How do you make a great car even better in 2025? While the old-school answer would be to add more power or ladle on the gravy of tech, modern times call for a modern approach, and hybridization is the hot ticket right now. The Honda Civic Hybrid improves on the regular Civic and the Ford Maverick Hybrid is still one of the most desirable vehicles right now, so when it came time to spend a week with the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, my expectations were sky-high.
Making matters more intriguing, this isn’t some fully loaded model that few people will buy. Nope, it’s the Canadian-market Preferred trim with the Trend package, roughly analogous to the U.S.-market SEL, the base trim for the Santa Fe Hybrid. What’s it like to live with the Santa Fe Hybrid that people will actually buy? Let’s find out.
[Full disclosure: Hyundai Canada let me borrow this Santa Fe Hybrid for a week so long as I kept the shiny side up, returned it with a full tank of fuel, and reviewed it.]
The Basics
Engine: Turbocharged 1.6-liter twin-cam inline-four.
Battery: 1.49 kWh lithium-ion.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic with integrated electric motor.
Drive: Front-wheel-drive or optional all-wheel-drive (standard all-wheel-drive in Canada).
Combined Output: 231 horsepower at 5,600 RPM, 271 lb.-ft. from 1,000 RPM to 5,100 RPM.
Fuel Economy: 35 MPG city, 34 MPG highway, 34 MPG combined (6.8 L/100km city, 6.9 L/100km highway, 6.9 L/100km combined).
Body Style: Midsize three-row crossover utility vehicle.
Base Price: $39,275 including freight ($44,549 Canadian).
Price As-Tested: $41,075 including freight ($48,799 Canadian).
Why Does The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Exist?
With hybrids being all the rage and almost every family with more than two children wanting a three-row crossover, putting two-and-two together simply makes sense, doesn’t it? The Santa Fe is Hyundai’s entry-level seven-seater, slotting in below the Palisade, and those on a bit of a budget will probably enjoy hybrid fuel economy.
How Does It Look?
More than a year after I first drove the new non-hybrid Santa Fe, it’s still one of the most dramatic transformations in recent automotive history. While the old Santa Fe was a bit anonymous, the current one’s gone all boxy, form-following-function in a lovely utilitarian manner. However, it’s still full of intriguing details like the H-shaped daytime running lights, the pronounced bulges around the wheel arches, and the upfront active grille flaps, so it all comes together with a stylish earnestness.
As a result, the Santa Fe Hybrid fits naturally into the sort of neighborhoods you’d see Land Rover LR3s in nearly two decades ago. That sort of image is a tricky thing for a mainstream brand to pull of sincerely, so someone call Huey Lewis and share the news that it’s still hip to be square.
What About The Interior?
Slide inside the Santa Fe Hybrid and you really get the sense that Hyundai spent its money where it counted. From the stitched surfaces atop the doors and on the dashboard to the smooth grain of the steering wheel to the soft, lightly-bolstered front seats with a firm focus on comfort, this feels like $40,000 worth of cabin, back when a $40,000 car was a seriously expensive thing. Interestingly, you won’t find yourself facing a Hyundai logo behind the wheel. Four dots on the airbag cover—Morse code for “H”—do the job instead.
An upscale feeling is lovely, but it probably isn’t the main reason you’d buy a Santa Fe Hybrid. You’re probably looking at one of these for space, and it offers plenty. The third row can comfortably accommodate actual adults, with space behind it for backpacks. If you only need the third row for occasional use, keeping it stowed and sliding the third row of seats all the way back serves up genuine full-sized legroom in a midsized package, enough space behind my five-foot-ten driving position to put an ankle over a knee. Add in smart touches like hooks for bags on the backs of the front seats, a bi-hinged center console lid that grants rear passengers access to the storage cubby, and more cup holders than your bladder can handle.
How Does It Drive?
