It’s a Discovery, it’s a Defender, it’s a… Hyundai?!
The most recent Hyundai Santa Fe is an enormous design departure from its extra curvaceous predecessors, presenting boxy Land Rover-aping strains and distinctive LED lighting signatures.
Whereas it’s not as classically good-looking as some generations earlier than it, the brand new Santa Fe is as sensible and tech-laden as ever, aiming to bridge the hole between the H model and its top-rating sister automobile, the Kia Sorento.
Hyundai Australia determined to launch with a hybrid-only lineup for the brand new Santa Fe, disposing of the outgoing mannequin’s V6 petrol and four-cylinder turbo-diesel powertrain choices. A strong turbocharged petrol four-cylinder will be part of the fold within the new yr, the corporate’s native arm tells us.
So, in an effort to money in on growing hybrid demand and compete with gross sales chief Toyota, Hyundai has gone laborious on HEV and introduced a minimum of 5 electrified variations of its new seven-seater household SUV.
On take a look at right here is essentially the most inexpensive Santa Fe Hybrid FWD, a cloth-trimmed, contrast-bumpered entry mannequin that packs in a stack of options and tech for simply over $55,000. Actually, you might select between this or a smaller Tucson.
However whereas it would look very compelling on paper, is Hyundai’s new Minecraft-styled household bus price your consideration over the aforementioned Sorento or the now hybrid-only Toyota Kluger? Learn on to seek out out.
How does the Hyundai Santa Fe examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Hyundai Santa Fe in opposition to equally sized automobiles.
Hyundai
Santa Fe
How a lot does the Hyundai Santa Fe value?
The only front-drive Santa Fe is the most affordable on sale, priced from $55,500 plus on-road prices.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid FWD | $55,500 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid AWD | $58,500 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD | $65,000 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy AWD 7 Seat | $75,000 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy AWD 6 Seat | $75,500 |
To see how the Santa Fe Hybrid strains up in opposition to the competitors, try our comparability software.
What’s the Hyundai Santa Fe like on the within?
You hardly really feel such as you’re hopping right into a basey right here.
Sure, the tartan-style fabric trim is a giveaway that this isn’t luxurious spec – although it’s a little bit GTI-esque – however there are nonetheless good trim thrives, soft-touch supplies and a excessive stage of expertise.
In contrast to Kia, Hyundai has specified the high-end 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as commonplace tools, sitting alongside the high-grade 12.3-inch central touchscreen in a single curved housing. It’s fairly swish in design.
Whereas the bottom grade misses out on native satellite tv for pc navigation, it’s fitted as commonplace with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air (OTA) software program updates, and Bluelink linked companies.
The Koreans have actually saved the Japanese trustworthy in show expertise within the mainstream lessons, and the Santa Fe stays on the forefront of the phase right here too – notably for the worth level.
Even on this base grade the driving force’s seat is 10-way energy adjustable and there’s an honesty in regards to the fabric trim with tartan inserts that’s fairly endearing. They’re higher at escaping excessive chilly or warmth than leather-based, too, and even these base fabric pews are heated.
It’s simple to get comfy and there’s an actual feeling of airiness and area due to that tall and boxy design. As soon as you discover your most popular driving place, it’s very comfy and all the things is inside arm’s attain.
Throughout my time with the bottom Santa Fe, the wi-fi Apple CarPlay labored fantastically with my iPhone 15 Professional Max, bar one time when it didn’t join on start-up, and the pedestal-style wi-fi cellphone charger was extra constant than in another manufacturers.
Along with the same old interface and menus as a part of Hyundai and Kia’s newest ccNC infotainment structure, there are hybrid-specific menus with vitality movement charts and effectivity graphics to higher observe your gasoline financial system and hybrid energy utilization do you have to so want.
The digitised local weather management cluster seems very new-age whereas additionally being fairly purposeful, with bodily dials and switchgear for key capabilities and displaying info on the 6.6-inch contact panel – very Genesis-like.
