Hyundai Santa Fe Review (2018-2020)

What is the Hyundai Santa Fe?

The Santa Fe is Hyundai’s flagship model, a large seven-seat SUV that aims to deliver luxury and space for less cash than more upmarket brands. The original model was launched in 2000 and was very much at the budget end of the new car spectrum, but by the time this fourth-generation machine arrived in 2018, the car was very much a serious rival for both mainstream and premium brands.

Hyundai kept things simple with the Santa Fe, offering just a single 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine option, which came with a six-speed manual as standard. However, there was the option of an eight-speed automatic, while either two- or four-wheel drive transmissions were offered.

The trim line-up was equally simple, with SE, Premium and Premium SE models to choose from, all of which were full seven seaters. Then in 2021 Hyundai launched what it termed a ‘facelift’, but despite similar looks the newcomer was almost totally overhauled under the skin so that it could accommodate hybrid powertrains.

Either way, if you’re looking for a large and spacious SUV that could haul all the family hundreds of miles for the summer holidays, but cope just as well with five little ones coming back home for an after-school play date, the Santa Fe should be on your shortlist.

How practical is it?

It’s the inside of the Hyundai that’s the star attraction, the Santa Fe delivering what every parent wants; plenty of space and practicality. This is a well-made car that offers enough room for seven adults, at a pinch, and more than enough space for a young family. The rearmost seats are comfortable enough for teenagers and include cup holders and controls for the air conditioning. Better still, the rearmost seats can be folded away quickly and easily into the floor when not needed.

However, you don’t get Isofix mounting points for child seats in the third row, so younger children will be safer sitting in the middle row, where there are two Isofix mounting points, or the front passenger seat which also offers an Isofix attachment.

There’s also loads of useful storage, with cubbies galore, a large glovebox and some vast doorbins. You’ll also find plenty of places to store your smartphone, plus a number of USB sockets that will ensure it always stays charged.

With all seven seats in place, boot capacity is on the cramped side, but there’s enough room for a few shopping bags or a pushchair. In five-seat layout, matters improve considerably, with a healthy 547 litres on offer. Lower all the rear seats and you’re greeted with an estate car-rivalling 1,625 litres. Better still, the Santa Fe comes with self-levelling rear suspension, meaning the car remains on an even keel even when heavily loaded.

Speaking of which, the Hyundai also makes a good choice if you tow, with the ability to haul a braked trailer of up to 2,500kg. Bear in mind, however, that this figure is for the six-speed manual car - the automatic can manage only 2,000kg.

Elsewhere, the cabin quality and design is easily on a par with rivals, including the Kia Sorento, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Skoda Kodiaq. In fact, even if you’re thinking of spending more on an Audi Q7, BMW X5 or Volvo XC90, then you should do yourself a favour and compare them with the Santa Fe, because if you can look beyond the badge and some finer points of tactile quality, the Hyundai could save you a pretty sum of money.

What's it like to drive?

On the road the Santa Fe feels reassuringly undemanding. Like home help, it gets on with the job, the engine pulling effortlessly, the eight-speed gearbox responding quickly and operating smoothly and the suspension doing a grand job of keeping this big car both composed and comfortable for all onboard. Hyundai says it will return 39mpg on average, and emit 186g/km in CO2 emissions.

Noise levels are low, with a slightly quieter diesel engine than the Skoda Kodiaq’s 2.0-litre TDI unit, and the roadholding is stable and secure. Yes, the steering is light and fairly lifeless, but it’s accurate and, despite its bulk, the Santa Fe is easy to place on the road. It’s surprisingly wieldy around town, too, where the raised driving position and light controls make it far more manageable than you’d expect.

