Not sure which Santa Fe is right for you? Luckily, Hyundai offers it in three different flavors: ICE (both naturally aspirated and turbocharged), hybrid and plug-in hybrid.
We just got done sampling the mild hybrid model, which combines a 1.6-liter turbo-four and an electric motor.
Keep scrolling to read our thoughts.
The current Hyundai Santa Fe might be the right SUV for like 95% of the population.
Let me explain.
First, it’s just the right size–big inside yet not too big on the outside. It’s easy to park, easy to fit stuff inside.
The Santa Fe has a confident, solid feel to it, too, with some of the details seeming to come from the Genesis parts bin–and that’s a good thing.
Driving manners are spot on: comfortable seats, logical controls, clean sightlines and no issues. Hyundai is nailing the details, the touch points and the transmission logic.
Then there’s the propulsion of the model line which is a bit of a Choose Your Own Adventure: gas, hybrid or plug-in hybrid.
This time, we drove the Hybrid Limited model: Take everything that we said about the Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid but take away the ability to go some 30 miles on just electrical power.
But there’s a benefit here: less money as the Santa Fe Hybrid starts at $34,300 while the plug-in hybrid starts at an even $40,000.
The Santa Fe, no matter the guise, ticks a lot of boxes regarding size, details, features, comfort and even looks. Just the headliner–Hyundai calls it Mélange and it feels like a microfiber material–is worth the price of admission.
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