Hyundai Santa Fe vs Kia Sorento vs Peugeot 5008: Which one has the best infotainment?
Modern infotainment systems are very sophisticated and manufacturers are becoming more aware of their importance to a car’s attractiveness. Here we compare the central displays on the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Kia Sorento and the Peugeot 5008.
Hyundai Santa Fe
The latest version of Hyundai’s Santa Fe was launched late last year and comes in three variants, these being the 2.2D Premium, 2.2D Executive and 2.2D 4WD Elite.
Interestingly all the models here come with the same 7-inch touch screen infotainment system that is well-located on the top of the dashboard in a solid housing with a neat a frame. Generally we prefer the looks of these framed units to un-edged infotainment flat screens, which always look a bit vulnerable to us, especially in the case of a traffic accident.
The Hyundai system features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay pairing, via a USB port located in the console. There is no wireless phone charging pad. The Santa Fe system, however, lacks built-in navigation. While many customers simply use their paired phones for navigation, there are always going to be times when, with poor connectivity, it is better to have built-in Navigation .
In more expensive models available overseas there is an 8-inch touch screen with built-in Navigation.
The smaller touch screen is nevertheless easy to use, and the graphics are bright enough to see easily. There are auxiliary buttons on the side of the screen for bringing up menus without having to scroll. We also like the two rotary knobs for volume control and radio tuning.
The sound system, however, is quite basic for a car in this price league, featuring just a four-speaker set-up.
Kia Sorento
The Kia Sorento’s infotainment screen is built into the dash and it is an 8-inch touchscreen unit that is stylistically very well integrated. Auxiliary, USB and iPod connections can play audio from iPods, flash drives and other compatible multimedia devices through the integrated USB connectors. The Sorento is equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Importantly, the 8-inch display offers built-in Navigation, a, big plus in our book!
We like the graphics and the overall feel of this infotainment system, and the function buttons on the sides of the unit are easy to use for skipping to desired menus. The audio system is equipped with six speakers and offers a reasonable quality of sound reproduction.
Peugeot 5008
While generally we prefer a navigation system that is integrated into the dashboard, we like the dash-mounted Peugeot screen for its simplicity. It also has rounded edging, much better than some of the sharper-edged screens used in other cars. It is very easy to use, being easily accessible on the top of the dashboard, and for us the best feature is the very attractive and visible array of function buttons laid out beneath the screen on the dashboard.
The 5008’s row of buttons are large and finished in bright metal, and they are the easiest, of all the systems on review here, to locate easily.
We also enjoyed the fact that Navigation is standard on the 5008, and also the fact that there is a phone charging pad on the console. A very neat feature accessed via the infotainment system is the cabin ambience function, which changes the lighting of the cabin and also the various aromas released through a pod located in the cubby hole via the climate control system. You can tune your cabin mood from mellow to supercharged!
Verdict
We liked the Peugeot system the most, as its screen is easy to see and operate and it is also equipped with volume control rotary switches. Its user-friendly large function buttons make switching menus the easiest, as they are located in an easy to use horizontal row that is more intuitive to use without taking your eyes off the road. The overall ambience of this superbly-crafted cabin is the icing on the cake! After that, we would opt for the Kia Sorento’s system, with the Hyundai Santa Fe bringing up there rear here. Nothing wrong with the Hyundai installation, but we feel Hyundai would have done well to spec an 8-inch system with Navigation, at least for the top Elite model.
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