The Santa Fe Hybrid can glide on electric power alone at highway speeds, but it doesn’t quite feel like the hybrids most people are used to. By routing everything through a conventional six-speed automatic transmission makes the hybrid experience feel resoundingly familiar. Step on the skinny pedal down an on-ramp, and instead of holding the engine at a high RPM like you might get in Toyota’s power-split e-CVT setup or Honda’s two-motor arrangement, the Santa Fe simply goes through the gears like a normal car. Oh, and thanks to the added slug of electric torque, this 1.6-liter hybrid powertrain feels plenty enough to motivate this three-row crossover. Sure, it’s not as comically quick as the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-banger also available in the Santa Fe, but I never found myself wanting for more power.
Beyond the powertrain of the Santa Fe Hybrid, ride quality’s taut without straying far into firm territory, meaning you’ll still be comfortable over patchwork roads but your kids won’t feel queasy, even if they just inhaled a combined two kilograms of neon sour gummy worms. Add in reasonably accurate steering and solid visibility for a new vehicle, and the Santa Fe Hybrid is more maneuverable than you might expect, squeezing through tight city gaps like a house cat taking up residence in a cereal box.
However, the headline of the hybrid powertrain should be fuel economy, so how did the Santa Fe Hybrid do? Over 300 miles of driving, I managed 32 MPG, although I had winter-blend fuel, an extreme mixture of highway runs and short trips, cold weather, and no regard for fuel consumption whatsoever working against the EPA estimates. It’s worth noting that I briefly sampled the Santa Fe Hybrid last summer on a highway trip and managed 41 MPG in the real world, so with a bit of care and warm enough weather to keep the combustion engine’s emissions equipment in the right window, exceeding the official rating is totally possible.
Does It Have The Electronic Crap I Want?
Even in this relatively modest spec, the Santa Fe gets dual 12.3-inch screens, one for the gauges and one for the infotainment, both sitting behind one panel of glass and offering great contrast and fluidity. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both on deck, and Hyundai’s CarPlay integration is shockingly kind on phone battery use. There’s also loads of neat stuff like a raised wireless phone charger so your iPhone doesn’t rock back and forth, USB-C charging ports in the backs of the front seats so rear seat passengers can easily reach them, and a dual-function USB-C port for data transfer and fast charging, depending on what you need.
I’m still not terribly crazy about the capacitive touch panel for the heated seats and heated steering wheel, especially since it doesn’t offer haptic feedback, but the physical volume and climate knobs plus hard keys for important infotainment functions make using most of the tech aboard the Santa Fe easy.
Also, the standard unbranded stereo is surprisingly good for a base-level system. It won’t blow you away with clarity and staging, but it’s a night-and-day difference from non-premium systems in most competitors like the Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer. Decent punch, reasonable range, pretty low distortion, and the mids aren’t drowning. Good stuff.
Three Things To Know About The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
- Its clever drivetrain can shuffle significant torque fore and aft on electric power alone.
- The enormous hatch is perfect for loading bulky items.
- It’s one of the least expensive hybrid seven-seaters you can buy.
Does It Fulfil Its Purpose?
Absolutely. The new Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is hugely spacious for its footprint, economical, nice to be in, pleasant to drive, distinctive, and able to satisfy even in affordable trims. Beyond that, the Santa Fe Hybrid feels like where the smart money is in the three-row hybrid segment.
A Toyota Highlander Hybrid or Mazda CX-90 Plug-in Hybrid is a lot more money, the similarly priced Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV doesn’t have a third row suitable for adults even on short trips, and the Santa Fe Hybrid is simply a lot more spacious than the Kia Sorento Hybrid. Add in solid fuel economy and useful touches like the two-way console lid, and you get a three-row crossover that does everything well without taking up too much space. In some ways, the Santa Fe Hybrid reminds me of the original Volvo XC90 in how it’s designed to be clever, and that’s high praise.
What’s The Punctum Of The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid?
