Hyundai Santa Fe vs Audi Q3

What's the difference?

The Santa Fe Hybrid is a better Santa Fe to drive than the V6 petrol or the diesel variant. It’s also a lot more fuel efficient, but the value isn’t as great at this price. Also keep in mind that the Hybrid has a much lower braked towing capacity relative to the diesel and V6 petrol Santa Fes.

The Elite grade will save you money, and you’re not missing out on many luxuries. 

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

I hate how this car has challenged my long-held belief that coupe SUVs are silly. Even more so than other notable examples I’ve driven, like Mercedes’ GLC 53.

It’s so sleek and stylish, drives beautifully, and is so packed with immersive technology that I had to triple check the price. The Sportback takes everything good about the Q3 and makes it even better looking with barely a penalty to practicality. Bravo.

There’s only one way to tell the hybrid version of the Santa Fe from the petrol and diesel variants - the wheels. The hybrid's wheels are smaller and have a sort of ‘cog’ design to them. I’m not a fan of the styling, but they’re supposed to be aerodynamic and save fuel.

Overall, I am a fan of the Santa Fe’s looks which were given a major change in 2020 with a completely different grille and interior.

I like the way Hyundai has moved away from giving all its cars the same face, with each model now having its own visual identity.

The Santa Fe’s wide, cat fish-like gaping mouth grille might not be for everybody, but it sure doesn’t look like the front of any other SUV on the market.

The rear of the Santa Fe is far more conservative but looks prestigious enough to stop short of the boredom threshold.

It’s far from boring inside with the dash sculptured into what appear to be rock pools, with geyser-like air vents and a floating centre console.

Again, no sign this is a hybrid in the cabin either, which is the way it should be, or will be when electric vehicles become the norm.

The cabins of the Elite and Highlander are filled with leather and modern tech. It’s a plush place made even plusher on the Highlander with its Nappa leather upholstery.

The Santa Fe is a big, mid-sized SUV at 4.8m end-to-end, but it’s not as large as a Hyundai Palisade. That's huge at five metres long.

This is the best-looking coupe SUV I’ve seen. Do you agree?

You could argue the Porsche Macan is up there alongside it, and I’d agree, but it’s also at least $20K more expensive.

Volvo’s XC40 maybe comes close in terms of exterior appeal, but it isn’t a coupe.

You can see elements of Lamborghini Urus (an Audi subsidiary) in the air dams and roofline, and there’s a complexity to it which hints at the tech within.

In fact, I’d say this Audi is so swish I kind of understand now. This is what coupe SUVs are meant to be about. Redefining the ‘SUV look’, inside and out.

Why pretend SUVs are about off-roading anymore? They’re really about comfort and convenience in the confines of a city.

Of course, the ‘inside’ bit comes naturally to the Q3, which has a swish, simplistic, but wonderfully advanced cockpit.

The design is upright, but not imposing, spacious, but not barren. The slight driver focus of the vents, touchscreen, and controls is noted and appreciated.

Both screens are ultra-high resolution, sharp and crisp to look at, and it adds so much to the lustre of everything you use, fitting seamlessly with the sharp and detailed lines in the dash. The fully adjustable LED interior ambient lighting is wholly unnecessary but does make it a nice place to be at night, and changing the colours entertained my family members no end.

Virtual Cockpit is still unrivalled for its aesthetics and ease of use, too. The wheel is even notable for its neat proportions and comfortable shape.

What don’t I like? The tall plasticky shift-knob still looks like it belongs in a base-model VW Polo, and some padding around the centre tunnel for the knees would be appreciated.

The Santa Fe is among only a handful of mid-sized SUVs offering seven seats. The third-row seats are really designed to be used occasionally. They’re flat and fairly hard and the passengers back there aren’t fully covered by the side curtain airbags.

The second row offers plenty of room. Enough, even for me at 191cm, to sit comfortably behind my driving position.

