Hyundai Santa Fe review (2018-2024)

Hyundai likes to see its cars as ‘new premium.’ Are they as good as a used Audi, BMW and Mercedes inside?

Not quite, but they are getting close, as you will find out inside the Santa Fe’s cabin. The dashboard looks crisp and modern, and most of the plastics are high quality.

While many of the functions can be controlled via the touchscreen, there are proper buttons for you to use. Clickety, click.

Tech and features

The entry-level SE model comes well equipped with adaptive cruise control, which allows the Santa Fe to automatically speed up and slow down to keep its distance from the car in front on the motorway.

Autonomous emergency braking is also fitted as standard, to help keep you from driving into the car in front, if it stops suddenly.

Premium models are equipped with a larger touch screen, spaceship-like digital instruments and plush leather, heated seats.

If you go for the Premium SE model, you can even keep your posterior nicely chilled in hot weather, thanks to cooled front seats, while a panoramic sunroof makes sure you get your daily sunshine.

Engines and power

This version of the Hyundai Santa Fe is mostly available with 1.6-litre petrol engines combined with either a regular hybrid or a plug-in hybrid setup.

They're pretty punchy, and have an engaging dual-clutch automatic gearbox, unlike some other hybrids which use a more unenthusiastic CVT 'box.

Clearly, the plug-in hybrid offers the greatest electric-only range, but even the regular hybrid can go about its business in town without the petrol engine.

Sceptics, or anyone who wants to tow a particularly weighty trailer, will value the 2.2-litre diesel that's been a staple in the Santa Fe range for many years, though a mid-life facelift removed this option.

Handling and ride comfort

The extra weight of the hybrid models' batteries does give the car a slightly firmer ride, but on the whole it's a comfortable car that can easily crunch up the miles.

Besides offering a comfortable ride, the cabin is pretty well insulated, so even at higher motorway speeds you're unlikely to get a headache.

As with most SUVs, you feel its weight in the corners, and while the hybrid models' low centres of gravity help make them feel slightly more planted, you'll still be very much aware that this is a seven-seater SUV.

Boot space

As with all seven-seaters, deciding how much boot space you want comes down to whether you have the back seats up or down.

Even with seven people on board, the Hyundai’s boot is still big enough to accommodate a couple of medium suitcases or a picnic basket and a few bags of goodies.

The boot features some nice design touches like the fact that you can store the parcel shelf underneath the floor.

All the seats are quick and easy to fold down – simply pull a strap to pull the third row down, while the second row can be folded at the press of a button.

With all the seats down, the Santa Fe is almost the size of a small van, and you can get a bicycle in without having to remove the front wheel.

Reliability

The Santa Fe comes with a five-year unlimited warranty, which obviously means if you buy a three-year-old car, you are still covered for another two years.

The Santa Fe normally fares well in customer satisfaction and reliability surveys. If you’d like a little extra peace of mind, you may want to consider cinchCare.

Fuel economy

In terms of fuel economy, there’s not much between the diesel engine and the later petrol hybrid engine, and with careful driving you should be able to get close to 40mpg.

The plug-in hybrid variant can do around 20-30 miles on electric power alone in real-world conditions, so if you do a lot of short driving, you could see running costs plummet.