The best three-row crossover for your money gives you even more bang for the buck in hybridized form.
Top graphic credit: Thomas Hundal
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Thanks for yet another informative review Thomas.
This is an interesting vehicle and I think overall Hyundai’s done a good job evolving it, but I can’t help but be THAT guy who wonders whether a small 1.6 liter turbo with a modest 1.5 kWh hybrid battery is going to be OK for long-term ownership. That little engine’s gotta be stressed hefting the bulk of this three-row crossover around, right? Small hybrid batteries (like in a Prius) tend to last a fair while (over 10 years, in my experience) but a little 1.6 turbo 4-banger? Color me a wee bit uneasy… I happen to daily a first-gen Volvo XC90 like you mentioned in your closing, and while not without flaws (mediocre MPG, thin leather, weak headliner glue) the car itself remains strong and reliable even though it’s more than 20 years old now. I can’t help but wonder whether the same could be said for this Santa Fe Hybrid when it’s 20 years old?
And isn’t the 1.6 Turbo one of the Hyundai/Kia motors that’s got some history of oil issues? Or am I confusing it with a different motor in their vehicles?
At least there’s a blue and a red (at an extra charge) available on the SEL, along with the half-dozen-plus usual monochromes.
Man, it seems tiny, right?!
Yes, worryingly so.
As far as I know, it’s a different engine. You are likely thinking about the NA 2.0 liter engine.
My wife’s Soul (2020 GT-Line turbo) has the turbo 1.6 in it and it’s a fantastic engine. Obviously in the smaller Soul, it’s pretty quick (201 HP, 195 LB/FT in this car). With a little extra oomph from electric motors, I can see it moving the Santa Fe pretty well, albeit not as quickly as a FLex EcoBoost. I’d say at least more than adequate, and the mileage is a few ticks better than what the non-hybrid Soul does.
Different engine.
The four-cylinder bad actor is the Theta II. I’m a fan of H/K/G cars and I’d tell anyone to avoid that engine like one would avoid poison ivy.
The 1.6L turbo is a powerful thing. Essentially the same drivetrain package that powers the Kia Sportage PHEV (the regular Sportage Hybrid uses a slightly smaller electric motor vs PHEV version). This engine has been in use since 2019 when it debuted in the Sonata Hybrid.
It has a really ingenious design that incorporates both variable valve timing and variable valve duration as well.
The resulting 195 ft/lb (max torque) occurring between 1500 and 4500 RPM makes that grunt quite usable through most of the normal driving range. The 60hp electric motor in the Santa Fe and Sportage hybrid is enough for electric-only flat and slight incline driving.
Both also use a six-speed automatic transmission and can operate electric only, electric with gas, or electric with gas recharging only/running accessories. Logic swaps between these modes seamlessly and regen can help return power to the battery on downhills and stops. If you’re really into seeing what is happening as you drive, there are built in dashboards for that.
I own a Sportage Hybrid and while it’s about 800 lbs less curb weight, it’s quite responsive and plenty of low rev power on tap. At freeway speeds, passing is a breeze.
Thank you Lars and Mr. Catbox for clarifying. I’m glad to hear the 1.6T wasn’t a known problem child. I also appreciate the kudos for it… I’ll keep that in mind. 🙂
Well, which Scott is this? 😉
If it’s the 1.6 that had a history, I would hope that they figured out how to mitigate it.
As far as the blue and the red, I didn’t realize I was going to suddenly be in The MAtrix.
Intrigued by this powertrain. I’m in the “can’t handle that rear” camp, so this is DOA for me, but I’ve read good things for the previous gen, and a 2022 SEL hybrid or so remains on my “could go that direction” when we need to update the family steed.
These look so good.
Is this the same drivetrain from the recently reviewed Tuscon hybrid?