And if you’d like more space then the Highlander grade allows you can replace that bench seat with two captain’s chairs in the six-seat version.

Clever cabin storage spaces can be found throughout. I particularly like the floating centre console with an area underneath big enough for a small backpack, and the shelf above the glove box in the dash is also good for throwing a wallet or phone.  

Big door pockets, cupholders and a deep centre console storage box are also on board.

For charging devices there are five USB ports (two up front, two in the second row, and one in the third), two 12-volt outlets (front seats and cargo area) and a wireless phone charger.

While there isn’t three-zone climate control. There are directional air vents in all three rows and the Elite and Highlander grades also come with pull-up sun shades for the rear windows.

As for the boot, most of the time you’ll probably have the third-row seats folded flat, and that’ll give you a cargo capacity of 571 litres.

Or, if you are using the third row there’s 130 litres of space left for you to use.

We like the practicality in the regular Q3, but is the Sportback too compromised? Let’s take a look

The front two passengers are treated to a spacious and airy cabin, with loads of glass and space for your elbows. You can adjust the height of the centre box to suit your driving position, and there are no complaints when it comes to leg- or headroom.

Tech spills out of the dash and into your hands. USB-A, USB-C and wireless connectivity are available to you. In fact, wireless Apple CarPlay is as revolutionary as keyless entry.

You set it up once and that’s it. Just turn the car on, leave the phone in your pocket and the media system does the rest. The cost is a slight input lag, but the payoff of just being able to throw your phone in the charging bay or simply leave it in your pocket and forget about it is well worth it.

Storage areas are abundant for front passengers with big cupholders with a large centre slot for a phone or wallet perhaps, the large wireless charging bay and a small but useful centre console box.

There are also small bottle holders in the doors and a decently-sized glove box.

A small annoyance comes from the high-resolution screen. Some items become too fine to accurately jab at without taking your eyes off the road, particularly in Apple CarPlay mode. Thankfully all essentials, like the climate and volume controls have physical dials.

Visibility out the front and sides for the driver is fantastic, although there’s no denying the smaller rear aperture in the Sportback’s design makes seeing out the rear a bit more difficult.

Rear passengers are treated to a customizable area. The rear seats are on rails, and I found my legroom to be more than adequate in the standard, furthest-back position. I could have moved the seat about 20 per cent further forward without running into issues.

Height is a different story. I’m 182cm (6.0ft) tall and fit okay with maybe a couple of centimetres space above my head. My slightly taller brother (around 185cm) had his head pretty much up against the roof. The standard Q3 had no such issues, but it’s worth considering if you plan to regularly transport taller family or friends.

The back of the rear seats are clad in plastic which looks nasty but will be good for those with kids, and rear passengers can make use of two USB-C ports, a 12V outlet and dual adjustable air vents on the back of the centre stack.

Boot space comes in at 530 litres (VDA) with all seats in their default positions which proved more than enough for our largest CarsGuide suitcase, some duffel bags, and camera equipment.

It can be adjusted up to 1400L with all the seats stowed. Apparently, this is no less than the regular Q3, which would make sense as the space is meant to be measured to the parcel shelf, before the more aggressive roofline starts to cut its shape.

Our test car is the 35 TFSI (which means it has the least powerful Q3 engine) in Launch Edition trim. In Sportback form, I think it looks a million bucks, but was surprised and taken aback by how affordable it is by premium car standards.

Wearing an MSRP of $56,450, this Q3 isn’t bad value, especially when lined up against similar spec competitors like Volvo’s XC40 (Design - $56,990). BMW’s ageing X1 sDrive 20i is significantly cheaper up-front ($48,500) but will require a fair few option packs to be on-par with this Audi. And even then there are some tech items which the Q3 will have over it.

We don’t know how much Mercedes-Benz’ GLB will cost yet, although it’s a different small SUV beast with a chunky backside and seven seats.

