The Hyundai Santa Fe has become a familiar name in family motoring down through the several generations of the car that have appeared on the UK market. The most recent refresh came in 2020, when the Santa Fe received a radical update – with the latest hybrid engine technology, stylish looks and cutting-edge interior technology joining the fray.
It’s still as practical as it always has been, but now aims to take on premium rivals from the likes of Volvo, Volkswagen and BMW – something earlier versions of the Santa Fe would have struggled to do.
This is where the Santa Fe plays its trump card. With 5 seats in place, the Hyundai has a healthy 634-litre boot capacity, expanding to 1,625 litres if you fold all but the front 2 seats down – these figures apply to both the 2-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive Santa Fe Hybrid.
In the plug-in, space given over to batteries sees the seats-up number drop to 571 litres, but there’s actually slightly more space with the seats dropped – 1,649 litres.
Elsewhere, there’s a great deal of in-cabin storage spread across door bins, armrest cubbies and generously-sized cupholders, while even the third-row seats will be acceptable for adults – although they’d probably be happier in the second row on a longer journey.
Take one look at the official fuel economy and CO2 emissions figures for the various models of Santa Fe, and you may well conclude the plug-in hybrid model will hands-down offer the lowest running costs of the range.
But it depends on what your regular driving routine is – if it’s mostly short journeys doing shopping or the school run, then the plug-in will indeed be very cheap to run. This is because you’ll be able to cover most miles on electric power alone, using no fuel.
If you tend to tackle mega-mileage motorway jaunts, the non-plug-in could be a better choice to lease, as it doesn’t rely on being plugged in regularly to offer its very best efficiency. Remember to also factor in that a higher list price makes the plug-in slightly more expensive to lease than the hybrid.
Available Hyundai Santa Fe Models
Santa Fe Trim Levels
The Hyundai Santa Fe Vs Competitors
The Santa Fe’s most immediately obvious rival is the Kia Sorento – a sister model with which it shares many mechanical parts under the metal.
It’s fair to say the Santa Fe’s modern looks and high-quality interior make it feel a little classier than both the Kia and other mainstream rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Nissan X-Trail, although it does have to give best to the Peugeot 5008’s French flair in the styling stakes.
The Santa Fe uses proven hybrid engine technology that has already been seen in the Hyundai Ioniq hatchback for many years. Hyundai also offers one of the best warranties of any car brand – an unlimited-mileage/5-year guarantee – which is a very reassuring statement of confidence in the quality of its products.
It depends on whether you pick the hybrid or plug-in hybrid engine. With the former, there’s 634 litres on offer with 5 seats in place, while in the latter the figure drops to 571.
Just 2 – Premium and Ultimate. Premium has most of the kit most people are going to want or need, but Ultimate adds a few extra goodies like a panoramic roof, ventilated seats and rear sun blinds.
Yes – front and rear sensors, and a reversing camera, are all standard. For even more help with parking, choose the Ultimate trim level, which comes with a 360-degree ‘around view’ camera and automatic parking assistance.
Practicality is its key offering – there’s room for 7, oodles of cabin storage space and a boot that starts off pretty big and gets even bigger when you drop the second- and third-row seats.
The Santa Fe is a popular leasing choice for family buyers who want lots of space and lots of kit, but don’t necessarily want to pay the premium associated with more upmarket brands.
Leasing a brand-new Hyundai Santa Fe couldn’t be easier. We guarantee to give you the best deals, plus we never charge you any processing fees or hidden costs. So, if you’re looking for the best Hyundai Santa Fe lease deals, choose Vanarama. We’re rated Excellent on Trustpilot and are on-hand to guide you through the leasing process with our team of experts.
Our lease deals – both personal and business – offer brand-new cars for a fixed monthly payment, tailored to your budget. With variable options on lease length, initial payment, annual mileage and other factors, as well as optional maintenance packages, we’ve smoothed out the process.
Depreciation doesn’t factor with leasing, so you simply hand the car back to us at the end of the contract with nothing more to pay – providing you’re within the agreed mileage and fair wear and tear. Then you’re free to walk away or upgrade to your next new vehicle with us.
For many years, the top reason for leasing a Hyundai Santa Fe could be summed up in one word – space. Earlier versions of the car weren’t necessarily the most stylish or best to drive in their class, but they could take 7 people and plenty of luggage on board with ease.
The latest version of the Santa Fe aims to broaden that appeal, however – as well as the familiar acres of space, it also has the looks, technology and engine range to give even established premium brands a run for their money.
The design is all curves and swoops, there are futuristic-feeling digital dials behind the steering wheel and you’ll find a large, rectangular infotainment screen sitting prominently above the air vents. Below them are some more conventional button controls.
Quality throughout is very good – approaching BMW or Audi levels, in fact. Just note that lighter colours show up the attractive interior design better than the darker ones do, so pick carefully when you’re deciding which spec to lease.
As a large, family-focused SUV, the Santa Fe is never going to be the first pick of keen drivers, but this latest model is impressive to drive nonetheless. That’s because it manages to be very quiet and comfortable without feeling excessively soft and wallowy from behind the wheel.
There’s plenty of power, too – whether you go for the hybrid or the plug-in hybrid version, the engine gets a bit of a boost from the electric drivetrain, so initial acceleration is strong and swift overtakes are possible.
The Santa Fe Hybrid is available with 4-wheel drive as an option, while the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid gets it as standard. This brings with it a clever system that shuffles power around all 4 wheels to give you the most grip possible given the road or terrain you’re driving over. It all comes together to make the Santa Fe feel overwhelmingly solid, planted and confidence-inspiring to drive.
Hyundai Santa Fe SUV
The Santa Fe comes in 1 bodystyle only – a large, spacious and imposing-looking 7-seat SUV.
High Performance Models
There’s no dedicated high-performance version of the Santa Fe available, but Hyundai plans to launch hot ‘N’ versions of many of its cars in the coming years, so we could yet see one.
Trim levels available: Premium, Ultimate.
Hyundai has always been generous with standard equipment and the current Santa Fe is no exception. Lease the entry-level Premium model and you’ll enjoy 19-inch alloy wheels, leather trim on the dashboard, seats, gearlever and steering wheel, heated and power-adjustable front seats, full LED lights and a powered boot opening, among more.