Hyundai Santa Fe review | Auto Express (original) (raw)
Bold-looking seven-seat Hyundai Santa Fe SUV delivers lots of space in a striking package
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe a good car?
With the introduction of the fifth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe, the Korean company has produced one of the most distinctive-looking seven-seat SUVs around. The angular lines and H-themed detailing in the lights and bumpers mean it really cuts a dash, and the overall look combines hints of Land Rover Defender with the hi-tech ‘pixel’ motif used by Hyundai’s Ioniq EVs.
Electrification came to the Santa Fe with the Mk4 model, while the current car is offered exclusively with hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains. Both use the firm’s 1.6-litre Smartstream turbo petrol engine, but with different levels of electrical assistance. Seven seats are standard with both set-ups (or a plush six-seat alternative is offered), while there are Premium, Ultimate and Calligraphy trims.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Fuel type | Full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid |
| Body style | Six or seven-seat large SUV |
| Powertrain | 1.6, 4cyl, turbocharged petrol plus 1x e-motor and 1.49kWh battery, front-wheel drive1.6, 4cyl, turbocharged petrol plus 1x e-motor and 1.49kWh battery, four-wheel drive1.6, 4cyl, turbocharged petrol plus 1x e-motor and 13.8kWh battery, four-wheel drive |
| Safety | 4-stars (Euro NCAP, 2024 - 5-stars with the optional Smart Sense+ pack) |
| Warranty | Up to 5-years/unlimited miles |
How much does the Hyundai Santa Fe cost?
Prices for the Hyundai Santa Fe start from around £47,000, which gets you behind the wheel of the full-hybrid, front-wheel-drive version. Four-wheel drive is available as an option with the hybrid powertrain, but there’s also a plug-in hybrid version that offers it as standard. This comes with a 13.8kWh battery that offers a pure-electric range of 38 miles, and prices for this version start from around £52,000. Both powertrains are based around a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine with a six-speed automatic transmission and a single electric motor.
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Even entry-level models come with dual 12.3-inch displays, a powered tailgate, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charging pad, keyless entry, electrically adjustable heated front seats and a suite of driver assistance tech.
Upgrading to Ultimate costs around £3,500, and adds a Bose premium sound system, a glass sunroof, head-up display, heated rear seats and ventilated front seats, plus dual charging pads. It’s also available with the optional Pecan Brown and Supersonic Grey interior themes.
Range-topping Calligraphy cars start from nearly £53,000 in hybrid guise, and feature Nappa leather upholstery. There are ‘Premium Relaxation’ front seats, plus gloss black exterior trim and wheels, while a UV-C sterilisation tray that can sanitise small items such as phones and keys with ultra-violet rays is added to the upper glovebox – the Santa Fe is the first production car to feature such a system.
We were disappointed by the driving experience in the Hyundai Santa Fe, because the ride was constantly fidgeting, and there’s a noticeable amount of road noise at motorway speeds. The full-hybrid powertrain’s lackadaisical attitude doesn’t help either. But at least Santa Fe is surprisingly easy to pilot around town – by large SUV standards, anyway. Read more about the Hyundai Santa Fe's engines, performance and drive...
The Santa Fe in regular two-wheel drive hybrid form has an official figure of 41.5mpg, while the thirstier four-wheel drive version gets 38.7mpg. Company car drivers will be more interested in the 38-mile EV range of the plug-in hybrid version, although this is beaten by the 48-mile Peugeot 5008 PHEV, or the 75-mile Skoda Kodiaq iV. Every Santa Fe is over £40,000 when new, meaning it’ll cost more in yearly VED road tax than cheaper alternatives. Read more about the Hyundai Santa Fe's MPG, emissions and running costs...
There probably wasn’t a protractor in sight when designing the Mk5 Hyundai Santa Fe, but the square-jawed design gives it an imposing presence and makes it stand out amongst other large SUVs. The interior design is equally impressive, with good material quality and lots of technology onboard every model. However, some of the driver assistance technology can be quite distracting while driving. Read more about the Hyundai Santa Fe's interior, design and technology...
The Santa Fe’s boxy shape is very on trend right now, but more importantly, it provides a huge amount of cabin space for both passengers and luggage. Every model comes with seven seats as standard, including four sets of ISOFIX mounting points for child seats. Alternatively, there’s a very generous 628 litres of boot space when the rearmost seats are folded flat. Read more about the Hyundai Santa Fe's boot space, comfort and practicality…
The latest Santa Fe is too new to have been included in the latest 2024 Driver Power Customer Satisfaction survey, but we expect it to do well on account of the Hyundai brand gaining a respectable 17th place result out of 32 manufacturers. Safety experts Euro NCAP awarded the entry-level Hyundai Santa Fe four stars out of five because the entry-level Premium lacks the more sophisticated forward and blind spot collision avoidance system that's available as part of the optional Smart Sense+ Pack, or comes as standard to Ultimate trim and above. With the pack, the Santa Fe gains the maximum five-star rating as its main rival, the Skoda Kodiaq. There are still plenty of standard safety features fitted to the Santa Fe, such as lane keep assistance, Autonomous Emergency Braking, and speed limit recognition assistance. Read more about the Hyundai Santa Fe's reliability and safety...
Hyundai Santa Fe alternatives
The Santa Fe is the biggest car in Hyundai’s UK line-up, and there are several large, seven-seat SUVs that it competes against. One chief rival is the recently facelifted Kia Sorento, which uses the same platform and features the same engines, but is also offered with a diesel engine, which means it has a lower starting price. Other rivals include the Skoda Kodiaq – our reigning Large SUV of the Year that comes in petrol, PHEV and diesel guises – and the latest Peugeot 5008, which is available in pure-electric form as the Peugeot E-5008.
Frequently Asked Questions
The beeps and bongs of the Santa Fe’s safety systems can be infuriatingly annoying. Most can be deactivated via the touchscreen, but you can quickly disable the speed limit and overspeed warnings by giving the mute button on the multifunction steering wheel a long press. A message will appear on the touchscreen confirming you’re successful, although bear in mind that you’ll need to do this every time you start the car.
Which Is Best
Cheapest
- Name
1.6 TGDi PHEV Calligraphy 5dr 4WD Auto [6 Seats] - Gearbox type
Semi-auto - RRP
£59,225
Most Economical
- Name
1.6 TGDi PHEV Calligraphy 5dr 4WD Auto [6 Seats] - Gearbox type
Semi-auto - RRP
£59,225
Fastest
- Name
1.6 TGDi PHEV Calligraphy 5dr 4WD Auto [6 Seats] - Gearbox type
Semi-auto - RRP
£59,225
In This Review
- VerdictBold-looking seven-seat Hyundai Santa Fe SUV delivers lots of space in a striking package
- Engines, performance and driveThe Santa Fe suffers from an unsettled ride on UK roads, while the hybrid powertrain could be more responsive
- MPG, CO2 and Running CostsThe Hyundai Santa Fe’s engine choices are fine, but we’d like to see a diesel
- Interior, design and technologyThe smart exterior design of the Hyundai Santa Fe is repeated inside, and there’s plenty of clever tech, too
- Boot space, comfort and practicalityOffering lots of space and seven seats as standard, the Hyundai Santa Fe is for larger families
- Reliability and SafetySharing parts with other Hyundai and Kia models should help reliability, but the Santa Fe’s Euro NCAP score is disappointing
Dean has been part of the Auto Express team for more than 20 years, and has worked across nearly all departments, starting on magazine production, then moving to road tests and reviews. He's our resident van expert, but covers everything from scooters and motorbikes to supercars and consumer products.
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