Gac Aion Ut vs Hyundai Santa Fe

What's the difference?

The Aion UT is a cleverly-specified little hatchback and a great entry-point into electric motoring. The software needs a bit of work from a usability perspective, plus the spongy ride and cutesy styling might not be for everyone. 

However, with strong points including driving range, cabin space and value, there’s even a pitch for it in some cases to be an only car compared to most of its price rivals, which are more likely to be thought of as a second car runabout in a two-car garage.

The pick of the range is definitely the entry-level Premium. It comes in at a headline-grabbing price with specs to blow rivals out of the water, while only missing out on a few luxuries.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

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.

GAC tells us the UT hatch was designed in Milan, Italy, but it also isn’t ashamed of the Chinese influence on its overall appearance, like the ultra-short bonnet and Chinese city-car style face.

Along the side it has a modern, aerodynamic profile, and the ultra-short overhangs and long wheelbase maximise the amount of room for batteries under the floor and interior space.

The rear feels a lot like a modern Mini, with its bulbous tailgate and protruding light clusters, spiced up with a sporty spoiler piece jutting out.

It’s not a bad looking thing and it’s available in an array of fun colours.

On the inside it seems to follow the established rule-book of Chinese automakers, with plush trims, big screens with minimal physical buttons as well as a contemporary two-spoke steering wheel.

There’s a trendy floating console which hosts the cupholders and wireless charger on the Luxury grade, and an array of interesting patterns and textures through the doors and dash which you wouldn’t have once seen on a car at this price-point.

However, it is worth noting that while the seats are quite nice, and the steering wheel is a stand-out touchpoint, the trims on the doors and across the dash-top are hard plastics, more so than some of this car’s rivals.

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.

In terms of interior space, the Aion UT stands out with its spacious cabin. At 182cm tall, I am easily able to find a comfortable seating position, and visibility out the front sides and rear, while not as good as some small SUVs, isn’t bad.

There’s lots of headroom, and while I mentioned the hard plastic door cards before, there’s enough padding everywhere your elbows are going to touch to make it feel a bit nicer than perhaps it is.

The main drawback of this car for me is the lack of tactile buttons and the frustrating software.

The main screen isn’t particularly well utilised, being taken up by either a background or the navigation map, with an array of typically small shortcuts across the bottom for important features like the climate control or settings menus.

You can pre-set a few information panels which sit above the shortcut bar as in many rival cars and there’s also a shortcut tray which can be hosted on the driver’s side and configured with a variety of shortcuts and settings.

It’s just a bit clumsy to use, and the array of poorly-labelled settings menus for things like active safety equipment feel needlessly complicated.

I’d love to see this car with physical controls for climate and multimedia to make it easier to live with.

Up front the storage is decent. There are big pockets in the doors and a large storage tray between the driver and front passenger thanks to a flat floor. There’s also a slightly weird storage box under the touchscreen which has a net inside, good for more delicate objects you don’t want flying around the cabin.

On the floating console there are two cupholders which are a bit too shallow for my liking, and the wireless charger feels almost pointless because its made of a hard plastic, so your phone just slides right off in the corners. The cabled outlets are hidden beneath which allows for tidy cable management and the centre armrest console box is a healthy size.

The rear seat is comparatively basic, although touches on the key points. Its main advantage is how generous the space is. My frame was able to fit behind my own driving position with heaps of room for my knees, and just enough room for my head despite the dip in the roof for the sunroof shade in the Luxury-grade car we tested. There may be even more headroom in the base car.

The flat floor makes the space useful even for three across in a pinch and there’s a drop-down armrest with (again, shallow) cupholders. There are pockets on the back of both front seats and smallish pockets in each door. The array of soft trims continues, too, and the back of the centre console features a partially adjustable air vent. Luxury spec cars get a single USB rear power outlet.

As with many Chinese cars in this segment, the generous rear seat space comes at a cost to the boot. It measures just 321 litres, which is slightly smaller than its main opponents in this category, although larger than some hatchbacks like the Toyota Corolla, for example.

It has its advantages, though. The floor is two-tiered, and can offer a flat load area with the rear seats folded down, or a deeper boot in its lower position. Underneath there’s a cutaway good for charging equipment and the tyre repair kit (sorry, no spare wheel in here).

