- The Santa Fe Hybrid’s the smart pick in Hyundai’s three-row SUV family.
- A turbo-4 plus a motor and batteries nets 231 hp for good acceleration
- EPA combined gas mileage hits 36 mpg with front-wheel drive
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is a striking redesign of the Korean maker’s longstanding SUV model. With three rows now standard, the midsize crossover utility launched with each a standard gasoline powertrain and a hybrid option, reasonably priced at only $500 more.
In late August, we had the possibility to drive a 2024 Santa Fe Hybrid within the rolling hills around Santa Barbara, a few hours north of Los Angeles. Overall, we found the hybrid version of the brand new Santa Fe eminently practical and a nice place to spend time. We’d dub the hybrid the higher of two powertrains on this recent crossover; it’s smoother in addition to more fuel-efficient.
Given the low price premium, we expect the Hybrid to seek out favor amongst families who know an EPA combined rating within the mid-30s will save them significant money over one within the low- to mid-20s. As automakers grapple to fulfill increasingly tough emission limits for cars in model years 2026 to 2035, Hyundai has clearly chosen hybrids at attractive prices as one option to meet those goals. In fact it also has a growing array of electrical cars—but hybrids are a rising share of its Tucson sales in the favored compact crossover segment. You’ll be able to expect that to be the case for its midsize Santa Fe as well.
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe
Is that, ummm, a Land Rover?
By now, the striking design of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe has began to look on city and suburban streets. It’s an enormous departure from previous generations, with its square, slab-sided lines earning comparisons to Land Rovers and other bluff SUVs. Even in car-jaded California, it gets looks in traffic. Remarkably, Hyundai claims a drag coefficient of 0.294, remarkable for such an upright and blocky shape—the Subaru Outback is available in at 0.34, Hyundai said—proving that fuel-sucking air drag may be tamed in alternative ways.
Inside, it’s airy and open, with the brand new Hyundai standard dashboard design of twin 12.3-inch screens on a large horizontal tray. It’s an arrangement first seen within the Ioniq 5 battery-electric hatchback utility. Now it appears in a growing variety of Hyundai models, from the Ioniq 6 EV sedan to the refreshed 2025 Tucson compact crossover.
The brand new hybrid powertrain consists of a 1.6-liter direct-injected inline-4, paired to a standard 6-speed automatic transmission. Between engine and transmission sits a 47.7-kw (64-hp) electric motor, which takes its power from a 1.5-kwh lithium-ion battery. Total output of the combined powertrain is 231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the smaller Tucson, though, there’s no plug-in hybrid variant offered.
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe
Acceleration: feels peppier than gasoline version
The Santa Fe Hybrid shares its powertrain with the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, nevertheless it’s an even bigger and heavier vehicle. While the Tucson Hybrid is comparatively quick in most driving circumstances, the Santa Fe Hybrid is less of a speed demon. We’d call it average for a three-row SUV—whereas the gasoline-only version felt average to slow when this reporter drove it back in March. Hyundai didn’t provide acceleration figures; we couldn’t test that appropriately during our drive.
The brand new Santa Fe design includes very effective noise suppression, and powertrain sounds are well muted—to the purpose that passengers may not realize they’re traveling in a hybrid in any respect. Engine noise when switching on is usually imperceptible, and the transitions amongst power sources largely go unnoticed. It speaks to the large effort Hyundai engineers have exerted to refine their single-motor hybrid system over the 12-plus years because it hit the market.
Feeling the massive utility vehicle upshift or downshift while the “EV” dash light stays illuminated will likely be jarring to those used to battery-electric vehicles, which in fact haven’t any gears to shift. Matching motor speed to road speed is a mandatory drawback of Hyundai’s system, but crucially, it lets the Santa Fe Hybrid run electric-only in gentle higher-speed or highway traffic. That provides the very best balance of performance and efficiency in typical highway-heavy U.S. driving cycles, Hyundai says. We were often surprised to look down and see the hybrid Santa Fe running in “EV” mode, even at freeway speeds or on gentle uphill slopes.
The proper-hand paddle behind the steering wheel may be pulled to extend regenerative braking when coming to a stop, and there’s an “Auto” regen mode as well. That uses the Santa Fe’s existing sensors (cameras, radar, etc.) to regulate the regeneration level based on what the automobile senses ahead—a slowing vehicle, as an illustration. California highway traffic kept it busy adjusting.
Hyundai suspensions are likely to be tuned for comfort over roadholding, and the Santa Fe is not any exception. Drivers and passengers should find it quiet and cozy in conventional use. Tossing it through curving canyon roads with irregular surfaces, we found it bounced a bit greater than expected. But suburban families doing school runs or mall visits won’t be affected by that, most definitely, and even experience it.
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe
EPA rankings: 34 or 36 mpg combined
Our Santa Fe Hybrid, in-built Montgomery, Alabama, was well screwed-together and an altogether nice place to spend time. Full details and specs for interior volume, seating options, safety rankings, and the variability of ordinary and optional features may be present in our review of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe range.
As for fuel efficiency—normally the most important reason to go for a hybrid—the EPA combined rankings for the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid are 36 mpg for the front-wheel-drive version, or 34 mpg with the optional all-wheel drive. That’s a considerable boost over rankings for the varied gasoline models, which range from 22 to 24 mpg combined.
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is available in three trim levels: SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy. The SEL comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels and a power-adjustable driver’s seat. The Limited upgrades to 20-inch wheels and adds rain-sensing wipers, a dual-pane sunroof, power-operated front passenger seat, heated rear seats, and ambient interior lighting, amongst a protracted list of niceties. The highest-of-the-range Calligraphy features nappa leather seats with a massaging “rest” function, an ultraviolet sterilizing tray (“Are you able to tell this was designed throughout the pandemic?” one exec asked), a head-up display, and multiple appearance items that embellish the design.
The Santa Fe Hybrid SEL starts at $38,615, with the Limited adding one other $6,900 on top of that. A Hybrid Calligraphy version stickers at $48,665, plus options. All-wheel drive is an $1,800 option on any trim. All prices include the mandatory $1,415 delivery fee.
Hyundai provided airfare, lodging, and meals to enable Green Automobile Reports to bring you this test drive review.
This Article First Appeared At www.greencarreports.com
