Every year there are new additions to the car segment, but only few make their mark and honest customer base. We all want our car of dreams, but in this era of continuously changing automotive industry, it hard to let your eyes rest on only one car. But there are some cars which stand out apart, and 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe is one of them. Originally launched in 2012, since then, this car has been a good seller, though not as good as Toyota Kluger, but still lot of people considered this SUV. Let us see why they considered this car.

Performance: Talking about the engine, its 2.2Litre diesel with turbo 4. Normally, diesel engines accelerate better on the higher end of RPM, but this engine is good due to spontaneous increase in the speed, while increasing the gears. It felt good to have that kind of power below your foot. It has 147kW power at 3800rpm and torque of 440Nm between 1750 and 2750rpm with six speed gears for smooth changeover. The engine can run up to 100km in 7.7 litres of fuel, as company claims, but in reality, the number are between 8 and 9 litres. You can tow 2 tonnes of load, and download is about 100 kg, which is less, but you got to deal with it. The engine works well even the car is loaded with people, though there are some vibrations on the dashboard. Engine can drive terrains and rough roads pretty well.

Steering & Suspension: the ride control of this car is smooth, and steering circle of 10.9 meters. When you rotate the steering, there is not obstruction whatsoever, and you don’t even feel like you’re turning such a big car, it is smooth and sensitive. Coming to suspension, front tires are equipped with MacPherson strut having a coil spring with gas damper and anti-roll bar. It ensures that there would be no sudden jerks, and while steering if anything abrupt come under the tires, suspension can handle it. Rear tires have Multi-link system with Coil Spring and Hydraulic double acting shock absorber. The rear can absorb much more shocks, with better experience in the cabin. We can say that this car is good shock absorber, irrespective of the road you’re on.

Features: This car is loaded with features. It has 550W Infinity sound system, which can rock your drive experience inside the cabin. Right in the front of gear lever, there are two 12V sockets and one USB point for phone charging. Dashboard is equipped and there are steering controls, pretty much everything is like when it was launched in 2012. Coming to rear there are B-pillars, pull-up sun blinds for sunlight, door pockets as usual, a flip-down arm rest having cup holders, individual map lights and grab handles. Another 12V input for USB adaptors is there on the rear.

Space: the car has got enough space for your needs. Talking about the front, there is good amount of space, and 6 footers can easily get it. The middle row folds up to ratio of 60:40, with very low space for entering the third row. Final row headroom is poor, and you will need this only at some occasions. When you fold the last row, the area you get for your cargo is 516L, which is low than standards. That’s due to the fact that this car is only 4.7 meters long, mediocre in the segment length wise, so you can’t expect much room, but there is still considerable room for good drive. With the price, this car is a good deal.

The Nissan Dualis is one of the cars which has got the hybrid body. It combines the looks of hatchback and a compact SUV( read Subaru Tribeca Review here). That’s the reason Nissan Dualis is as popular in Australia as it in Europe. It has got some amazing features with an attractive price range.

Engine

Nissan Dualis has got the best engine in its class which offers strong performance and amazing fuel economy. It has got a 2.0 liters four cylinder petrol engine with 198Nm of torque at 4400rpm and 102kW of power at 5200rpm. Apart from this, it offers a six-speed manual transmission, 8.3 all-wheel drive and uses 8 liters of regular unleaded petrol per 100km. While, the six speed CVT offers 8.4 all-wheel drive and uses 8.2 liters of petrol per 100km.

Features:

Nissan Dualis ST offers 16- inch alloy wheels, LED tail lights, full-size steel spare, cruise control, height adjustable driver’s seat, leather wrapped adjustable steering wheel, a four speaker audio system, Bluetooth phone connectivity and iPod integration.

Dualis Ti offers 18-inch alloys, automatic headlights and wipers, front fog lights, chrome exterior highlights, rear privacy glass, smart key with keyless entry, and panoramic glass roof with a power sunshade, push-button start, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, front map lights, heated front seats and a rear armrest.