Unlike some EVs, the Aion UT doesn’t get a frunk (front boot) for additional storage.

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!

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.

The Aion UT has a front-mounted electric motor producing 150kW/210Nm. That’s plenty punchy for any hatchback at this price, and I like the way the brand hasn’t messed around with a sub-100kW motor in the base variant to push prospects towards the top-spec car.

It’s more powerful than all of its closest rivals and at the time of writing you’ll have to spend four to six thousand dollars more to get into something equivalent from BYD, Chery, Jaecoo, Leapmotor or MG.

It even has a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time as low as 7.3 seconds.

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.

The Aion UT has a 60kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, which grants it a WLTP-certified 430km of driving range.

That’s more than its closest rivals, like the entry-level Ora Standard Range (310km), BYD Dolphin Essential (410km) or BYD Atto 2 (345km).

Claimed efficiency is 16.4kWh/100km and the car I tested returned a consumption of 14.0kWh/100km over a 130km route of mixed conditions, which isn’t bad at all.

Charging speeds are less impressive, but realistically appropriate for the relatively small battery. The peak DC charging capacity of 87kW means a charge time which the brand quotes at 24 minutes, but this is from 30-80 per cent. Expect closer to 40 minutes for a 10-80 per cent charge.

AC charging is decent, at 11kW. This should have you charging from 10-80 per cent between four and five hours.

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.

The drive experience can be where a lot of Chinese cars fall down but I walked away less frustrated by the Aion UT.

That’s not to say it will behave as you might expect a low-slung hatchback to. The suspension, for example, is extremely soft as it maintains its original Chinese-market state-of-tune.

This makes the car waft over imperfections on city roads. And in that sense it offers supreme ride comfort in the scenarios it was designed for. However, at the extremes, like some speed bumps, or particularly deep pot holes there can be a surprisingly violent re-bound sending a thud through the cabin.

The other trade-off for soft suspension is less body control. I was surprised to find that the Aion UT holds it together mostly well on a flat country B-road, but when undulations and big dips introduce themselves, the soft suspension can be too slow to react, making the car lose confidence in higher-speed open road scenarios we’re more used to in Australia.

The steering, like many electric cars in this category, is relatively heavily electrically assisted. This makes it light and easy to adjust at low speeds for easy park and maneuverability in the confines of a city. It loses a little bit of road-feel at higher speeds but the Aion UT’s steering is far from the least connected I’ve experienced recently.

One thing it can’t be criticised for is a lack of power. With 150kW instantaneously available the Aion UT has some serious poke and while the ChaoYang tyre package is tuned more for efficiency than grip, it’s again not one of the worst I’ve driven with.

One thing which helps the whole experience along is this car’s hatchback layout. With the weight of the battery low and squat and the wheels all the way out to the edges of the frame, the Aion UT inherently handles decently compared to an electric crossover or small SUV.

Like all Chinese cars, the UT has a host of occasionally frustrating driver aids, which you can read about in the Safety section below. While I was inclined to turn some of the features off after testing them, the alerts are relatively quiet and non-invasive.

Is the UT any good to drive? It’s not bad for the segment, I was largely pleased with how it handled and the power on offer, and while it still has its annoyances, they’re not big deal-breakers. 

The MG4 rear-drive is a better allrounder, while the GWM Ora isn’t as good. I’d say it’s on par with the BYD Dolphin, but they excel in different areas. The Dolphin's a bit sharper in terms of handling but the Aion UT is more comfortable.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

GAC covers this electric hatch with an eight-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, while the brand’s “magazine battery 2.0” is covered by a separate eight-year and 200,000km warranty. Five years of roadside assistance is included.

The Aion UT needs to be serviced once a year or 15,000km. The service price schedule extends all the way out to 240,000km with yearly visits costing between $199 and $640 but for the life of the warranty the average yearly cost comes in at $352.

There are currently 19 GAC dealers in Australia, confined mainly to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with a single store in Perth and an outlier in Cairns. No representation yet in Tassie, Canberra, the Northern Territory or SA.

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.