Essentially yes
Thanks Suss! This Santa Fe isn’t the prettiest boxy SUV I’ve ever seen, but I do appreciate the flat roof and upright butt, given my penchant for practicality. And 35 MPG is so much better than my current daily it almost seems like science fiction in comparison. 😉
I wonder if this current Hyundai powertrain is likely to be plagued by some of the oil-related issues common to other late model Hyundai/Kia products?
That Hyundai Santa Flex looks like a pretty good deal.
Love it. I call them Flex 2.0, but will switch. Your name is better.
I love 80% of this vehicle, but somebody needs to give Hyundai a note about the ending, it really lets down the whole thing.
Just about to write the same thing. It just looks wrong.
Rear lights like those will only ever look right to me under a whale tail between flared wheel wells
Yeah anytime I am behind of these I always wonder what they were thinking of with this design? And why would you want your tail lights that low?
Totally agree, but apparently they couldn’t raise the taillights and have struts long/strong enough for the giant hatch opening, so it was a very functional trade-off. (It was called out in some Autopian article or another last week.)
I don’t know — these are the usual cmments about the taillights being too low, but they’re the same height as on a sedan, or higher. To me the common chest-level taillights on your average CUV/SUV looks like Steven-Urkel-pants syndrome.
I just get the feeling that the design will not age well and it’ll look dated in 5 yrs. There is just a bit too much going on and for some reason the wheels look too small in the side profile.
The idea is great, just not sure of the implementation.
I thought these looked cool when they were revealed, but by the time I started seeing them in the wild they seemed dated to me. I actually think the previous gen looks nicer in some ways.
I do give Hyundai credit for taking a risk, and for putting so much effort into the interior. I’d like to see a few more physical controls, but it looks high quality.
I was closer to buying a 2023 than any prior car (that I didn’t actually buy) and was especially eager to get a model before the Shipping Container Redesign. It wasn’t just aesthetics, though, it was that the old models were swoopy and classy and “wagony” in all the right ways, completely without any real SUV pretense…unless you count the e-differential locking button, anyway.
Another thing was that the outgoing model — both the Limited and the Hybrid — had tons of buttons for the stuff you needed regularly, with a pretty good screen for the rest. I could tell from the wraparound screen in the Tucson and the Palisade that this was the direction the brand was heading for all models. So many buttons. Heated and cooled seats, all HVAC, audio, and so on. It was glorious. More buttons than any other modern car I can think of. There was something nostalgically appealing about that.
I still haven’t warmed up to the new design, but I applaud Hyundai’s strides in giving the market what it wants. And, of course, helping the Alabama/US economies by building these right here for so many years. That’s a level of foresight that’s paying even more dividends in today’s environment — assuming Hyundai doesn’t screw it up by putting blanket fees on all their cars based on the minority of them still coming from Korea. I doubt they will, but you never know.
I’m hoping the fact that Hyundai’s official photos never include any rear views means that they realize it’s atrocious and will fix it in a mid-cycle refresh.
Hybrids will do well for Hyundai and Kia so when their engines shit the bed at 60k it will at least have something to power them to the dealership for a 3 month wait for a new engine albeit under warranty.
The vehicle still relies on the combustion engine to charge the small ~1.49 or so kWh battery, that won’t get you very far with the engine running, maybe a little over a mile or so before it shuts off trying to protect the battery. A PHEV with a full battery would be better suited for emergency locomotion, but the current Santa Fe doesn’t offer a PHEV in the USA at least.
Actually looked at these as my Flex replacement and still considering whether I need a replacement or not (empty nesters). The H patterned DRLs and brake lamps are pretty corny.
Maybe a little corny but not nearly as corny as the “random techno-squiggle” BS other automakers are in love with. I could give my baby a crayon and come up with infinite lightning designs for Kia.
My daughter declared this The Minecraft Car yesterday (after leaving the movie…) and said it’s the second ugliest car on the road after the Cybertruck. I can’t completely disagree.
That’s absolutely brutal, she has a bright future ahead of her