa Fe can be brought to almost $ 38 only in a special Black & Brown version with a full set of electronics, a panoramic roof and seven seats, but even in this case, the price tag will remain at $ 834. The top-end High-Tech with the same set of assistants, electric seat drives and all-round cameras can be bought for $ 36 and the fact that the most expensive versions are sold only with a diesel engine is very symbolic.

But the basic Santa Fe Family for $ 25, on the contrary, can only be gasoline, and the initial equipment in this case is more modest: a full set of airbags, cruise control, dual-zone climate control and a body leveling system. Included in the Lifestyle package for $ 889. a normal audio system, LED headlights, a rear view camera and a keyless entry system appear. And also - diesel for an additional payment of $ 27.

Navigation, digital dashboard, power tailgate with automatic opening, power adjustment and ventilation for the driver's seat, and automatic parking are a Premier privilege with a minimum cost of $ 30. In any case, it turns out that the new Santa Fe is more flexible, but for a real premium feel it lacks a large motor.

A type	Crossover	Crossover
Dimensions (length / width / height), mm	4770/1890/1680	4898/1915/1691
Wheelbase, mm	2765	2825
Curb weight, kg	1905	1818
engine's type	Diesel, R4, turbo	Gasoline, V6
Working volume, cubic meters cm	2199	3498
Power, hp with. at rpm	200 at 3800	249 at 6400
Max. cool. moment, Nm at rpm	440 at 1750-2750	325 at 4400
Transmission, drive	8-st. Automatic gearbox, full	CVT full
Maksim. speed, km / h	203	210
Acceleration to 100 km / h, from	9,4	8,2
Fuel consumption, l (city / highway / mixed)	9,9/6,2/7,5	13,8/8,0/10,2
Cargo space, l	625-1695 (5-seater)	454 – 1603 Feet
Price from, $.	30 070	33 397