Yet the Santa Fe is in its element on longer haul trips, where its low noise levels and cushioned ride make it a relaxing companion. It’s helped here by the lusty delivery of that diesel engine, which has no trouble performing when fully loaded, even when climbing long motorway inclines. In fact, the only thing that annoyed us about the Santa Fe was its lane-keep assist system, which is too sensitive for A- and B roads, meaning it continually corrects the steering when it’s not needed; a disconcerting feeling. Hyundai allows drivers to switch it off, by pressing a button to the right of the steering wheel.

Technology, infotainment and equipment

There’s not a lot of choice when it comes to trim levels with the Santa Fe, but all come very well equipped. For instance, the entry-level SE features alloy wheels, climate control, front- and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control to name but a few features.

Step up to the Premium and you’ll find keyless entry, a powered tailgate, leather trim and heating for the front- and second row seats. Even the steering wheel gets a warmer, which is nice on those frosty winter mornings.

For the Premium SE you benefit from ventilated front seats, a surround view camera and a head-up display that projects speed and sat-nav data onto the windscreen.

The SE gets a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with easy-to-use menus, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, Bluetooth connectivity and DAB radio. The other models feature a larger 8.0-inch display and sat-nav.

Given its family car status there’s lots of safety kit, too. We’ve already touched on the lane keep assist system, but there’s also a blind spot warning system and autonomous emergency braking. In fact, with such a wide range of safety equipment as standard on such a large car, it's no surprise to find that the Santa Fe scores a five-star rating from Euro NCAP.

Hyundai Santa Fe running costs

Those looking to cut their emissions or save on road tax and company car tax may want to look elsewhere because the diesel-powered, four-cylinder CRDi Santa Fe is behind the times in both respects. That's something Hyundai has addressed with the Santa Fe's successor, which has introduced hybrid power.

When new, road tax in the first year costs £1,305 for the manual model and the automatic in Premium trim, while the automatic Premium SE cost £1,850 to tax, although both those sums were rolled up into the car's brand new on-the-road price. In years two to five, the manual gearbox model is the only version to escape the additional road tax for cars costing more than £40,000, meaning it will be £150 a year to tax, compared with £475 a year for the other two versions.

It sits in the top company car tax band, reserved for vehicles that emit more than 160g/km of CO2. The manual version returns an average fuel economy of 41mpg and emits 179 g/km, whereas the automatic manages 39mpg and 186 g/km. The automatic in Premium SE trim returns 38mpg and 191g/km.

To really benefit from fuel savings, you’ll need a plug-in hybrid SUV. The more affordable are the Ford Kuga, Mitsubishi Outlander and Volvo XC40, but these are smaller than the Santa Fe. The comparable-size SUVs with plug-in tech are more expensive, and include the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Volvo XC90.

Hyundai includes five years of breakdown cover with every new model and offers fixed-price servicing. For the Santa Fe SUV, the basic service (an oil change with 23 checkpoints) costs £119. An interim service (an oil change with engine filter and replacement clutch and brake fluid, plus 32 checkpoints) is £189. The most comprehensive full service is £249. That’s significantly less than so-called premium brands.

Hyundai Santa Fe reliability

On the face of it, Hyundai appears to do all it can to ensure its customers are a happy bunch. The Korean car maker includes a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty with its new cars, plus breakdown cover and annual safety inspections for the duration. That stands comparison with Kia and Toyota, and betters the majority of car companies that only offer a three-year warranty.

However, you should check the warranty conditions carefully, as some parts are omitted prematurely. These include the air-conditioning, brake components, clutch disc, drive belts for the engine and radio. Happily, any remaining warranty period transfers to someone that buys the car from you.

In independent customer satisfaction surveys, Hyundai as a brand performs well, better than any of the German or Japanese brands that it competes with. The Auto Express Driver Power survey saw Hyundai come out on top, as the most reliable brand.

Yet the previous generation Santa Fe didn’t prove faultless. In the 2020 What Car? Reliability Survey, it ranked 19th out of 22 large SUVs. That saw it score 61.6 percent, whereas the comparable Toyota RAV4 scored 97.6 per cent.