Twin-zone local weather management with rear air vents and separate fan controls for the third row are commonplace. Actually, except you need the look and fancier luxuries of upper grades, this base automobile has all the things you’ll ever want after which some.
Enjoyable extras embrace the higher glovebox cavity for telephones and wallets, although it does with out the UV cleaner in increased grades. There’s additionally a decrease open shelf for equally sized gadgets.
Then there’s the configurable centre console, with USB-C charging ports, cup holders and a cubby beneath the centre armrest. You even get a cavity beneath the centre bridge due to the shift-by-wire selector being moved to the steering column just like the model’s new EVs.
Maybe moreso than the entrance, the second row has benefitted from the brand new boxy physique styling. There’s heaps of area for adults within the rear, even within the centre seat which is helped by a flat flooring.
The rear bench slides and reclines, and there’s a one-touch management to entry the third row. Additional, there are extra USB-C energy retailers and numerous facilities even on this base grade.
Bag hooks and map pockets adorn the backs of the entrance seats, and there are bottle holders within the doorways along with a folding centre armrest with cupholders.
Should you’re trying to carry smaller kids, there are ISOFIX anchors on the outer seats in addition to high tethers for all three rear positions.
Received triplets? Quadruplets? Nicely, there are ISOFIX anchors on the sixth and seventh seats bolstered by high tethers, and the Santa Fe has full airbag protection by all three rows for peace of thoughts.
Third-row occupants aren’t handled to the identical soft-touch surfaces of the primary two rows, however the armrests on both facet have built-in cupholders and as talked about earlier there are separate fan controls for the rearmost vents.
Every of the third-row seats are individually folding and reclinable, with adjustable head restraints. Whereas my 6’1 body isn’t the first demographic for this third row, I may squeeze myself in there for a shorter journey if want be.
Youngsters can be fairly joyful again there with a superb view out of these huge, sq. quarter home windows. It’s arguably someplace between the Sorento and bigger Palisade by way of third-row lodging lately.
Hyundai quotes 628 litres (VDA) of cargo capability with the primary two rows in use, increasing to 1949 litres with rows two and three folded. For reference, the previous Santa Fe provided 571-1649 litres in the identical configurations.
On high of the additional area, all variations of the new-generation Santa Fe Hybrid characteristic full-size spare wheels.
| Dimensions | Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Size | 4830mm |
| Width | 1900mm |
| Peak | 1720mm |
| Wheelbase | 2815mm |
| Boot area | 628L – 5 seats 1949L – 2 seats |
To see how the Santa Fe Hybrid strains up in opposition to the competitors, try our comparability software.
What’s beneath the bonnet?
The Santa Fe Hybrid has an up to date model of the 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid drivetrain used throughout quite a lot of Hyundai-Kia fashions, which now gives extra energy and torque.
| Specs | Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid FWD |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.6L 4cyl turbo HEV |
| Engine outputs | 132kW / 265Nm |
| Electrical motor outputs | 44.2kW / 264Nm |
| System outputs | 172kW @ 5600rpm 367Nm @ 1000-4100rpm |
| Battery | 1.49kWh li-ion |
| Transmission | 6-speed auto |
| Pushed wheels | Entrance |
| Weight | 1951kg |
| Gasoline financial system (claimed) | 5.4L/100km |
| Gasoline financial system (as examined) | 6.2L/100km |
| Gasoline tank capability | 67 litres |
| Gasoline requirement | 91 RON |
| CO2 emissions | 128g/km |
| Emissions commonplace | Euro 5 |
| Braked tow capability | 1650kg |
To see how the Santa Fe Hybrid strains up in opposition to the competitors, try our comparability software.
How does the Hyundai Santa Fe drive?
I’ve had loads of wheel time with the Hyundai Motor Group’s hybrids, however this Santa Fe is a step ahead.
Having not too long ago stepped out of the associated Sorento Hybrid, which makes use of an older model of the identical drivetrain, the Hyundai feels prefer it has had an additional layer of polish utilized to the driving expertise.
