Hyundai Santa Fe vs Renault Trafic Passenger

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Hyundai Santa Fe Discontinued model
Hyundai Santa Fe in South Africa

Hyundai Santa Fe

2.2D 4WD Executive Diesel 8-Speed Automatic Discontinued model
ZAR 899,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 147 kW 🔧 440 Nm ⛽ 13.8 km/l
VS
Renault Trafic Passenger in South Africa

Renault Trafic Passenger

Techno+ Diesel 9-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 1,049,999 ex-showroom
⚡ 125 kW 🔧 380 Nm ⛽ 13.9 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Hyundai Santa Fe vs Renault Trafic Passenger: the short answer

Santa Fe and Trafic Passenger are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context Santa Fe: last listed from ZAR 899,900 · Trafic Passenger: current from ZAR 979,999

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Santa Fe Trafic Passenger
Maximum Power Santa Fe147 kW @ 3800 rpm Trafic Passenger125 kW @ 3500 rpm
Maximum Torque Santa Fe440 Nm @ 1750 rpm Trafic Passenger380 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Engine Size Santa Fe2199 cc Trafic Passenger1997 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Santa Fe13.8 km/l Trafic Passenger13.9 km/l
Ground Clearance Santa Fe188 mm Trafic Passenger199 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Independent editorial assessment

Hagalu editorial ratings

When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.

Hyundai Santa Fe

2.2D 4WD Executive

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Renault Trafic Passenger

Techno+

Hagalu editorial rating
4.4/5

Desk research · Exact variant

Hagalu Editorial Team ·

Editorial assessment, not a customer rating. Not road-tested for this review.

Read the review and score breakdown

Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

Santa Fe

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Trafic Passenger

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Santa Fe

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Trafic Passenger

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Santa Fe Trafic Passenger
Model Introduced Year 2001 2026
Generation Fifth generation Santa Fe on Hyundai's i-GMP platform; 'Sensuous Sportiness' design with distinctive parametric LED lighting signature Current long-wheelbase nine-seat Trafic Passenger introduced to the South African retail range in 2026 with 125 kW Blue dCi power and EAG9 automatic transmission
Facelift History Fifth generation launched in SA in 2022; significant styling and interior quality upgrade; distinctive boxy design language with vertical lighting Current Trafic face and smart-cockpit specification with three South African grades: Evolution, Evolution+ and Techno+
Facelift Launched Since 2022 2026
Body Style SUV MPV
Production Status discontinued active
Segment SUV Large MPV
Tare Mass Kg 1980 kg -
Vehicle Type SUV MPV
Facelift Version Ending Not confirmed Current
Model Year Not confirmed 2026
Spec Santa Fe Trafic Passenger
Length 4830 mm 5480 mm
Width 1900 mm 1956 mm
Height 1750 mm 1973 mm
Wheelbase 2815 mm 3498 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 188 mm 199 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not Officially Disclosed 160 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 67 l 80 l
Boot/Cargo Space 703 l 1890 l
Kerb Weight 1980 kg 2160 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Not Officially Disclosed 3070 kg
Payload Capacity Not Officially Disclosed 910 kg
Towing Capacity Not Officially Disclosed 2500 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 9 seats
Number of Rows 3 rows 3 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed 6.9 m
Front Headroom Not Officially Disclosed 1019 mm
Rear Headroom Not Officially Disclosed 1060 mm
Front Legroom Not Officially Disclosed 1028 mm
Rear Legroom Not Officially Disclosed 930 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Santa Fe and Trafic Passenger comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Santa Fe 74 vs Trafic Passenger 55.

Efficiency index: Santa Fe 55 vs Trafic Passenger 55.

Safety-equipment index: Santa Fe 98 vs Trafic Passenger 90.

Practicality index: Santa Fe 89 vs Trafic Passenger 88.

Ownership-cover index: Santa Fe 65 vs Trafic Passenger not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Santa Fe leads by 5 points

Santa Fe and Trafic Passenger are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 78 /100
Lead 5 points
Data 90% source coverage
78
#1 Evidence leader

Santa Fe

90% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Efficiency 55
Performance 74
Efficiency 55
Safety 98
Practicality 89
Ownership 65
Leads by 5 points
73
#2

Trafic Passenger

81% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 90 Check Performance 55
Performance 55
Efficiency 55
Safety 90
Practicality 88
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Santa Fe +19 Efficiency Level Safety Santa Fe +8 Practicality Santa Fe +1

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Santa Fe

Performance 74/100
Efficiency 55/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 89/100
Ownership 65/100

Trafic Passenger

Performance 55/100
Efficiency 55/100
Safety 90/100
Practicality 88/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Hyundai Santa Fe leads the specification evidence index with 78 pts vs 73 pts for Trafic Passenger

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Santa Fe leads. However, Trafic Passenger may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Related comparisons

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Santa Fe vs Trafic Passenger questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.