When it entered the market for model year 2021, Hyundai’s Santa Fe was the company’s first SUV. The Santa Fe is now enjoying its second year of a major redesign, launched in 2024, with a boxier look evocative of outdoor adventure.
Santa Fe’s size is not easily pinned down. It’s at the smaller end of midsize and the larger end of compact. Depending on where googling takes you, both categories can be confirmed.
One thing is certain. Santa Fe is available in standard and hybrid versions.
I drove the Santa Fe Hybrid, so information appearing from here on out refers only to that model.
The Santa Fe Hybrid is offered in SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy trim levels. Its powertrain has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and one electric motor, whose total combined output is 231 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional on all three grades.
Santa Fe Hybrid’s performance isn’t the quickest, or the slowest, in its class. In any case, power is delivered smoothly, body control is above par, and handling is good enough to provide enjoyable driving.
The SUV’s excellent fuel economy adds to the joy. EPA ratings for front-wheel drive are 36 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 36 mpg combined. With AWD, the numbers are 35/34/34 mpg.
Santa Fe Hybrid’s interior attributes meet or exceed all the basic requirements: comfort, roominess, noise suppression, creative design, intuitive high tech, and plenty of cargo space.
As the top-level trim, naturally my Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy AWD test vehicle was enriched with standard features. But, when looking at Hyundai’s Features and Specifications Chart to identify them, I saw most of those features were also standard on the other models, too. I’m not dissing the Calligraphy here. I’m praising Hyundai’s generosity.
Standard features on the Calligraphy, not available on other trims, are front relaxation seats, second-row captain’s chairs, Nappa leather-trimmed seats, eco-suede headliner, power windows with front and rear auto up and down, head-up display, two wireless chargers, blind spot collision avoidance assist, and highway driving assist 2 (as opposed to driving assist 1).
Pricing for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid starts at $37,800 for the front-drive SEL model.
2025 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HYBRID CALLIGRAPHY AWD
Base price: $49,050
Price as driven: $51,145
Mary Lowry is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. She lives in Snohomish County. Vehicles are provided by automotive manufacturers as a one-week loan for evaluation purposes only. Manufacturers do not control content of the reviews.
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