2025 Hyundai Santa Fe car review

The new Hyundai Santa Fe large SUV has been reinvented from the ground up and features a striking new exterior design, more room for passengers and luggage, and a frugal hybrid engine.

The original Hyundai Santa Fe was one of the first large SUVs to arrive in Australia, contributing to the shift away from passenger cars such as sedans and wagons and helping underpin the success of the Hyundai brand locally.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is once again a game-changing vehicle that meets the needs of modern families who want an all-purpose SUV to carry up to seven in style while being fuel-efficient.

How much does the Hyundai Santa Fe cost?

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe is on sale now in Australia, priced between $55,500 and $75,500 plus on-road costs.

The Santa Fe range launches with its most frugal, premium hybrid powertrain: a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and a hybrid system that generates 172kW and 367Nm. Forming the hybrid system is a 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery and a 44.2kW electric motor, which works with the engine to boost torque and improve efficiency.

There’s no diesel engine available in the new Santa Fe range, so fans of the previous diesel will need to choose one of the petrol options or consider the larger Hyundai Palisade diesel.

Three grades are available at launch: Santa Fe, Santa Fe Elite, and Santa Fe Calligraphy.

The most affordable variant is front-wheel drive, with a strong balance of design and practicality, starting at $55,500. An all-wheel-drive version adds $3000.

The mid-spec Santa Fe Elite is priced at $65,000, while the range-topping Calligraphy variant is available as a seven-seater ($75,000) or a six-seat captain’s chair version ($75,500).

Hyundai Santa Fe models and pricing

• Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD - $55,500
• Hyundai Santa Fe AWD - $58,500
• Hyundai Santa Fe Elite AWD - $65,000
• Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD Seven-seat - $75,000
• Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD Six-seat - $75,500

Hyundai Santa Fe design options

• Mica or Metallic Prestige Paint - $695
• Matte Paint - $1000
• Supersonic Grey / Forest Green / Pecan Brown interior colours - $295

What are the service costs for the Hyundai Santa Fe?

Service intervals for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid are every 10,000km or 12 months.

Capped-price servicing is available for the first five years of ownership and is set at $459 for each service—except the 30,000km service, which costs $569. This puts it on par with the outgoing diesel Santa Fe, although service intervals are shorter, with the diesel offering 15,000km intervals.

Hyundai Santa Fe exterior design

The 2025 Santa Fe showcases a bold and rugged exterior that commands attention. It’s a modern departure from the previous generation (and most of Hyundai’s current SUV range), with an imposing front grille and sleek LED headlights.

The boxy silhouette is somewhat reminiscent of the Land Rover Defender. Standard 18-inch alloy wheels enhance its stance, while 20-inch wheels are available on higher trims. At the rear, a wide tailgate allows easy access to the spacious cargo area.

What is the Hyundai Santa Fe like inside?

The Santa Fe’s interior feels sophisticated and well-finished. From Nappa leather in the Calligraphy to fabric trim in the entry model, there’s a level of detail buyers will appreciate.

Controls are easy to find, with a good mix of touchscreen access and physical buttons for climate control and other functions.

Storage is excellent, with several smart features like a bidirectional centre console lid accessible from both rows. Calligraphy models also feature a second glovebox with a UV light for sterilising items like phones and keys in about 30 minutes.

The new model is larger in most dimensions, translating to more head- and legroom throughout the cabin. Like many three-row vehicles, the third row suits smaller children, but still leaves some boot space. Rear occupants also get their own ventilation controls, cupholders, and USB ports.

How much boot space does the Hyundai Santa Fe have?

With the third row down, boot capacity is 628 litres. Folding the second row expands this to an impressive 1949 litres - more than double the outgoing model.

How much can you tow with the Hyundai Santa Fe?

The 2025 Santa Fe 1.6T Hybrid has a braked towing capacity of 1700kg, down 800kg from the outgoing diesel and petrol models - potentially limiting caravan or trailer size for some buyers.

Is the Hyundai Santa Fe good to drive?

The Santa Fe is surprisingly enjoyable to drive, offering dynamics that belie its size. On a drive from Sydney through the Hunter Valley, the AWD Calligraphy hybrid performed confidently on both highway and gravel roads. At low speeds, it’s whisper-quiet, with an external chime to alert pedestrians.

On hills, only light throttle was needed to maintain speed, and overtaking was easy with confident power delivery.

Regenerative braking can be adjusted via paddle shifters, helping improve control and efficiency.

The steering wheel, although functional, has a large centre resembling a Land Rover design. It could benefit from being smaller, as could the seat base, which would offer better support if narrower.

In urban traffic, fuel consumption was low, but rose on the open road, averaging 7.6L/100km on the trip.

The Santa Fe rides on 255/45/20 Kumho Ecsta tyres, which performed well on both sealed and gravel surfaces. Replacements cost around $330–$350 per tyre— - which are affordable for this segment.

The AWD system delivers a balanced, composed ride. The FWD model feels lighter and slightly less assured on gravel but still offers confident handling. Responsive steering adds a welcome dose of fun - putting the "Sport" in SUV.

How safe is the Hyundai Santa Fe?

The Hyundai Santa Fe has an impressive array of safety gear, although it's important to note that the entry level Santa Fe misses out on a couple of features.

While the Hyundai Santa Fe is currently untested by ANCAP, Hyundai is confident of a five-star Euro NCAP result when testing concludes.

Standard safety features on all Santa Fe models include ten airbags and what Hyundai claims is the most comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems offered in a large SUV under $80,000.

The Hyundai SmartSense package includes Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2 (an autonomous emergency braking technology) as well as junction turning and crossing systems which sound an initial alert when they sense a collision, activating the brakes if required.

A lane change system alerts the driver of a potential collision when undertaking an overtaking manoeuvre, providing automatic steering input if required.

A further combination of safety systems which continually monitor the Hyundai Santa Fe's position on the road contribute braking and/or steering assistance. In addition to identifying other vehicles on road, the Hyundai system will also monitor for pedestrians and cyclists under certain driving conditions, dependent on speed.

Note: One of the downsides of the safety systems is the cacophony of alerts, bings and bongs, and it's not always obvious what the alerts are for. The driver attention warning system in the Hyundai Santa Fe tracks eye movements to make sure the driver's eyes remain facing forward, but it's a sensitive system which activates frequently and noisily.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Elite and Calligraphy models are also equipped with navigation based smart cruise control as well as Highway Driving Assist 2, which maintains the Santa Fe's position within its lane. It can also control the vehicle to avoid erratic moves from other drivers. Both models also include Hyundai's Remote Smart Park Assist, which allows the Santa Fe to be parked while the driver is outside of the vehicle.

How does the Hyundai Santa Fe compare?

While the large SUV segment is dominated by rugged off-roaders like the Toyota Prado, Isuzu MU-X, and Ford Everest, the Santa Fe caters to those seeking a more refined, road-focused alternative with no shortage of space or style.

Should I buy a Hyundai Santa Fe?

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe should be high on the shortlist for buyers wanting a spacious, fuel-efficient SUV with striking design and luxury-like features without the luxury badge or price.

Its lack of a diesel engine may deter some, particularly those needing greater towing capability, but its strengths in comfort, tech, and practicality will appeal to many families.

Hyundai expects most buyers to opt for the top-spec Calligraphy, but all three grades hit the mark, especially the value-packed entry model.