The Renault Grand Koleos has securely established itself in the market. With the debut of the Grand Koleos, the D SUV segment has evolved into a fierce three-way competition featuring the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe.

In our comparison of the three mid-size SUVs, the focus is on the crucial hybrid model within the D-segment SUV.

In terms of length, the Santa Fe is the longest. The Santa Fe measures 4,830mm, which is up to 50mm longer than the Grand Koleos at 4,780mm. Both the Santa Fe and Sorento have the widest dimensions at 1,900mm, making them 32mm wider than the Grand Koleos, which sits at 1,868mm. The Santa Fe also stands tallest at 1,720mm, 24mm higher than the Grand Koleos, which is 1,696mm. Notably, the Grand Koleos boasts the longest wheelbase at 2,820mm, marginally surpassing the 2,815mm of both the Santa Fe and Sorento by 5mm. A longer wheelbase translates to better interior space and improved driving stability.

When looking at trunk capacity, the Santa Fe takes the lead. It offers a spacious 725 liters, which is 92 liters more than the Grand Koleos’s 633 liters.

The Grand Koleos employs a 1.5-liter E-TECH hybrid engine, enhancing its efficiency. In contrast, the Santa Fe and Sorento come equipped with a Smartstream 1.6 turbo hybrid engine. The Grand Koleos features a multi-mode automatic transmission, while the Sorento and Santa Fe utilize a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

In terms of power, the Grand Koleos boasts the strongest performance. It produces a combined 245 horsepower, surpassing the Sorento and Santa Fe’s output of 235 horsepower by 10. However, the torque is where the Grand Koleos falls short, registering at 23.5kg.m, while the Sorento and Santa Fe lead with 37.4kg.m.

Fuel efficiency figures highlight that both the Grand Koleos and Sorento achieve an impressive 15.7 km/l, the highest among the three, while the Santa Fe trails with 15.5 km/l.

Comparing the prices for fully loaded models, the Grand Koleos is the most affordable at 45.67 million won, whereas the Santa Fe hybrid is the most expensive at 57.34 million won, creating a price gap of over 10 million won between the two models.

Written by Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr