In MK5 form, the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid has been revitalised. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

This fifth generation Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid manages to build three seating rows into a package that gives you most of what you get from a really large seven-seat family SUV - for not much more than the price of a mid-sized model in this segment.

Background

It wasn't long ago that Hyundai's very biggest SUV, the Santa Fe, was primarily associated with diesel power. Since 2021 though, it's been available only as a Hybrid or a PHEV and that policy has been continued with the fifth generation model we look at in Plug-in Hybrid form here. Like the last generation Santa Fe, the PHEV version of this one benefits greatly from the fact that this car is significantly bigger than most sub-£60,000 family-sized SUVs you could choose. This means that unlike rivals, who often have to forego a third seating row in order to cram in Plug-in Hybrid tech, the Santa Fe PHEV can seat seven and now does so with avant-garde styling that will really get them talking on the school run.

Driving Experience

Not many PHEVs these days (except this model's near identically-engineered Sorento cousin) still retain a battery just 13.8kWh in size: and that really hurts this Hyundai when it comes to EV range - AER-rated at just 33.6 miles. Which is about half what you'd get from the VW Group models in this segment (though admittedly, they can't be had with seven seats). The PHEV comes with mandatory 4WD and gets a power hike over the Hybrid (to 253PS) to compensate for its extra weight, though because the 265Nm torque figure remains the same as the HEV, there's no real performance benefit - rest to 62mph takes 9.3s. With both powertrains, brake regen paddles are provided behind the steering wheel, though the stronger settings aren't that strong. And there's a fascia button to switch between EV and HEV drive for when the battery will stand it (though no option to save EV range until later in your trip). Since air suspension can't be justified at this price point, for car makers, getting the ride quality right in a big SUV at this price point can be problematic; it needs to be supple for ride comfort, but not to the point where the vehicle corners like a Channel ferry in a choppy sea. We think Hyundai's judged the balance pretty well here, though pot holes and speed humps are still quite keenly felt. As is the note of the engine under harsh acceleration. It settles down a lot at cruising speeds though, which makes the Santa Fe a pleasant long-journeying companion, aided by a 'Highway Drive Assist' system that can maintain a set speed while providing steering assistance on curved sections of highway. For that kind of cruising, you'll probably be leaving the car in the most frugal of the three provided 'Drive' modes - 'Eco'; the others are 'Sport' (which perks things up quite noticeably) and a 'MyDrive' setting, basically an auto mode that sorts everything out for you. More 'Terrain'-branded drive modes are available if you've selected an all-wheel drive Santa Fe - 'Snow', 'Mud' and 'Sand'. As with the previous generation model, these work with the 4WD system's 'HTRAC' set-up, which apportions torque in varying quantities between the axles depending on the traction available, at the same time as braking individual wheels in search of better grip. As usual though with a car of this class, there's not really enough ride height to venture anywhere too gnarly, so the 'Terrain' side of the drive mode dial will probably remain largely unused. It might be useful though if you were towing on a slippery surface, though that's an unlikely eventuality with a Santa Fe which, thanks to its hybrid petrol powertrains can tug along just 1,110kgs of braked weight.

Design and Build

Hyundai's Chief Designer SangYup Lee clearly wanted a complete departure from the previous generation model, which had a conservative visual vibe the brand has now abandoned. The squarical, rugged practical look of its replacement certainly won't be to everyone's taste, but it's a look that is very much 'in', a trend started by the current Land Rover Defender. There are further shades of that car with the panel on this Santa Fe's upper flank behind the rear door, which here pops open as a grab handle so you can reach things on the roof rack. The squared-off edges make the car appear even bigger than its 4.8m length suggests and it rides on large 20-inch wheels. Inside, it's the usual screen fest, with gently curved joined 12.3-inch displays for the infotainment and instruments, plus a further 6.6-inch climate control screen with physical dials. It's all very avant-garde and there's some nice metal-effect trimming and plenty of storage space, including a deep central cubby. The second row is spacious (legroom is improved by 35mm), with a sliding bench too; and there are plenty of cupholders and USB ports to go round. As is also the case with the third row, where that boxy shape means more headroom than is usually the case with an SUV of this class - 69mm more of it than before. Legroom at the very back is still more suited to those of school age though, despite a 15mm improvement this time round. The seating height is up by 30mm, so there's a better view forwards; and the third row backrest can recline by 10-degrees. The square shape obviously helps boot space too: there's even a reasonable amount with the third seating row in place. And Hyundai's particularly proud of the fact that the boot opening is exceptionally wide. There's 621-litres of space with the third seating row folded (only 7-litres less than the HEV version) and 1,942-litres with everything flat.

Market and Model

This PHEV Santa Fe costs just under £5,000 more than the base HEV Hybrid model and was priced at the time of our test in early 2025 from around £52,000. All PHEV variants come only with 4WD. There are three trim levels, 'Premium', 'Ultimate' or 'Caligraphy'. And three rows of seats are standard, even in this PHEV; quite a few rival Plug-in Hybrid SUVs can only offer two seating rows. All Santa Fe models feature roof rails, front and rear parking sensors with a rear view camera, privacy glass, dual zone climate control, heated front seats, drivers' seat height adjustment, a leather steering wheel, automatic windscreen wipers, a DAB radio, wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring Smart High Beam Assist and cruise control. There's also a huge amount of included drive assist technology, including an improved version of the brand's 'Forward Collision-Avoidance' autonomous braking system. The 'Lane Following Assist' feature that keeps the car in lane has been enhanced too, plus there's a clever 'Smart Cruise Control 2' set-up as well. Along with familiar driver aids like 'Intelligent Speed Limit Assist' and 'Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist'.

Cost of Ownership

For real frugality in a Santa Fe, you'll need this Plug-in Hybrid variant, but it's not quite as efficient as its obvious segment competitors because, unlike most of them, Hyundai hasn't dramatically increased the size of the PHEV system battery - it's just 13.8kWh in size. That's why this car can only travel up to 33.6 AER-rated miles on battery power alone - around half the mileage you'd get from, say, a Skoda Kodiaq iV (though that car has only five seats). That restricted battery size also tells with the efficiency stats - 166mpg on the combined cycle and 38g/km of CO2, which sound good but are nowhere near the level boasted by most obvious rivals. Which in turn means you'll be paying a higher level of Benefit-in-Kind taxation (12%) than you might expect to with a car of this kind. As usual with a PHEV, what you'll actually get in day-to-day use won't be far off what you would have got from a decent diesel SUV of this sort in the past; we've been getting figures in the mid-40mpg range on this test, falling to the mid-30s with motorway use. Unfortunately, this Plug-in Hybrid gets a much smaller 47-litre fuel tank too. Once the battery gets down below 15% of capacity, the PHEV system draws on the engine a lot more and efficiency suffers. So you'll want to keep that battery topped up as much as possible. In that regard, it's worth pointing out that the plug-in Santa Fe's onboard charger has just 3.6kW of output, so a full charge from a typical 7.4kW AC home wallbox will take four hours - which is quite a long time for a PHEV wallbox charge.

Summary

As the diesel era draws to a close, but at a time when the EV era isn't quite mature, the appeal of Plug-in Hybrid tech has never been stronger. And it makes particular sense in a spacious family SUV of this kind, provided the manufacturer concerned can build it in while keeping a seven-seat format, as Hyundai has here. We liked the previous fourth generation Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid too, but it was lacking quite a lot in pavement presence, something the Korean maker's been bold in rectifying here. Not everyone will like the end result but if you do, you might really want one. Should that be the case, the extra for this PHEV variant could be money well spent.

Body Glass

Hidden rear wiper

Windscreen with acoustic film

Manual rear door blinds

Solar glass windscreen and front windows

Windscreen auto defog function

Heated rear window

Rear windows and tailgate privacy glass

Front and rear electric windows

Automatic windscreen wipers with rain sensor

Brakes

Adjustable regenerative braking paddle shifters

TSA (Trailer Stability Assist)

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Electric parking brake with auto hold function

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)

Hill start assist control (HAC)

Dynamic brake control

Chassis/Suspension

Self levelling suspension

Communication

Over the air software updates (OTA)

Wireless phone charging pad

Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition

Driver Aids

Navigation based smart adaptive cruise control with stop and go

Lane keeping assist (LKA)

Highway drive assist (HDA)

Bluelink and Wireless Apple Carplay/Android Auto

Power assisted steering

Safe exist assist (SEA)

Intelligent speed limit assist (ISLA)

Rear view monitor

Lane departure warning system (LDW)

Driver status monitor (DSM)

Drive mode selector

Forward collision avoidance assist (FCA 1.5)

Lane Follow Assist 2 (LFA 2)

Front and rear parking sensors

Driver Convenience

Smart electric tailgate with hand's free opening function

Emergency services call system

Driver Information

Low washer fluid warning

12.3" Drivers supervision instrument cluster with LCD display

Driving Mirrors

Interior electrochromic mirror

Electric adjustable/heated/auto power folding door mirrors

Embellishment Trims

Obsidian black interior decals

Engine

Shift by Wire Gear Selector (SBW)

