Hyundai Santa Fe Review (2024)

Read Caroline’s Hyundai Santa Fe review to find out everything you need to know about buying a Hyundai large seven-seat SUV in Ireland.

The Santa Fe has long been a favorite among buyers looking for a large family SUV or a seven-passenger vehicle. Now, Hyundai Ireland is getting a brand new car, and it’s fair to say it’s Hyundai’s biggest and best car yet.

It is now only available as a plug-in hybrid, priced from €66,995.

Let’s take a closer look.

design

The Santa Fe has been revamped for the fifth generation. Now it’s a bigger vehicle. It’s about 45mm longer and wider. It also has a longer wheelbase and shortened front overhang. Combined with the tall hood and boxy rear end, the Santa Fe’s new utilitarian design is sure to turn heads.

The LED headlights at the front of the car use unique H-shaped lighting. There are two kinds of decoration in Ireland: haute and calligraphy. Both cars feature large 20-inch alloy wheels, but the Calligraphy comes with shinier black multi-spoke accents, as well as a glossier black finish around the wheel arches, bumpers and sills.

Hyundai Santa Fe interior

The Santa Fe is huge inside and feels regal from behind the wheel. The quality is very good and has a real premium feel. The roof and front pillars are even lined with suede.

Digital technology works very well in cars. There may seem to be countless controls and buttons at first glance, but they’re actually all very intuitive to use. There’s an impressive 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 12.3-inch panoramic curved display with navigation that feels very slick and premium. The driver also gets a convenient head-up display that projects key information onto the windshield.

The spec is incredibly high and includes a heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats with electric adjustment and memory, dual wireless smartphone charging pads, BOSE stereo, surround-view monitor and remote smart parking Auxiliary systems. The front seats recline fully at the touch of a button and come with their own integrated footrests for ultimate relaxation when you stop to rest on a long journey. Calligraphy models add Nappa leather above the passenger glovebox and even a UV disinfection tray for sanitizing items like smartphones and wallets.

Practicality

All Santa Fe models are seven-passenger. There’s a lot of space in the second row. The boxy shape means it’s also great for headroom. Even the two extra seats in the third row are very convenient, so if you need to use those extra seats frequently, this is one of the best seven-seat SUVs on sale.

In seven-seat mode, the trunk space is not large, but it is enough to accommodate a few luggages. When you put down the third row seats, the space capacity is up to 621 liters! A power tailgate is standard.

The second-row seats can be folded forward at the touch of a button for easier access to the rear seats. They also fold flat easily via a button on the boot and split 60:40. Each row of seats also comes with individual ventilation, USB ports and cup holders, as well as four Isofix child seat anchors: two in the second row and two in the third row – ideal for family buyers.

Driving the Santa Fe PHEV

The Santa Fe has been tuned for comfort and dynamic capabilities. New Frequency Sensitive Control (FSC) dampers improve ride comfort while maintaining body control. For such a large vehicle, it handles very gracefully on the road and is a joy to drive. Ride quality is very good and so is refinement.

In Ireland, the Santa Fe is only sold as a plug-in hybrid, with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor producing a combined 253hp and 367Nm. It accelerates like a boss, sprinting from 0-100 km/h in just 9.3 seconds. It delivers power smoothly as you stroll. On the highway, when you put your foot down hard to overtake, the six-speed automatic hesitates for a moment before power comes in.

The plug-in hybrid’s 13.8kWh battery has an EV range of up to 54km, which will allow you to complete some journeys without using the petrol engine. That’s a good range, but some seven-seaters, such as the upcoming Peugeot 5008 plug-in hybrid, have longer range on pure electric power. It’s best to charge the Santa Fe regularly and keep the battery topped up, otherwise fuel consumption will suffer. But even so, it performed pretty well for such a large SUV – over a few days of driving, I averaged 6.7 liters per 100 kilometers. The charging power is 3.6kW and the charging speed is moderate, but since it is a small battery, it can be fully charged at home in a few hours.

Standard four-wheel drive

The Santa Fe plug-in hybrid comes standard with all-wheel drive. It adapts to more complex surfaces thanks to the Terrain Mode Selector, allowing you to easily select specific settings for better traction in snow, mud and sand.

Hyundai Santa Fe Pricing

The new Santa Fe Premium version starts at 66,995 euros and the Calligraphy version starts at 69,995 euros.

judgment

The new Santa Fe has an incredible amount of features and equipment! Not only is the car more visually appealing than before, but it’s also very practical inside, with lots of family-friendly features. Plug-in hybrids have fairly limited all-electric range these days, but otherwise it’s a quiet and refined driving experience that ultimately feels very premium. The Santa Fe sits between more affordable seven-seaters like the Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008 and more expensive seven-seaters like the Kia EV9 and Volvo XC90. For the space and equipment it’s in, it’s unparalleled and definitely worth a look.

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Screenplay by Caroline Kidd

Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Irish Car of the Year Judge

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