Dualis Ti-L offers AWD with CVT. Along with this, it has got unique black-painted alloys, a limited slip differential, silver roof rails, reversing camera with path predictor and five-inch color display screen with satellite navigation. There is an amazing feature known as Nissan’s around view monitor. There are four cameras located at four different locations. One at front badge, one on the tailgate and rest of two at the base of both side mirrors. Around view feature uses these wide angle, high resolution camera to give the driver more information about the position of nearby vehicles and parking space lines. This amazing feature has got two modes. By using one mode, a driver can get full view display, which is extremely helpful while performing reverse 90 degree parking. The other mode is useful for the left side view which helps in judging distance from the gutter while parking the car. This feature is only available in the luxury cars, but Nissan Dualis offers this feature at an amazing price.

Design and Interior:

It has got comfortable front seats and it offers an amazing view from the driver’s seat. It is possible because of the higher hatchback stance, but tall drivers may feel uncomfortable as the seat can’t be adjusted low enough. The back seats of the car are quite comfortable and it offers a good amount of knee space. However, rear vents are missing in the car which could have improved the comfort of second row seats. It has got a beautiful full length panoramic sunroof due to which visibility is quite good for both the rear and front seats.

The dashboard is stylish with a clean cabin layout and it offers a good quality feel. The small screen audio system is positioned low on the center stack due to which a driver has to take his eyes a fair way from the road. It has got a satellite navigation, which is simple to program. Cruise control, climate control, audio settings and few other features are simple to use and can be easily navigated.

It has got 60:40 split rear seats which creates ample load space for long items and has a 410 liters flat floor boot. It offers a full range of safety features with six airbags, electronic stability and has a four star crash rating.

Driving:

The steering is light weight and is situated at the straight ahead position. The drive train is quite responsive and its driver focused. The engine of the car remains quite, but if it is pushed hard, it will offer high-pitched noise. It does not work well while going up hills and while overtaking due to the revs which spirals above 5000rpm.

The drive is not that comfortable and the car bounces and shudders when it is passed over the bumps. However, the ride quality is good when passed over from potholes and surface joins. Body control is good, but it tends to lean in corners.

The Ti-L models come with three settings, which are 2WD, lock and auto. 2WD holds front wheel dive at all the times, lock mode maintains a 50:50 split between both axles and Auto mode which controls wheel slip.

Pricing:

ST manual 2WD costs $24,990 due to which it is the most affordable SUV in the market. The CVT model in ST 2WD costs $27,490. The other variants costs as follow:

Ti manual 2WD – $29,690

Ti CVT 2WD – $32,190

Ti-L manual 2WD – $31,540

Ti-L CVT 2WD – $34,040

Ti-L CVT AWD – $36,240

For capped price service, a user will have to pay extra price. Nissan offers this service for the first six years or 120,000km, with services scheduled every six months or 10,000km. The cost of this service range from $216 to $703 for every six months. Thus a user will have to pay a total of close to $4300 to enjoy the capped price service. The company also offers a three year/100,000km warranty and a 24 hour road side assistance for three years.

 Pros:

• Amazing features at an attractive price.
• Excellent view monitor
• Practical and efficient

Cons:

• Hard Rear Seats
• Low-opening tailgate
• Design Ageing  

Final Verdict:

In Europe, it is known by the name Qashqai and is very much popular. It has got the same popularity in Australia too. It is a good family car and acts as an all-rounder. The view monitor feature offered by Nissan is what it makes it unique from other cars in this price segment. It plays the role of both SUV and an oversized hatchback. So, if you need a car which can provide you the feature of both SUV and hatchback, which is spacious, offers amazing feature and is low at cost, Nissan Dualis is a perfect choice.

Other Top 7 Seater SUV Reviews in Australia

Embedded from Auto Car Australia

If you are looking for a solid car that can handle all kinds of weather, Subaru Tribeca is made only for you. It may not have got good looks but it a powerful SUV which offers amazing features and excellent fuel economy.

