Hyundai Santa Fe review

The diesel version of the Santa Fe looks like a solid bet on paper, but these days you’ve got to weigh that against punitive tax costs and the increasing prevalence of so-called low-emission zones. The diesel costs £38,060–£43,125, upgrading to the hybrid model adds around £2,000 and then the PHEV model will add around £3,000 on top of the hybrid 4WD models, taking the top of the range to £48,955. Hyundai is offering some solid PCP offers on the hybrid model, which you can get for around £490 a month, while both the diesel and PHEV come out around £570-590 per month.

The Sorento is the first obvious place to look at a Santa Fe alternative, although with a price range of £37,915–£52,445 that car is a lot spicier at the top end, making the Santa Fe the more compelling option as a PHEV. An updated Skoda Kodiaq is arriving later in 2021, priced from £31,895–£43,395. Leasing should be competitive, and the Kodiaq is a very practical family car, but it doesn’t offer any eco options like the Santa Fe and others. 

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is priced from £32,430–£51,895 (it can get very posh in there), with a variety of diesel and petrol options available. There is a PHEV, but that one loses the extra two seats to the battery pack. It’s not a cheap car to lease, mind, even the entry 2.0 D165 Urban Edition model is around £620 per month. 

The Peugeot 5008 is another seven-seater without an eco option, unless you count a downsized 1.2-litre petrol, but at £30,010–£41,340 (or £388–£525 per month) it’s certainly competitive on price. It’s also easy to forget that the Ford S-Max is still going. Old as it is, it’s still the driver’s choice in this segment (all relative, of course), ranging from £33,335–£43,010 and even offers a hybrid. The entry S-Max can be had for £420 per month.

The Santa Fe’s price list might look perky alongside rivals, but don’t forget that Hyundai has thrown the kitchen sink at the equipment list. Your additional options consist of £700 or so for fancy paint, or £2,000 for swanky leather. There’s a raft of safety equipment fitted and tech gizmos galore inside. Should anything break there’s a five-year unlimited mileage warranty and fixed term servicing packages available.