Santa Fe
Either the head honcho at the International School of Car Design is a big Huey Lewis fan and is adamant it’s hip to be square or this resurgence of the ’80s is here to stay. Whilst some cars are designed to be as slippery as possible, which kind of makes sense when range anxiety is fast becoming the latest strain on the NHS, others are heading in the entirely opposite direction and embracing boxiness in a big way.
This latest Hyundai Santa Fe without doubt falls into the latter category. With right angles aplenty it’s fair to say the SUV does lend itself very well to this double-box style. You only have to look at the Land Cruiser, the Bronco, the Cullinan and even the Kia EV9 for evidence that backs this up.
There’s some neat touches to back up the boxiness too, though. The angled wheel arches protrude slightly from the bodywork to give a bit more off-roadiness and both the head and tail lights proudly display a capital H for Hyundai.
Not as huge as it may seem
So, the new Santa Fe packs quite the visual punch, but what also strikes you when you see one driving down a UK street is just how sizeable it is……or is it? It’s undoubtedly an intimidating sight but when you compare the Santa Fe’s physical dimensions with the EV9, Discovery, even the Defender 110 it comes up short by a few cm in every direction. The closest competition on the UK’s roads is actually Volvo’s XC90; goes to show how appearances can be deceiving.
Seven seats as standard, six seats are extra
It may give up a few inches to some of the competition, despite how imposing it appears, but when you step inside the Santa Fe it’s positively cavernous. All Santa Fes come with either 7 seats or two captain’s chairs in the 2nd row to make it a 6-seater. Either way, even with the third row in place you get a decent boot, not the sliver of storage some of its rivals leave you with.
Hyundai has been brave enough to continue the Santa Fe’s angular theme inside the cabin. There’s blocky speakers, a rectangular glove box – even the central hub of the steering wheel isn’t round. There’s a huge touch-screen, obviously, that flows seamlessly from infotainment to driver’s display but thankfully Hyundai seem to be one of the manufacturers who’s actually listening to the buying public’s preference for a few buttons and dials to fiddle with.
Gadgets aplenty
To go along with its slightly quirky design, Hyundai’s given the Santa Fe a few gadgets to add substance to the style. Inside, every second-row passenger gets window blinds, USB sockets and cupholders as standard. Ok, it’s not the first car to offer these nice touches but we’re not sure we’ve seen a UV steriliser before. Positioned just above the glove box, you can place items such as your phone and sunglasses inside, close the lid and they’ll come out free of any nasties that may have been invisibly lurking.
Outside there’s some hidden handles on the C-pillar to place your hands in and pull yourself up to make putting items on the built-in roof-rack a bit easier.
What engine powers the Santa Fe?
Under the bonnet, where in the not-too-distant past a diesel engine would no-doubt have resided, there’s now a 1.6l four-cylinder petrol unit. It’s mated to a six-speed auto ‘box and is available in either regular hybrid or PHEV guise, the former coming with as an AWD option. The PHEV starts at £51,885, has 251bhp and will get you a claimed 33 miles on battery power only. The hybrid we have here starts at £47,200 for the 2WD version and you can add a couple of grand for the AWD variant – both get 213bhp and can only manage around a mile on electricity alone.
Whichever power and drivetrain you go for, every Santa Fe has 265Nm torque and will only tow up to 750kg unbraked & 1100kg braked; that could be a game-changer for potential buyers.
Pootle around in the Santa Fe, regardless of electrical assistance and the four-pot engine gets on with the job of moving this relatively large SUV with minimal fuss. It’s only if you really ask a lot of it that things get a bit strained and a bit more torque or a couple more cylinders would be quite welcome.
Keeps you on the straight and narrow
For such a lofty ride-height the Santa Fe manages to keep impressively level and unflustered through the bends. As with the performance, the handling only starts to come unstuck if you push it beyond its comfort zone. Hyundai hasn’t given us a Santa Fe N here so it’s possibly best to stick to what it’s made for; getting many people around in space and comfort, if not especially quickly.
There is an AWD option and that may be worth considering if you’re towing or you live in the countryside. It’s no Land Rover, though. There’s no proper off-roading prowess that the likes of locking diffs etc provides so don’t expect too much of the Santa Fe.
Should I buy a Santa Fe?
If ferrying six or seven people around in something fresh and distinctive that won’t cost you the Earth is your thing, the Santa Fe with its 7-year warranty and neat touches has to be something worth considering. If you’re towing anything properly weighty around or you really need off-road abilities, it’s probably best to look elsewhere.
By Ben Harrington
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid AWD Specifications:
Engine – 1.6l petrol + electric motor, Transmission – 6-speed auto, Layout – Front engine, AWD, Power – 213bhp,Torque – 265Nm, Emissions – 165g/km CO2, Economy – 38.6mpg, Maximum Speed – 112mph, Acceleration – 9.8s – 0-62mph, Price – £49,255 OTR
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe is available now, priced from £47,200. For full details go to:www.hyundai.com
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