Engine:

Subaru Tribeca comes with a 3.6-litre petrol six-cylinder boxer engine with 256 horsepower, which produces 195kW and 350Nm of torque. It goes from 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds only. It offers a five speed automatic transmission with all – wheel drive and PA ratings of 16 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway (see other 7 seater suv options here)

Standard Features:

It comes in two variants, 5 seater and 7 seater and both variants offers satellite navigation, a six stack in-dash CD/MP3 player, dual zone automatic air conditioning, cruise control, power adjustable front seats, leather bound wheel and gear lever, 18 inch alloy wheels, UV resistant glass and Data Dot security.

In the Premium model, apart from all these features, it offers leather upholstery, dual power sunroof heated front seats, with two memories for the driver’s seat, and rear seat DVD system with wireless headphones with remote control and a roof mounted player/screen.

It also offers stability control, six airbags, seatbelt indicator for all seats, three years warranty and a reversing camera.

Interiors and Design:

There is enough storage for bits and pieces which includes large covered bins on the centre console and wide door bins.  Since there is no wheel reach adjustment, tall drivers can suffer while driving.
The second row seat can split 60/40 and the backrest split 40/20/40. It offers roof mounted air conditioning vents and two child restraint anchors. There is ample foot room under the middle seat but still it is not that much spacious. The load are can be extended up to 1.9 meters and there is a space saver spare which is mounted under the rear seat.

It looks good from the outside as the bold front styling offers a bit of aggression while the rear complements the overall masculine design. From side-on, it looks very much like an SUV designed for Americans but has done good market in Australia.

Amazing Feature:

The Subaru Tribeca has an amazing feature(how to choose the best suv). It rides and handles really well and has got better steering if compared to other vehicles of this type. It is best suited for snowstorms due to its 8.4 inches of ground clearance and standard AWD.

Pricing:

Five seater Subaru Tribeca costs $53,990 and seven seater costs $55,990. Cost of premium models are $58,990 and $60,990 respectively.

Pros:

• Good Ride and handling
• Great power and torque
• Good features and safety at this price range

Cons:

• No multimedia support.
• Not available in diesel
• Fuel Economy is not that good

Final Verdict:

There has been a great increase in the number of seven seater cars coming in the market. There is no doubt that Subaru Tribeca has got a good competition but still it is a game changer.

Hyundai Getz won the title for the Australia’s best small car in 2003 and 2005. The reason behind this, it has got good looks and features at very low price. Not only this, it offers excellent safety features like four-wheel disc brakes and ABS with electronic brake force distribution , dual front airbags, active head restraints, and steering wheel radio controls.

Engine:

The base Hyundai Getz XL offers a 1.3L engine which provides 60kW/117Nm. It is available in 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. The Series II Hyundai Getz offers a base 1.4L petrol engine that made 70kW at 6000rpm and 126Nm at 3200rpm. It consumes 6.1L/100km with the manual transmission and 7.0L with the automatic transmission (check this Compact Cars Guide)

Features:

The Series I Getz XL offers a standard driver’s airbag, a CD player and a power steering. Apart from this, the Hyundai Getz GL offers air-conditioning and height-adjustable headrests. In safety, it comes with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and a passenger side air bag.

FX models offers electric windows, height-adjustable driver’s seat, remote locking, and special interior and exterior trim.

The Series II Hyundai Getz 1.4 with 1.6L engine offers standard ABS, dual airbags, air-conditioning, power steering, electric mirror, an alarm, electric mirrors, stability control and remote locking.

The Getz has got amazing audio features. It offers a six-speaker stereo, MP3/WMA/CD which can be remotely accessed via steering wheel. Apart from this it offers Bluetooth phone connectivity, media streaming and USB auxiliary ports.

Interiors:

To access Getz back seat you will have to use the front seat which tilts and slides forward in one action. Back seat has got greater leg room, three lap belts, a cushion and a deeper.

If the front seat is pushed back, knee-room becomes tight. It has got fixed side windows, backrest which is steeply angled and a shopping bag hook on the back of passenger seat. Interior theme is offered in a wide range of multi-colour and it offers a silver dash trim, which is vibrant and soothing.

