Hyundai Santa Fe (2018) Review

Hyundai Santa Fe (2018) At A Glance

Versatile seven-seat SUV. Very good 2.2 CRDi diesel engine available with slick eight-speed automatic transmission. Lots of standard equipment.

Top models now close to £44k. No petrol or hybrid.

Real MPG average for a Hyundai Santa Fe (2018)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Hyundai Santa Fe (2018)'s top 3 rivals

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Very comfortable and refined with impressive ride quality. Lots of room for those in the back along with...

Kia Sorento

Easy to drive. All-wheel drive as standard. Well-equipped. Capable tow car. Seven seats. Five star Euro...

Ask Honest John

I want to change my SUV for a pick-up. Is that a good decision?

"My Qashqai is fine but I now need less internal passenger/boot space and more load/utility space as I move to/refurb a house in France. I don't want a bigger SUV so changing to a utility vehicle such as the Nissan Navara or Ford Ranger seems to be the way forward. Comfort on the 500km each way trip is important as are practicality, reliability and bit of refinement so a double cab version with an auto gearbox, sat nav etc is my target. Am I on the right lines here or do I have other utilty-type options, please?"

It's probably worth test driving a pick-up truck before you become too set on the idea - they're an acquired taste to drive and even a high-spec model wouldn't be that comfortable for a long journey to France. Even though you're reluctant, you might find a slightly bigger SUV like a Hyundai Santa Fe or Skoda Kodiaq is a better option.

Answered by Andrew Brady

Is the Ford Edge a good buy?

"I'm thinking about buying a diesel Ford Edge but I wanted to know if it's a good car. Will it depreciate a lot?"

There are better options. Ford stopped selling the Edge in the UK last year due to slow sales. As such, it'll probably depreciate quite heavily. We'd recommend an alternative like a Skoda Kodiaq, Peugeot 5008 or Hyundai Santa Fe.

Answered by Andrew Brady

What's the best seven-seat SUV for tall teenagers?

"I've got three kids, two pretty tall teenagers and one in a child seat. We use the rear seats a lot on short journeys and occasionally for journeys over an hour and a half. What should I get if I want an SUV for under £45k?"

My money would go on a Skoda Kodiaq or Hyundai Santa Fe. Alternatively, if you'd prefer a more premium choice, a pre-registered Volvo XC90 is within reach and would be a lovely family car.

Answered by Andrew Brady

I want a diesel SUV but the future looks grim in terms of resale value for diesels - do you suggest I go for petrol instead?

"I’ve just returned to the UK from New Zealand and planning to stay for three years. I was planning to buy a one or two-year-old Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento or Peugeot 5008 diesel. Good SUV with nice engines reviews. I would sell on when returning to New Zealand. Since I’ve arrived, I’m constantly being informed through the media not to touch diesels and the future looks grim from an on-sell perspective with higher than ‘normal’ depreciation likely. I’m fine buying petrol but I’m not seeing any good petrol engine reports on the mid-range, quality SUV. Your view would be welcomed."

Diesels often suit the size of SUVs you're looking at. It depends on the kind of mileage you do, though. Diesels are great for towing or for covering high motorway miles, but you'd be better with a petrol or hybrid if most of your miles are short journeys or around town.

Answered by Andrew Brady

On the inside of an Hyundai Santa Fe (2018)

• Euro NCAP rating of five stars

Jump in the driver's seat and the Hyundai Santa Fe feels like a big car, with a high seating position and imposing view of the road ahead.

It's all rather premium (especially in mid- and top-spec models), with lots of soft-touch materials, although you'll soon hunt out cheaper-feeling plastics if you look for them. Everything feels chunky and well-made, though, as if it'll happily stand up to the rigours of family life.

There's plenty of handy storage, with usefully large door bins and a pair of big cup holders in the centre console.

No matter which trim level you opt for, the Hyundai Santa Fe is a very well equipped car. The entry-level SE comes with a seven-inch touchscreen display in the centre of the dash, providing access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. There's no navigation, but you can use apps on your phone for directions.

