Say hello to…
…the all-new Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV, a seven seat SUV with a bold look and packed with technology. The arrival of the new Santa Fe shows that Hyundai isn’t scared to try something different. While previous iterations of the Santa Fe were worthy and very practical, they were never hugely desirable. This has all changed with the latest model which is available as a 1.6 petrol hybrid with two or four-wheel drive or a plug-in hybrid with all-wheel drive.
Three trim levels are on offer:
- Premium
- Ultimate
- Calligraphy
Standard equipment on the Premium includes 20-inch alloys, power-fold door mirrors, leather wrapped steering wheel, privacy glass, luggage net, powered lumbar support, heated front seats, leather upholstery, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, 6x USB sockets, wireless charging pads, dual zone climate control, drive modes, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, powered tailgate, satnav and wireless phone charging.
Ultimate adds dual wireless phone charging, surround view, powered steering column adjust, head up display, uprated stereo, blind spot monitor, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats and a sunroof.
Calligraphy adds uprated front seats, Nappa leather seats and a uprated exterior body styling.
Is The Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV Suitable For My Fleet
The tick-list for the Santa Fe’s fleet suitability is long; seven seats, good boot space (985 litres in 5-seat mode), decent benefit-in-kind position, high equipment levels and good real-world fuel efficiency.
We saw more than 60mpg over mixed driving. Obviously, being a PHEV means this can vary hugely depending on how often you plug in. If there is a downside, it’s that the official electric range is only 34 miles, which isn’t as good as some. Plus, the engine seemed quite keen to kick-in when it was cold even if the battery was 100% full.
Leasing An Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV
Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV Active for £635 a month on a 3+36 contract with 10,000 miles a year. Forecast maintenance costs come in at a very competitive £44 per month, according to Gensen Reports.
Driving An Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV
Not only are the looks of the Santa Fe all-new, but the way the car drives is also a world away from the previous model. And all in a good way.
At 4.8m long, the Santa Fe is a big car, but is has that magical ability when you’re driving for it to feel smaller and more manoeuverable on the road than most cars in this class.
Partly this is due to good visibility of the front ‘corners’ of the car which make positioning the car simple and partly this is due to the light-but-direct steering. It’s the steering and the suspension that helps hide the car’s mass, which at more than 2,100kg isn’t as heavy as some electric SUV’s but it’s not insignificant either.
The suspension is judged perfectly for a car that’s going to be family, higher mileage transport. There’s little bodyroll (just enough to let you know what’s going on) if you’re on a twisty b-road but there’s also superb levels of comfort, both when you’re sat at motorway speeds or trundling round town.
Inside the Santa Fe the cabin is now a premium place. The twin infotainment and driver’s screens are clear and sharp and the basic controls are logical. Hyundai has shortcuts for some of the warning bongs you want to disable every journey, but others do this better. To turn off lane keeping, speed warning and driver attention warnings still takes too long. Partly this is down to the number of steps through the menu system, but it’s also slowed by the screen’s slow start-up procedure.
The feel of the interior materials is first rate too, plus there’s lots of room for five adults and lots of luggage and if you want to carry seven the rear seats will still also adults to squeeze in.
It’s this ‘do-almost-anything in a premium surrounding’ that makes the Santa Fe one of our favourite cars.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV
Impressive seven-seater with comfort and equipment levels that offer great value. What’s more it’s a great drive and looks good.
Hyundai Santa Fe
- Model: Santa Fe PHEV Ultimate 4WD
- Power: 253hp
- Torque: 367Nm
- Max speed: 112mph
- 0-62mph: 9.3s
- Official range: 34 miles
- Test range: 28 miles
- Official fuel efficiency: 166mpg
- Test fuel efficiency: 61.3mpg
- CO2 emissions: 38g/km
- BIK tax band 2024/25: 12%
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