New 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Review

Is this unique looking Hyundai enough to be the best against its rivals

Exterior – Front

So, as I have already said this does look very similar to the Land Rover Defender and this is mainly because of the front end. Now we get a Vauxhall Vizor element with the headlights connected to this mesh pattern bar which gives it an off-roader premium look to it. The headlights also have a H in it for Hyundai which I do quite like. Lower down we get a blocky bumper design with a body colour panel again in the shape of the letter H and surrounding it is black panelling and your lower central air vent. This is also where your driving assistant systems are hidden. We also get some discrete side vents too which I quite like.

Exterior – Side

Moving round the side and the premium blocky defender styling continues. We get these extended wheel arches with some gloss black cladding and this gloss black cladding runs along the sills too. the door handles are blockly looking and so to are the door mirrors. You do get a lot of glass along the side which you will see later that this makes the interior a nice place to be. We also get some roof rails and this very clever and hidden handle that you can use to lift yourself up so you can get items on the roof. Now this will probably never be used as most people will grab on the roof bars but it is a nice touch.

Exterior – Rear

Moving round to the back and we get a slab rear end design. To be honest this has to be the flattest rear end design I have actually seen on a car for quite some time. we get huge Santa Fe lettering on the back as well as some more gloss black cladding. We also get some cool looking taillights in the shape of a H just like the front and also just like the front these taillights are connected with a black bar. The only downside I have with this design is that if someone went in the back of you the repair costs will be a lot higher because it is all one panel. Anyway, lets have a look and see what engine and gearbox options you can have with the new Hyundai Santa Fe.

Car and engine specs and price

So, the engine lineup consists of only 1 model in the UK, and this is the plug-in hybrid model. This is a 1.6 turbo Petrol engine and an electric motor creating a combined power output of 250 bhp. this can do 0-62 in 9.3 seconds and power is sent to all 4 wheels through an automatic gearbox. This model has a single electric motor with a 13-kWh battery pack giving this car a 33-mile electric only range which isn’t that bad considering its size. The price of the Hyundai Santa Fe starts at £51,885 which isn’t that bad considering it is quite premium. right, lets have a look at the interior.

Interior – Design

So, climbing inside the new Hyundai Santa Fe and we actually get a very decent design compared to some new Kia designs we have had. To start with we get this curved panel screen that houses your Infotainment system and your Instrument cluster. This looks very sleek and modern, and both the instrument cluster and infotainment are easy to use. You also get this little magnet on the driver’s side so you can attach things to it. The rest of the dashboard feels rugged but premium and functional. The door cards for example have all the necessary functions on it and feel high end but look rugged too. the centre console also houses physical climate control buttons that are easy to reach and in the centre console you get 2 wireless charging pads as well as a lot of storage which I like. The indicator stalks are also decent, and we also have your gear selector lower down on the steering column just like the electric Hyundai’s. the steering wheel whilst it does look plain it is functional and has 4 dots that light up at night for the letter H in morse code. Finally, these seats are very comfortable and have a lot of adjustment too so you can get in a great position and do a long journey in them. talking of seats, lets have a look at the rear seats.

Practicality

So, climbing into the middle row seats and as you would expect for this type and size of car, we get plenty of leg room as well as headroom. We also get a few creature comforts like USB C ports in the front seats and an arm rest. You can also recline and slide the middle row which is quite nice. You also get a little graphic on the back of the front seats. What is odd though is that there aren’t any rear air vents. Something you would expect this car to have considering the size and price and considering smaller cars like the MG3 has them. anyway, let’s have a look at the third row.

So, climbing further into the back and legroom and headroom isn’t that bad but not great for an adult on a long journey and like most 7 seaters is designed for children. We do get ISOFIX in the third row as well as some air vents and some charging ports and even storage which is quite nice. Talking of storage, lets have a look at the boot space.

Boot Size

So, opening the boot electronically and with all 7 seats in place you get a decent amount of space for a weekend away. Specific figures haven’t been announced yet, but I will let you know once they have. Folding the rear row down and you get 621 litres of boot space which is quite a lot and folding the middle row down this increases further to 1,942 litres which is very impressive. You also get special features like a self-levelling suspension as well as no load lip so lifting items in is very easy.

Summary

So, in summary then, what do I think of the new Hyundai Santa Fe. Well, it looks cool and unique, and the interior design and feel is up there with the German manufacturers which is very good and considering the price and what you get I do think it is worth it. Personally, I would like to see a diesel options or the mild hybrid petrol engine option in the UK as this would make it cheaper and give the customer more of a choice but that doesn’t mean the plug-in hybrid isn’t any good. It has a decent amount of power and a decent amount of range to drive round town although it isn’t as good as some rivals. Personally, this could easily rival the Land Rover Defender 130. With this you also get a 5-year warranty. What would you choose. This or the Defender. Let me know in the comments below.

Exterior 5/5

Interior 5/5

Practicality 4/5

Total 14/15

Model	Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate 7 Seater
Engine	1.6l Turbo Plug In Hybrid, 250bhp, 0-62 = 9.3 Seconds, 4 Wheel Drive
Transmission	7 Speed Dual Clutch Automatic
Price	£55,245
On Sale	Now