Standard spec includes 19-inch alloy wheels, an impressive 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen, Android Auto and digital radio with wireless Apple CarPlay (!), wireless charging, 10-speaker audio system, Wi-Fi hotspot, built-in nav (with online traffic and other services), 10.25-inch ‘virtual cockpit’ digital dash, dual-zone climate control, leather seating, heated and powered front seats with heated steering wheel, auto dimming rear view mirror, keyless entry with push-start, LED headlights, as well as surround parking sensors and cameras.

The options list is surpisingly short and affordable at this end of the market, consisting of a Bang & Olufsen surround speaker system ($900), full paint finish bumpers ($450), park assist ($300), ‘Matrix’ LED headlights ($1300 – why? The standard ones are fine), panoramic opening sunroof ($2080), and electronic dampers ($1700). You’ll note all are luxuries and won’t make or break a sale for anyone.

It’s also worth noting the Q3’s relatively high standard spec complements its almost segment-bending dimensions, which will have some considering whether they really need something slightly larger again like an X3, GLC, or Audi’s own Q5.

The Santa Fe Hybrid is not a plug-in hybrid like the Mitsubishi Outlander or Kia Sorento. That means you don’t need to connect the battery to a power outlet to charge it. Instead, the battery charges on the go as you drive it, and through regenerative braking.

Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine and an electric motor. They have a combined output of 169kW/350Nm.

That’s pretty good grunt. Just as a comparison, the V6 makes 200kW/331Nm, while the diesel engine produces 148kW/440Nm.

If you’re planning on towing, then the diesel and petrol are clearly the better choices with their 2500kg braked towing capacity, compared to the hybrid’s 1650kg.

The Hybrid Santa Fe is also all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission shifts gears smoothly.

Powering 35 TFSI variants is a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 110kW/250Nm. It’s mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and powers the front wheels only.

An all-wheel drive version with a 2.0-litre engine is available further up the range.

This is what it’s all about isn’t it? How much fuel does the Santa Fe Hybrid use? 

Hyundai says this hybrid will use 6.0L/100km after a combination of open roads and urban driving. That is excellent, but if this was a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) that figure could be as low as 4.0L/100km.

Still, the Santa Fe hybrid is much more fuel efficient than the V6 variant which uses 10.5L/100km.

I took a look at the drive history of the Santa Fe Hybrid I tested at the end of the Australian launch.

According to the trip computer the car had travelled 967.2km and had used an average of 7.3L/100km.

About 500 of those kilometres were done by me with peak hour city traffic, country roads and motorways all in there. That’s great fuel efficiency, but a Santa Fe PHEV would do better.

As I said earlier, there’s no need to plug the Santa Fe into an external power supply to charge its lithium-ion battery, it’ll charge itself automatically through normal driving.

The 35 TFSI has a claimed/combined fuel consumption figure of 7.3L/100km, against which I scored 8.4L/100km on my weekly test.

That number's very good for something this size, probably helped along by the 35 TFSI's relatively light 1545kg kerb weight.

Oddly, and unlike most VW Group vehicles with similar drivetrains, the Q3 35 TFSI does not have a stop/start system.

The 35 TFSI requires 95 RON premium unleaded petrol and has a 60-litre fuel tank.

You’re not just getting better fuel economy in the hybrid version of the Santa Fe, you’re getting a better SUV to drive. 

That’s what I found when I tested the Santa Fe Hybrid at its Australian launch. The ride is more comfortable and the steering feels more responsive and lighter than the V6 petrol or diesel Santa Fe, both of which I’ve driven extensively.

The better ride I think comes down to the stabilising effect of extra weight situated low from the batteries (they’re located under the driver). Hyundai told me the front suspension had been revised to deal with the added weight, too.

So, I feel the ride is now more comfortable, less jittery with a smidge more planted feeling to the handling.

