{"id":76564,"date":"2024-09-05T12:04:16","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T16:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=76564"},"modified":"2024-09-05T12:04:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T16:04:16","slug":"1144373_test-drive-review-2024-hyundai-santa-fe-hybrid-calms-the-3-row-crossover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=76564","title":{"rendered":"Review: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid calms the 3-row crossover"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li><strong>The Santa Fe Hybrid&#8217;s the smart pick in Hyundai&#8217;s three-row SUV family.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>A turbo-4 plus a motor and batteries nets 231 hp for good acceleration<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>EPA combined gas mileage hits 36 mpg with front-wheel drive<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The <strong>2024 Hyundai Santa Fe<\/strong> is a striking redesign of the Korean maker\u2019s longstanding SUV model. With three rows now standard, the midsize crossover utility launched with both a conventional gasoline powertrain and a hybrid option, reasonably\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greencarreports.com\/news\/1142120_2024-hyundai-santa-fe-hybrid-price\">priced at only $500 more<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In late August, we had the chance to drive a 2024 Santa Fe Hybrid in the rolling hills around Santa Barbara, a couple of hours north of Los Angeles. Overall, we found the hybrid version of the new Santa Fe eminently practical and a pleasant place to spend time. We\u2019d dub the hybrid the better of two powertrains in this new crossover; it\u2019s smoother as well as more fuel-efficient.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"static-marker-video-player-primis\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Given the low price premium, we expect the Hybrid to find favor among families who know an EPA combined rating in the mid-30s will save them significant cash over one in the low- to mid-20s. As automakers grapple to meet increasingly tough emission limits for cars in model years 2026 to 2035, <strong>Hyundai has clearly chosen hybrids<\/strong> at attractive prices as one way to meet those goals. Of course it also has a growing array of electric cars\u2014but hybrids are a rising share of its Tucson sales in the popular compact crossover segment. You can expect that to be the case for its midsize Santa Fe as well.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper first_wrapper\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100936332_m\" title=\"2025 Hyundai Santa Fe\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"2025 Hyundai Santa Fe\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" class=\"first_image lazy\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"682\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936332_l.jpg\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/hug\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936332_h.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936332_l.jpg\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936332_l.jpg\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936332_m.jpg\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936332_s.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>2025 Hyundai Santa Fe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Is that, ummm, a Land Rover?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>By now, the striking design of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecarconnection.com\/overview\/hyundai_santa-fe_2024\">2024 Hyundai Santa Fe<\/a>\u00a0has started to appear on city and suburban streets. It\u2019s a huge departure from previous generations, with its square, slab-sided lines earning comparisons to <strong>Land Rovers and other bluff SUVs<\/strong>. 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\u2014the Subaru Outback comes in at 0.34, Hyundai said\u2014proving that fuel-sucking air drag can be tamed in different ways.<\/p>\n<p>Inside, it\u2019s airy and open, with the new Hyundai standard dashboard design of <strong>twin 12.3-inch screens<\/strong> on a wide horizontal tray. It\u2019s an arrangement first seen in the Ioniq 5 battery-electric hatchback utility. Now it appears in a growing number of Hyundai models, from the Ioniq 6 EV sedan to the refreshed 2025 Tucson compact crossover.<\/p>\n<p>The new hybrid powertrain consists of a 1.6-liter direct-injected inline-4, paired to a conventional 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 <strong>231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque<\/strong>. Unlike the smaller Tucson, though, there\u2019s no plug-in hybrid variant offered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100936328_m\" title=\"2025 Hyundai Santa Fe\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"2025 Hyundai Santa Fe\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"682\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936328_l.jpg\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/hug\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936328_h.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936328_l.jpg\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936328_l.jpg\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936328_m.jpg\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936328_s.jpg\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>2025 Hyundai Santa Fe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Acceleration: feels peppier than gasoline version<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Santa Fe Hybrid shares its powertrain with the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greencarreports.com\/news\/1144352_test-drive-review-2025-hyundai-tucson-hybrid-sees-greener-pastures\">2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid<\/a>, but it\u2019s a bigger and heavier vehicle. While the Tucson Hybrid is relatively quick in most driving circumstances, the Santa Fe Hybrid is less of a speed demon. We\u2019d call it average for a three-row SUV\u2014whereas the gasoline-only version felt average to slow when this reporter drove it back in March. Hyundai didn\u2019t provide acceleration figures; we couldn\u2019t test that appropriately during our drive.