Read Caroline’s Hyundai Santa Fe review for everything you need to know buying Hyundai’s large seven-seat SUV in Ireland.
For a long time the Santa Fe has been a favourite among buyers looking for a large family SUV or seven seater. Now Hyundai Ireland has welcomed a brand new one and it’s fair to say that it’s Hyundai’s biggest and best yet.
It’s available now as a plug-in hybrid only and goes on sale priced from €66,995.
Let’s take a closer look.
Design
The Santa Fe has been transformed for this fifth generation model. It’s a much bigger vehicle now. It’s longer by about 45 mm and wider too. It also has a longer wheelbase and shortened front overhang design. Combined with the high bonnet and boxy rear end, the Santa Fe’s new utilitarian design is sure to turn heads.
At the front, there’s a distinct H-shape illumination in the LED headlights. There are two trims for Ireland: Premium and Calligraphy. Both come with large 20-inch alloy wheels but the Calligraphy gets a more bling multi spoke set in black and more gloss black finish around the wheel arches, bumpers and sills.
Hyundai Santa Fe Interior
The Santa Fe is huge inside and feels properly stately from behind the wheel. The quality is excellent and there’s a real upmarket feel to it. The roof and front pillars are even lined in suede.
The digital technology all sits very well in the car. At first there seems like a myriad of controls and buttons, but it’s actually all very intuitive to use. There’s an impressive 12.3″ digital driver display and 12.3″ panoramic curved display with navigation that feels very slick and premium. The driver also gets a handy head-up display that projects key information on to the windscreen.
There’s an incredibly high specification list including heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats with power adjustment and memory function, dual wireless smartphone charging pad, BOSE stereo, surround view monitor and remote smart parking assist. The front seats can recline fully at the touch of a button and have their own integrated foot rest for ultimate relaxation if you stop for a break on a long journey. Calligraphy models add Nappa leather and even a UV sterilisation tray above the passenger glove box to sterilise items like smartphones and wallets.
Practicality
All Santa Fe models are seven seaters. There’s a huge amount of space in the second row. The boxy shape means it’s great for headroom too. Even the two extra seats in the third row are very accommodating so it’s one of the best seven seat SUVs on sale if you regularly need to use the two extra seats.
In seven seat mode, there’s not a huge amount of boot space left but enough for a few bags. When you do let down the third row seats, there’s a whopping 621 litres! A powered tailgate comes as standard.
The second row seats fold forward at the touch of a button to make access into the back seats easier. They can also be folded flat easily from buttons in the boot and split fold 60:40. There’s also separate ventilation, USB ports and cupholders for every row of seating and four Isofix child seat fixtures: two in the second row and two in the third – ideal for family buyers.
Driving the Santa Fe PHEV
The Santa Fe has been tuned for comfort and dynamic ability. New Frequency Sensitive Control (FSC) dampers improve the ride comfort while keeping body control in check. For such a big vehicle, it handles the road with real elegance and is enjoyable to drive. The ride quality is excellent, as are refinement levels.
In Ireland, the Santa Fe is sold as a plug-in hybrid only with a total of 253hp and 367Nm from its 1.6 petrol engine and electric motor combined. It accelerates like a boss, with the 0-100 km/h sprint done in 9.3 seconds. It’s a smooth delivery of power when you’re ambling along. Out on the motorway when you put your foot down hard to overtake, there is a moment of hesitation from the six-speed automatic transmission before the power comes in.
The plug-in hybrid has an EV driving range of up to 54 kilometres from its 13.8kWh battery, which will allow you to complete some journeys without calling on the petrol engine. It’s an okay range but some seven seaters like the upcoming Peugeot 5008 plug-in hybrid have a longer EV only range. The Santa Fe is at its best with regular charging and keeping the battery topped up as fuel consumption will take a hit otherwise. But even on that score, it does pretty well for such a big SUV – my average consumption was 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres over a few days driving. The charging rate is modest enough at 3.6kW, but being a small battery it will charge in a few hours at home.
Four wheel drive as standard
The Santa Fe plug-in hybrid comes with four wheel drive as standard. It can adapt to trickier surfaces thanks to the Terrain Mode Selector, which allows you to select specific settings easily for better traction on snow, mud, and sand.
Hyundai Santa Fe Pricing
The new Santa Fe is available from €66,995 in the Premium trim and from €69,995 in the Calligraphy trim.
Verdict
There’s an astounding amount of features and equipment to unpack with the new Santa Fe! Not only has this car got far more visual appeal than it did before, but inside it’s hugely practical with so many family-friendly features. The plug-in hybrid’s EV only range is quite modest now these days, but otherwise it’s a quiet and refined driving experience that feels ultimately very upmarket. The Santa Fe sits at a mid-point between some more affordable seven seaters like the Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008, and more expensive ones like the Kia EV9 and the Volvo XC90. When it comes to space and equipment where it sits, it’s quite unbeatable and definitely worth a look.
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Written by Caroline Kidd
Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year
The post Hyundai Santa Fe Review (2024) appeared first on Changing Lanes.