2025 Hyundai Santa Fe review

With style representing a complete departure from anything else Hyundai offers, the latest generation Santa Fe adds a high-tech cabin and an available hybrid powertrain.

The total redesign of the Hyundai Santa Fe for its fifth generation was a bold move, as it bears no resemblance to the previous version. While it isn’t much larger than the outgoing model—it's about two inches longer—the squared-off design makes it look bigger, and it gains a third row of seats. Surprisingly, even with the addition of the extra row, both legroom and headroom improved for second-row passengers.

Inside the latest generation Santa Fe is a clean cabin design offering a high-tech vibe the previous version lacked. With the new Panoramic Curved Display featuring a large infotainment touchscreen, controls are simplified for more intuitive use. 

It may look completely different, but under the hood are familiar choices. The 2.5-liter turbocharged engine serves as the standard offering, along with an available  fuel-efficient 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid. Both carry over from the previous generation, although horsepower ratings are slightly lower. The non-turbo engine and plug-in hybrid variant are not offered in the fifth-generation Santa Fe.

The fourth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe goes back to a two-row configuration, replacing the Santa Fe Sport, while the seven-passenger Santa Fe XL isn't available for this generation.

This Hyundai Santa Fe is easily distinguished from the previous generation by its streamlined style featuring slim LED running lights and headlights integrated into the bodywork. The Santa Fe is available exclusively as a two-row crossover, with the three-row XL from the previous generation replaced by the larger all-new Palisade in 2020. 

Measuring about two inches longer than the outgoing Santa Fe Sport, the fourth-gen Santa Fe gets more legroom for front- and rear-seat passengers, while cargo space remains about the same. The fourth-generation Santa Fe features an upscale interior with a new instrument panel and Hyundai’s newest infotainment system displayed on an available eight-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ were standard on all trim levels.

An extensive list of standard driver-assistance features was added for the fourth-gen Santa Fe, including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot detection, lane-keeping assistance, and driver attention warning. Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance was available on higher trim levels, as was the industry’s first Rear Occupant Alert technology, meant to prevent the leaving of children or pets in a car.

Hyundai split the Santa Fe lineup for the third generation, offering a three-row variant to replace the outgoing Veracruz and a two-row option called Santa Fe Sport.

The Hyundai Santa Fe received a significant redesign as it moved into its third generation, giving the popular crossover a more modern look featuring swept-back headlights and a wide grille. This was also the first time the Santa Fe was offered as a new three-row variant. Almost ten inches longer than the smaller Santa Fe Sport (as the two-row was renamed), the larger version can carry up to seven passengers with the second-row bench or six with the optional captain’s chairs.

Not only did the third generation have an all-new look, it also featured an all-new architecture with improved torsional rigidity, translating to a smoother ride with better handling. 

The Santa Fe Sport’s base engine received a slight power boost compared to the previous generation, while a new turbocharged option bumped power up considerably. With its larger size, the three-row Santa Fe came standard with a 3.3-liter V6 engine that offered better performance than the outgoing 3.5-liter engine.