In most areas it’s a smoother and extra refined automobile, with good help from the electrical motor at low speeds and at a cruise, whereas the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine avoids the buzziness and coarse revving that it has in purposes previous.
Regardless of now measuring over 4.8m lengthy and weighing greater than 1.9 tonnes, the Santa Fe Hybrid gives first rate shove for each day duties due to the immediacy of the electrical motor’s torque, and the smooth-shifting six-speed auto.
You’re most likely not going to win many site visitors mild drag races – however is that actually what that is about? I’d say not.
It may well typically be troublesome to gauge how the automobile will reply, although. Whereas the Santa Fe HEV is greater than able to getting as much as metropolis speeds on EV energy alone, it is going to typically be inconsistent on this respect.
Typically it’ll do largely EV off the mark, others it is going to hearth up the ICE very early within the course of. Different instances, it may be someplace in between. This isn’t a lot of a difficulty per se, but it surely can also imply the Santa Fe isn’t as constant within the expertise or gasoline financial system because the excellently environment friendly Kluger Hybrid.
That was mirrored in our real-world determine too, which at 6.2L/100km indicated after every week’s price of blended driving is sweet however not standout. Nonetheless, it’s much better than the previous V6 and might be higher than what the earlier diesel sans idle cease/begin tech would handle with extra peak-hour metropolis commuting.
A typical grievance with this turbocharged hybrid system is the dearth of a taller closing gear, with the six-speed auto preserving the 1.6 T-GDI motor revving across the 2000rpm mark at 100 clicks. A seventh or eighth cog to convey this down a little bit would assist with freeway consumption, which in a short time approaches the 7.0L/100km mark.
Past that the Santa Fe is a really comfy and refined place to spend time in. The journey even on 20-inch wheels is effectively sorted and pliant over Melbourne’s lumpy metropolis streets, and the electrified drivetrain’s tendency to often swap off the petrol engine makes for a reasonably quiet cabin on the transfer.
It’s not fairly whisper-quiet, with rougher sections of black high on higher-speed roads letting a little bit extra highway noise in than correctly premium options, whereas the bluff and boxy sides imply there’s often some wind noise too.
The Santa Fe’s steering, dealing with and physique management are additionally good for the category, with correct driver controls and balanced dealing with that focuses on consolation extra so than participating dynamics. Nonetheless, it’s not wallowy or obscure to drive.
We didn’t get the prospect to load up the Santa Fe with six extra bums on seats and trial its traits nearer to payload, however with a few extras on board it felt greater than as much as job, notably within the type of city and metropolis situations most house owners can be utilizing this for.
Hyundai’s suite of driver assists are additionally good, benefitting from refinements since a number of the earlier and extra annoying iterations first hit the market – a shortcut to disable the audible pace warning is being rolled out now.
The bottom Santa Fe doesn’t characteristic the semi-autonomous Freeway Driving Help (HDA) characteristic that’s accessible on higher-grade and navigation-equipped fashions, however the usual adaptive cruise and Lane Following Help (centring) capabilities work reliably and precisely – tick.
Blind-spot help and rear cross-traffic help each work as you’d count on, and the usual surround-view cameras with 3D modelling imply you’ve gotten quite a few units of eyes to make sure you’re not knocking into issues or pedestrians, or curbing these 20-inch machine-faced rims.
For an entry-level variant, the on-road expertise is fairly high-grade.
What do you get?