Entertainment

2nd Row USB C Ports x2 Charging

Front USB C port 1 charging and 1 data/charging

12.3" Touchscreen display with satellite navigation

6 speakers

Steering wheel audio,phone and cruise controls

3rd Row USB C Ports x2 Charging

Exterior Body Features

Body colour bumpers

Roof rails

Rear side wing doors

Exterior Lights

Dynamic welcome light

LED taillights

LED positioning lights

LED indicator lights

LED indicators in door mirrors

Automatic headlights with dusk sensor

LED daytime running lights

LED Headlights

High beam assist

LED third brake light

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Dual zone climate control air conditioning

Interior Features

Luggage net

Luggage cover

Luggage hooks

Two front cup holders

Leather wrapped heated steering wheel

2nd and 3rd row center armrest with cupholder

Leather upholstery

Height and reach manually adjustable steering column

Interior Lights

Multi colour LED ambient lighting

Packs

Trailer wiring pack - Santa Fe

Safety

Airbag - Front, front side, curtain and centre front airbags

Tyre pressure monitoring system

3 point seatbelts on all seats

Manual child lock in rear doors

Seats

Electrically adjustable front seats with electric lumbar support

Heated front seats

Split folding (50/50) third row seats

Split folding (60/40), sliding and reclining second row seats

Single front passenger seat

Front head restraints

3rd row head restraints

Centre rear head restraint

Rear head restraints

Security

Smart Key - Keyless entry with Power On/Off button

Immobiliser

Vanity Mirrors

Sun Visors with driver and passenger illuminated vanity mirrors

Wheels - Alloy

20" Standard silver alloy wheels

Wheels - Spare

Tyre mobility kit

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: N

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

Battery Leased: 0

Battery Capacity in kWh: 13.8

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 125000

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 8

Coupler/Connector Type: Type 2

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 7

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: N

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 0-100

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 7

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 210

WLTP - Equivalent AER (km) - Comb: 55

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 70

Charging Port Location: Right Side Rear

WLTP - Equivalent AER (miles) - Comb: 34

Usable Battery Capacity: N

Emissions - ICE

Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6

HC+NOx: N

Particles: N

Emissions - PHEV

WLTP - CO2 Weighted (g/km) - Comb: 38

Engine and Drive Train

Number of Valves: 16

Gears: 6 SPEED

Transmission: SEMI-AUTO

Compression Ratio: 10.5:1

Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE

Catalytic Convertor: No

Fuel Delivery: TURBO DIRECT INJECTION

Camshaft: DOHC

Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE

Cylinders: 4

Cylinders - Bore (mm): 75.6

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): 89

CC: 1598

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: 0

Fuel Consumption - PHEV

WLTP - FC Weighted (l/100km) - Comb: 1.7

WLTP - FC Weighted (mpg) - Comb: 166

General

Badge Power: 253

NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 4

NCAP Safety Assist %: 69

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: N

NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 70

NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 88

NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 84

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 38D

Badge Engine CC: 1.6

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No

Coin Series: Premium

Coin Description: TGDi Plug-in Hybrid

Generation Mark: 5

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 5

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 999999

Performance

Engine Torque - MKG: 37.4

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

0 to 62 mph (secs): 9.3

Top Speed: 112

Engine Power - PS: No

Engine Power - BHP: 253

Engine Power - KW: 186

Engine Power - RPM: 5500

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 271

Engine Torque - RPM: 1500

Engine Torque - NM: 367

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: RDE 2

Tyres

Tyre Size Rear: 255/45 R20

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 20" ALLOY

Wheel Style: STANDARD SILVER

Space Saver?: 0

Tyre Size Front: 255/45 R20

Alloys?: No

Vehicle Dimensions

Wheelbase: 2815

Length: 4830

Width (including mirrors): 1900

Height (including roof rails): 1780

Weight and Capacities

Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 750

Max. Loading Weight: 710

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1110

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 47

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 621

No. of Seats: 7

Max. Roof Load: 100

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2675

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 985

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 11.6

Minimum Kerbweight: 1965

Exterior Body Features

Metallic paint

Pearlescent paint

Premium pearlescent paint

Matte paint

Packs

Smartsense+ pack - Santa Fe

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Magnetic grey

Metallic - Typhoon silver

Paint - Pearlescent

Pearl - Creamy white

Pearl - Abyss black

Paint - Solid

Solid - Terracotta orange

Paint - Special

Matte - Creamy white

Matte - Earthy brass

Premium pearlescent - Cyber sage

Premium pearlescent - Olive green

Premium pearlescent - Pebble blue

Trim - Leather

Leather - Obsidian black