Premium and Premium SE models come with a slick eight-inch display, including navigation. It's easy to operate and its position, high up on the dashboard, means it's not too distracting to glance at during driving.

There's loads of space and even the third row of seats are big enough for adults - not something that can be had for all seven-seat SUVs. The rear seats slide backwards and forwards, allowing you to prioritise space where you want it.

When you're not using the third row of seats, they drop easily, leaving a completely flat floor and a big boot.

Our top-spec Premium SE test car was fitted with the standard panoramic sunroof, which did an excellent job of lighting up the cabin, although tall adults sat in the rear might complain that it hinders headroom slightly.

Standard specification (from launch):

SE features 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, leather steering wheel and gear knob, seven seats, driver's seat lumbar support (electric), front passenger's seat manual adjustment, one-touch folding rear seats (second row), 60:40 folding rear seats (front and third row), cloth seat trim, climate control, automatic dimming rear view mirror with compass, automatic headlights, halogen front fog lights, privacy glass, LED rear lights, heated rear windscreen, 12V power outlets in front, rear consoles and luggage compartment, front and rear arm rests, adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, heated folding door mirrors with electric adjustment, drive mode select, electric parking brake, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, self-levelling suspension, space-saver spare wheel, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, DAB radio, teering wheel audio controls, seven-inch touchscreen display, hill-start assist, ISOFIX child seat mounting points on front passenger seat and outer second row seats and lane departure warning system with lane keep assist.

Premium adds 18-inch alloy wheels, faux leather dashboard and door trim, electric driver and passenger seat adjustments, heated front seats and outer rear seats, leather seats, door mirror puddle lights, front LED fog lights, LED headlights, heated steering wheel, smart electric tailgate with handsfree opening, keyless entry, KRELL premium audio system, eight-inch navigation, wireless phone charging pad, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert.

Premium SE comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, driver's seat memory function, ventilated front seats, dynamic cornering lights, manual rear door blinds, panoramic glass electric sunroof, surround view parking monitor, head-up display and rear cross traffic alert with brake assist.

Child seats that fit a Hyundai Santa Fe (2018)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Hyundai Santa Fe (2018)

• Engines range from 2.2 CRDi 2WD to 2.2 CRDi Automatic 4WD
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 33–46 mpg

Don't expect a strong choice of engines if you're considering the Santa Fe. There's just one, a 2.2-litre turbodiesel with 200PS and 440Nm of torque on tap. 

Fortunately, it's a pretty good engine - a bit grumbly on start up, but no more so than diesel rivals. It settles into a hushed, refined drive when on the move, with road and wind noise also well contained.

You can choose from a six-speed manual transmission or eight-speed automatic gearbox. The auto suits the car really well, providing a relaxed drive with well-timed gear changes. It also takes some of the effort out if you plan to use the Santa Fe as a tow car, but it's worth noting that the automatic's towing capacity is 500kg down on the manual - 2000kg versus 2500kg.

There's also a choice of two- and four-wheel-drive. Most buyers would be best catered for with the two-wheel-drive model and the lower running costs that brings, unless you regularly need to venture into muddy fields.

The Santa Fe is unashamedly relaxed in the way that it drives. As such, it rides very well, even on 19-inch alloy wheels. The steering's light and it will lean in the bends, but you'd be better looking at something other than a seven-seat SUV if you want an enjoyable drive.

It feels its size in town, but forward visibility is very good, with that desirable high-up SUV seating position. Threading it through a tight gap requires careful judgement and reversing into a space can be tricky - especially when the car's full of people. Fortunately, a rear camera is standard on all models.

There's a heap of other driver assistance technology also on hand, such as adaptive cruise control (standard on all automatic models) and automatic emergency braking. There's also a blindspot detection system on Premium and Premium SE models.

Hyundai Santa Fe (2018) Models and Specs

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What to watch out for

Model History