Hyundai Santa Fe - Pictures

The Santa Fe has the most powerful engine here, but it’s also the heaviest car, which means it was the slowest at the test track. In-gear performance was also hampered by the lacklustre five-speed box.

Hyundai has taken tips from VW and used blue-lit instruments. They certainly help lift the cabin – even if the colour isn’t quite consistent across the different displays. But we’re not sure about the wood-effect trim

The 2,213-litre boot area is the largest, beating the Captiva’s by nearly 650 litres. Better still, the seats fold completely flat to create an even load space, which is also the widest here. There’s no parcel shelf, though

Third row of chairs is the Santa Fe’s trump card. While the Chevy’s seats are equally straightforward to fold, with a one-handle set-up, the Hyundai’s are wider, more comfortable and roomier.

Our flagship CDX+ is equipped with a roof-mounted DVD player, which is ideal for keeping children quiet on long journeys. Honda doesn’t offer anything similar, although Captiva buyers can specify it as a dealer-fit option.