Santa Fe commonplace tools:
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- Auto high-beam
- Proximity entry with push-button begin
- Digital parking brake with auto maintain operate
- 3 x drive modes – Eco, Sport, My Drive
- 3 x multi-terrain drive modes – AWD solely
- Twin-zone local weather management
- 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- Obsidian Black fabric upholstery
- Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Over the air (OTA) software program updates
- Apple CarPlay, Android Auto – wi-fi, wired
- Wi-fi smartphone charger
- Encompass-view digicam system
- 6-speaker sound system
- Heated entrance seats
- Energy tailgate
- Rear privateness glass
- Full-size alloy spare wheel
Santa Fe Elite provides:
- Silver exterior highlights
- Distant Good Parking Help
- Black leather-based seats
- Suede headlining
- 10-way power-adjustable passenger seat
- Heated steering wheel
- Bose premium audio system – 12 audio system
- Twin wi-fi smartphone charger
- Bluelink linked companies
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
Santa Fe Calligraphy provides:
- Distinctive 20-inch wheels
- Glass sunroof
- Head-up show
- Digital digicam rearview mirror
- Black Ink Nappa leather-based upholstery
- Leisure operate – entrance seats
- Reminiscence operate – entrance seats, mirrors
- Heated outboard second-row seats
- Ventilated entrance seats
- UV-C sanitisation tray
- UV and infrared insulated windscreen, entrance home windows
The Calligraphy can also be provided with a six-seat format with second-row electrically adjustable captain’s chairs, which could provide a extra plush expertise however could restrict practicality considerably.
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe protected?
The brand new-generation Santa Fe stays unrated by ANCAP and Euro NCAP.
Customary security options throughout the vary embrace:
- 10 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian, Bicycle owner detection
- Junction help
- Adaptive cruise management with cease and go
- Blind-spot help
- Blind Spot View Monitor
- Driver consideration warning
- Ahead consideration warning
- Main automobile departure alert
- Evasive steering help operate
- Clever pace restrict help
- Lane Following Help
- Lane preserve help
- Parking Collision Avoidance Help
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Rear occupant alert
- Secure exit help
- Entrance, rear parking sensors
- Encompass-view monitor – 360 cameras
How a lot does the Hyundai Santa Fe value to run?
Hyundai covers its vary with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, whereas the high-voltage battery and electrical motor componentry of the hybrid system is roofed for eight years or 160,000km.
| Operating prices | Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Guarantee | 5 years, limitless kilometres (automobile) 8 years or 160,000km (HV battery) |
| Roadside help | 12 months, then service activated (lifetime) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000 kilometres |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years – pre-paid |
| Complete capped-price service value | $2405 |
Hyundai nonetheless disappointingly limits its service intervals to 10,000km (or 12 months) for its turbocharged petrol fashions, very like sister model Kia. Nonetheless, Hyundai has completed higher to restrict service prices by comparability.
With a pre-paid package deal accessible for $2405 over 5 years, the Santa Fe prices lower than $500 each year to take care of over the primary 5 years of possession, which isn’t fairly Toyota Kluger good however not dangerous within the scheme of issues.
To see how the Santa Fe Hybrid strains up in opposition to the competitors, try our comparability software.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Hyundai Santa Fe
This new Santa Fe could be a thought of a brand new benchmark – although I really feel its seems is perhaps its greatest hurdle.
Even on this most simple grade, the Santa Fe Hybrid gives all the things a rising Australian household wants after which some. Related cash received’t purchase you a Toyota Kluger Hybrid both, and the $5000-dearer base GX AWD seems like a fleet spec.
If something, this entry-level mannequin is priced and specified to tempt individuals out of mid- to high-spec mid-size options just like the RAV4 and even Hyundai’s personal Tucson. And, it’s a much better seven-seater than a Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV (PHEV).
The Santa Fe Hybrid could be very effectively rounded. It’s spacious, well-featured, comparatively environment friendly and gives good on-road efficiency. Hyundai’s aftersales program is likewise according to rivals, so there’s a lot to like.
Drawbacks? It’s not fairly as environment friendly as a Toyota Kluger Hybrid, the seems are certain to polarise and the fabric trim, whereas fetching, isn’t as household pleasant as leatherette or real cover. However actually, there’s not a lot else to complain about.
Should you’re available in the market for a big seven-seat SUV, this needs to be in the direction of the highest of your procuring checklist.
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