Should you buy one?

Yes, as long as you don’t tow, as there’s no diesel engine option here. The Hyundai Santa Fe is otherwise a very impressive seven-seater SUV. Its hybrid engine options are smooth and efficient, and it’s usefully. This feels like a great moment for Hyundai, as it’s built a car that can compete with cars that are a much higher price. It’s also smartly designed, too, with a bold look that sets it apart on the road.

That said, the Skoda Kodiaq does most of what the Hyundai does for significantly less cost, while the Kia Sorento offers an even longer warranty and a lower starting price. Both rivals also offer the option of a diesel engine, which still makes a lot of sense in this market, especially if you’re towing on a regular basis.

But overall, we rate the Santa Fe very highly, and if you’re not in need of a diesel, then it should be on your shortlist. Even if you’ve been looking at more premium rival, such as the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE.

What is it?

This is the fifth generation Hyundai Santa Fe. It’s always been the South Korean brand’s flagship seven-seater family car in Europe, offering plenty of space, useful features, and oodles of practicality. This one will certainly capture your attention on styling alone – and it needs to given the strength of the opposition.

This latest model caused a bit of a storm when it was first revealed – mainly due to its interesting and rather striking design. It looks modern and sensible, sure, but that large and boxy rear end raised a few eyebrows. But that’s the whole point; the Santa Fe is a spacious vehicle designed to carry a lot of stuff and people inside – even one of the main designers, Hyundai’s Simon Loasby, calls it a ‘brick on wheels.’

In many ways, its styling reminds us of an old Volvo estate or early Land Rover Discovery – and that’s a good thing, because just like those rugged design icons, this one shouts practicality from the rooftops. The competition is fierce – with the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-80 each putting up a very convincing case for itself.

However, the latest Santa Fe is rammed with standard equipment, going some way towards justifying the premium pricing. This time around, it is a hybrid-only SUV, offering normal and plug-in versions and fuel economies circling around the 40mpg real-world mpg mark during our tests. While only average generally, those fuel economy figures are pretty good for something so large.

Santa Fe models come in three specifications in the UK – Premium, Ultimate and Calligraphy – with even the entry-level Premium version coming with navigation-based adaptive cruise control, over the air (OTA) software updates, and 12.3-inch touchscreen-based infotainment system, which includes connected services. You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – and, as well as the standard seven-seat model, Hyundai offers a six-seat version.

Ultimate models add to this with seat ventilation, a head-up display, a premium Bose sound system and dual wireless phone charging, while the Calligraphy adds premium ‘relaxation’ seats, Nappa leather upholstery and 20-inch black alloy wheels. So, it’s priced confidently – will its stand-out styling, impressive kit roster and extensive safety suite be enough to help the Santa Fe see off its rivals?

Read on for our full road test and review – we’ve tested both the Hybrid and Plug-In models and even slept inside one to fully test its usefulness. Click through the next few pages to learn our thoughts on the car’s practicality, interior quality, technology, driving experience and running costs. Also, if you’d like to learn more about how we reached our verdict, check out our how we test cars explainer page.