The lighter and better steering feel may have something to do with having a smaller engine in the nose of the Santa Fe. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder weighs less than the 2.2-litre diesel engine and the V6 petrol. That lighter font end now has a more ‘pointable’ feeling.

That said, the electric motor would add more weight to the Santa Fe hybrid’s nose, too.

Another difference to the way the hybrid drives is the take-off acceleration. It’s quite sudden and forceful for a family SUV in this class and that’s due to the 350Nm of torque, available from 1000rpm.

That’s great for moving away out of a car space and quickly blending into traffic, or accelerating away from traffic lights.

Visibility as with the regular Santa Fe is excellent and parking is easy, too, given this isn’t a large SUV.  

The Q3 offers a slick, modern, and comfortable drive, but not one without its flaws.

The ride is superb. A great balance of sportiness and damping, the Q3 keeps it stable in the corners, but comfortable over bumps. This was helped along by comfort-spec Hankook tyres on our car, and the 19-inch wheels proved to be a sensible size.

The only thing which seemed to transmit unpleasantness into the cabin was the dampers going out of frequency on rutted roads. I couldn’t help but note the similarity of the Q3’s ride characteristics to those of the new VW T-Roc, a size under.

Inside is quiet and refined, and all of the Q3’s features are ergonomic and easy to use to the point where you take it for granted. But with the Sportback’s cropped rear window, seeing out the rear isn’t as easy as it is in the regular Q3.

The engine has sufficient power when the boost, and subsequently peak torque, sets in, the trouble is this can all happen very suddenly.

There’s a delay when stomping on the go-pedal, which is replaced a full second thereafter with a surge of torque. It takes a bit of getting used to working in a moment of restraint while you wait for power to arrive.

Get impatient, and the Q3 will simply spin its wheels off the line. It’s not a problem isolated to this car, but one I also found in other VW Group vehicles with similar drivetrains. The Tiguan comes to mind.

A neat trick is setting the Q3 into the sportier ‘Dynamic’ mode and then switching the transmission from ‘S’ to the regular Drive. This gives you the best of a more responsive powertrain without having the transmission hang around in gears for too long.

The six-speed can still be caught out fairly easily as it tries to be ‘smart’ about its changes to a fault. I wonder how well its computer would go about learning your driving patterns long-term.

All up, the Q3 offers a nice balance of SUV comfort and hatch-like sportiness thanks to its light frame. The turbo engine has its small issues, but there are no red flags here for urban commuters.

The Q3 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating (awarded in 2018) which covers all variants.

The advanced safety systems standard on the Launch Edition include auto emergency braking (up to 250km/h, detects pedestrians and cyclists up to 85km/h), lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control (with stop and go function), and driver attention alert.

Several of these items, like the adaptive cruise are not standard on the base car and require an optional ‘Comfort Package’. Tick that box if the Launch Edition is sold out by the time you’re reading this.

Expected safety inclusions are six airbags, electronic stability and brake controls, and hill assist systems..

The Santa Fe Hybrid has the same warranty as the rest of the range at five years/unlimited km. The battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty, which is pretty standard for hybrids.

Servicing is required every 10,000km/12months, however, the costs were yet to be finalised at the time of publishing.

Audi’s standard warranty offer of three years and unlimited kilometres is annoyingly short, but not unexpected from a premium brand.

The pressure is on though, with Mercedes-Benz and newcomer, Genesis, now offering five years of warranty coverage, as well as Japanese stalwart Lexus offering four years.

Audi was even considering making a promotional five-year unlimited kilometre warranty permanent at the time of writing, so hopefully that has come to pass by the time you’re reading this review. Time will tell.

Where Audi makes ground back though is its very competitive service pricing. We’d strongly recommend bundling in an Audi ‘Genuine Care’ service plan at the time of purchase which will make your servicing much cheaper.

Three years of servicing for the Q3 under this scheme is $1610, while five years is $2630 it’s worth it. All Q3s require servicing once every 12 months or 15,000km.