The space can be extended to more than 1.1 metres with the 60/40 split-fold-rear seat back. A full-sized spare is there under the boot floor and three child restraints anchors are present under the tailgate

Amazing Features:

It offers longest warranty in the market which is Five-years/130,000 km.

It offers an average 50% retain value after three years usage, which is pretty good.

Pricing:

The Getz GL three-door costs $14,990. For a 4 speed auto transmission, you will have to pay exta $1,863.
The Getz five-door GL costs $15,990, while the sporty FX three-door costs $17,990.

Pros:

• Good Interiors and nice safety features
• Great Audio specs at low price
• Value for money

Cons:

• Heavy Interiors
• Average looks
• Noisy Engine

Final Verdict:

This is certainly the best car under the $15,000 range. It is a simple car which has got some good features with a noisy engine. If you are not looking for a car with great looks and wants an average car which can offer good safety, Getz is your best choice.

Ford Escape is undoubtedly the leader in the crossover SUV because of its dynamic style and amazing fuel efficiency. It offers a sporty good looks with high-end technology at a superb price. This wonderful SUV offers some excellent features which cannot be found in any other compact SUV.  There is no denying in the fact that you can’t get a better SUV than this at such a price.

Engine:

It offers a choice of three engines. No other compact SUV offers such a choice. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine with 240-horsepower is simply the best among three, but the 178-horsepower 1.6-liter version is also powerful, smooth, and more affordable. The third 2.5-liter engine comes only with the base Escape S. 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control is available in all three engines.

Specs of the Three Engines:

2.5-liter 4-cylinder, 168 horsepower, 170 lb-ft of torque, EPA estimated city/highway mpg: 22/31, Base Escape S Model

1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, 178 horsepower,184 lb-ft of torque, EPA estimated city/highway mpg: 23/33 (FWD), 22/30 (AWD), SE Model

2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, 240 horsepower, 270 lb-ft of torque, EPA estimated city/highway mpg: 22/30 (FWD), 21/28 (AWD). Titanium Model

Features:

The Ford Escape is available in three models S, SE and Titanium (Click the comparison chart and infographic for the best 7 seater suv’s available in australia)

The base Escape S which costs $23,595 offers cruise control, a rear windshield wiper, air conditioning, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, the SYNC voice-command system, a 6-speaker stereo with an auxiliary input jack, 17-inch steel wheels with plastic covers and the MyKey programmable key fob..

The SE version costs $26,445 and along with 17-in alloy wheels, it offers exterior keypads for the door locks, a power driver seat with lumbar adjustment, satellite radio, heated front seats, fog lights, reclining rear seats and automatic headlights. It comes with the 1.6 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder Eco Boost engine. It offers features like a panoramic glass moon roof, dual-zone automatic climate controls, voice-activated navigation, upgraded Sync with AppLink smartphone integration, a power cargo door with motion-sensing, activation and MyFord Touch with an 8-in touch screen, dual USB port, a 9-speaker audio upgrade and an SD card reader.

The Titanium, which is the costliest one at $29,995 offers almost all the features of the SE model in addition with a keyless entry / start and Sony audio with 10 speakers. It comes with the 2.0-liter 4 cylinder Eco Boost engine, parking sensors, a blind-spot warning system with cross-traffic alert and bi-xenon headlights. Additional features like a nifty automated self-parking system is also available.

 To enjoy AWD on SE and Titanium, you will have to shed an extra $1,750.

Most Amazing Features:

When you will wave your foot beneath the rear bumper it will power the liftgate to open automatically. It’s called Hands free liftgate.

Another amazing feature is the MYKEY in which parents can design a key that can limit the top speed, audio volume and it can even disable the audio system if the seat belts are not buckled.

Pros:

Amazing Features at a comparatively low cost.

Cons:

All of the best safety specs are available only in Titanium version.

Bottom Line:

If you are planning to buy a compact SUV, don’t think, just buy Ford Escape.