<\/p>\n<p>The new Santa Fe design includes <strong>very effective noise suppression<\/strong>, and powertrain sounds are well muted\u2014to the point that passengers may not realize they\u2019re traveling in a hybrid at all. Engine noise when switching on is generally imperceptible, and the transitions among power sources largely go unnoticed. It speaks to the huge effort Hyundai engineers have exerted to refine their single-motor hybrid system over the 12-plus years since it hit the market.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Feeling the big utility vehicle upshift or downshift while the \u201cEV\u201d dash light stays illuminated will be jarring to those used to battery-electric vehicles, which of course have no gears to shift. Matching motor speed to road speed is a necessary drawback of Hyundai\u2019s system, but crucially, it lets the Santa Fe Hybrid run electric-only in gentle higher-speed or highway traffic. That gives the 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 \u201cEV\u201d mode, even at freeways or on gentle uphill slopes.<\/p>\n<p>The right-hand paddle behind the steering wheel can be pulled to increase regenerative braking when coming to a stop, and there\u2019s an <strong>\u201cAuto\u201d regen mode<\/strong> as well. That uses the Santa Fe\u2019s existing sensors (cameras, radar, etc.) to adjust the regeneration level based on what the car senses ahead\u2014a slowing vehicle, for instance. California highway traffic kept it busy adjusting.<\/p>\n<p>Hyundai suspensions tend to be tuned for comfort over roadholding, and the Santa Fe is no exception. Drivers and passengers should find it quiet and comfortable in conventional use. Tossing it through curving canyon roads with irregular surfaces, we found it bounced a bit more than expected. But suburban families doing school runs or mall visits won\u2019t be affected by that, most likely, or even experience it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100936329_m\" title=\"2025 Hyundai Santa Fe\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"2025 Hyundai Santa Fe\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"682\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936329_l.jpg\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/hug\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936329_h.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936329_l.jpg\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936329_l.jpg\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936329_m.jpg\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/2025-hyundai-santa-fe_100936329_s.jpg\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>2025 Hyundai Santa Fe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>EPA ratings: 34 or 36 mpg combined<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Our Santa Fe Hybrid, built in Montgomery, Alabama, was well screwed-together and an altogether pleasant place to spend time. Full details and specs for interior volume, seating options, safety ratings, and the variety of standard and optional features can be found in our review of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecarconnection.com\/cars\/hyundai_santa-fe\">2024 Hyundai Santa Fe<\/a>\u00a0range.<\/p>\n<p>As for fuel efficiency\u2014usually the main reason to opt for a hybrid\u2014the EPA combined ratings for the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid are <strong>36 mpg for the front-wheel-drive version<\/strong>, or <strong>34 mpg<\/strong> with the optional all-wheel drive. That\u2019s a substantial boost over ratings for the various gasoline models, which range from 22 to 24 mpg combined.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid comes in three trim levels: SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy. The SEL comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels and a power-adjustable driver\u2019s 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, among a long list of niceties. The top-of-the-range Calligraphy features nappa leather seats with a massaging \u201crelaxation\u201d function, an <strong>ultraviolet sterilizing tray<\/strong> (\u201cCan you tell this was designed during the pandemic?\u201d one exec asked), a head-up display, and multiple appearance items that embellish the design.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Santa Fe Hybrid SEL starts at $38,615, with the Limited adding another $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.<\/p>\n<p><em>Hyundai provided airfare, lodging, and meals to enable Green Car Reports to bring you this test drive review.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Santa Fe Hybrid&#8217;s the smart pick in Hyundai&#8217;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\u2019s longstanding SUV model. With three rows now [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":76565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-cars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=76564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76564\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/76565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=76564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=76564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=76564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}