Hyundai’s fifth-generation Santa Fe is boxy, but boxes clever. Gareth Dean shares his impressions from the launch drive…
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Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD Fast Facts
- Price: R1 249 900
- Engine: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol + electric motor
- Transmission: six-speed automatic
- Power: 175 kW
- Torque: 367 N.m
- Driven wheels: All
- 0-100 km/h: 9.5 seconds
- Top speed: 190 km/h (limited)
- Fuel consumption: 7.5 L/100 km
What are we driving?
The introduction of the fifth-generation Santa Fe sees the company’s longstanding SUV adopt a new tack by taking a more family-car-focused tilt at the segment norms and introducing a hybridised powertrain. Marginally larger than its predecessor in every direction but sitting lower to the tarmac (177 mm of ground clearance versus the outgoing car’s 206 mm) and possessed of striking, boxy bodywork that accommodates a spacious seven-seater cabin, the new Hyundai Santa Fe’s packaging appears to bridge the gap between SUV and MPV.
Why is the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD significant?
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the new Hyundai Santa Fe is that it’s Hyundai SA’s first hybrid-engined model. Whereas previous iterations made use of large-displacement petrol units or versions of the much-vaunted Smartstream four-cylinder turbodiesel, the new car instead adopts a 1.6-litre turbopetrol engine that incorporates a starter generator in the transmission to aid smooth start/stop and EV-to-ICE power transitions, as well as 44.2 kW electric motor on the front axle. This setup, producing combined outputs of 175 kW and 367 N.m, offers EV-only lows-speed driving, as well as electric-assisted ICE propulsion, along with claimed fuel consumption of just 6.6 L/100 km.
What’s new on the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD?
While it is spun off the same Hyundai-kia N3 platform as the previous model, the new Santa Fe is about as far-removed from its predecessor as can be. The new car’s angular styling and (very boxy) two-box profile are a far cry from the more curvaceous lines of the previous car and play host to some eye-catching lighting elements, front and rear, that incorporate the firm’s H-shaped LED signature elements. The rear aspect is particularly attention-grabbing, owing to its low-set brakelamp arrays.
Related: Santa Fe Arrives As First Hyundai Hybrid in SA – Pricing and Spec
This feature isn’t just aesthetic, though. According to Sang Yup Lee, Hyundai’s head of global design, this unusual setup was adopted so that the space that the tailgate struts would otherwise occupy in the rear pillars could instead be utilised to provide a larger opening for the luggage compartment. There’s a similar sense of utility-driven design in the cabin, where the adoption of a column-mounted gear shifter frees up room in the centre console for a pair of wireless phone charging pads and two cup holders, and a modular centre storage box that can be easily accessed by front and rear occupants. There’s also an MPV-esque air to the rear passenger compartment owing to such features as acres of leg- and headroom, window blinds, rear vents, a brace of cup holders in each door, USB-C ports, and plenty of light coming in through the panoramic glass roof. The Santa Fe’s spacious interior also incorporates an impressively roomy boot, measuring 413-1 148 litres according to Hyundai’s claims.
What does the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD Performance cost?
The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD costs R1 249 900, which includes Hyundai’s impressive 7-year/200 000 km mechanical warranty and 6-year/900 000 km service plan. The Elite is the sole model-line offering on our market, but it is very generously equipped with the likes of a 12-speaker Bose audio system, 360-degree parking cameras, a full ADAS suite (blind-spot, lane-keeping assist, forward collision braking, adaptive cruise control etc), electrically adjustable leather seats, front and rear seat heating, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition, and an electric tailgate among the standard items.
What is the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD like to drive?
The short answer is very pleasant indeed. While there will no doubt be some misgivings about the omission of a diesel powertrain, it must be said that the hybrid powertrain is an impressively well-resolved unit that doesn’t want for pulling power and transitions smoothly between EV and ICE propulsion. It also impressed with its frugality on our drive, besting Hyundai’s claimed figure with an average fuel consumption figure of 6.8 L/100 km. On the road, you do feel this car’s lower ground clearance and wider stance at play. While the seating position is commanding, it’s not as high-sited as in most SUVs, but that lower centre of gravity does make the Santa Fe feel more connected to the road. There’s little in the way of road and wind noise permeating the solidly built cabin, making progress feel suitably serene, and the ride quality is impressively absorbent – likely an upshot of the uprated bump stops fitted to the MacPherson front/multilink rear suspension.
Hyundai has made it abundantly clear that the latest Santa Fe is less off-road-oriented than its predecessor, citing a shift in consumer priorities from all-road ability to practicality and comfort. As such, you’re unlikely to do anything more than a spot of light dirt road or green-laning in the new car. Even so, the Santa Fe’s quick run along the scenic but often heavily rutted and loose-surfaced Highlands Road that runs between Kleinmond and Elgin was a composed affair, with plenty of grip served up by an AWD system that pumps torque to the rear axle on demand, while the uprated suspension did a good job of ironing out corrugations.
What are the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD’s rivals?
The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD’s combination of hybrid powertrain, seven-seater cabin and sticker price of R1 249 900 make it difficult to pick out direct rivals, but the likes of the Lexus NX450h+ F Sport (R1 376 000) Volvo XC60 T8 Twin Engine PHEV (R1 390 000) and Ford Everest 3.0 V6 Platinum 4WD (R1 284 614) cover similar provisos, if not all in the same bracket.
Verdict
It’s quite a departure from its predecessors, but the new Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite AWD’s ability to weave some MPV-like space and utility into a stylish and more town-friendly SUV package, along with an impressively frugal powerplant, makes it an unusual but very appealing option for families looking for a practical yet (mild) adventure-ready set of wheels.
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