2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Specs, Review, Dimensions
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Specs, Review, Dimensions – The newest model, the Hyundai Santa Fe 2026, aims to elevate functionality to a fashionable level. Its striking appearance is certain to turn heads in the parking lot at work or the school drop-off location. Each model has a luxurious, roomy, and tastefully decorated cabin.
The huge, stylishly built seven-seat SUV’s standard full-hybrid powertrain makes it uncomfortable to drive on UK roads and demands continual attention. In light of its 38-mile all-electric range and reasonable initial cost, the plug-in hybrid model could be a better option. 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Specs
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior & Interior
The Santa Fe’s roomy, elegant interior combines distinctive design elements with instantly identifiable and user-friendly technology. Each model has two displays facing the driver along with a bank of physical and non-physical temperature control controls. Even though the touch-sensitive display can be challenging to see in bright light and is prone to accumulating fingerprints, we still prefer this option to having to navigate the touchscreen’s menus.
Our favorite interior motif is “Supersonic Grey,” an all-white color scheme that gives the cabin a really unique feel. However, this option is exclusive to the mid-range Ultimate trim.
The Santa Fe has exceptionally high-quality construction; the doors are even covered in leather, and all of the touchpoints feel robust. Nonetheless, there are a few locations where the use of thicker, less noticeable plastic is effective, such the spacious center console. We discovered that the inside of the base Santa Fe model, which had all the necessary amenities, felt just as opulent as the top-tier Calligraphy spec car. The calligraphy appears extremely out of place given the range.
Every Santa Fe is equipped with two sharp 12.3-inch panels showcasing Hyundai’s most recent entertainment system, which also supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The design loads pages rapidly and is responsive. It can also perform a plethora of other tasks, some of which seem gimmicky, such as providing sports scores and the weather. Another problem is having to go through a number of menus to change the settings, particularly for the driver assistance and safety systems. 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Specs
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Specs
Engine & Performance
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid comes standard with front-wheel drive, but our test vehicle has four-wheel drive as an option. This gave us the courage to engage in some light off-roading in the Santa Fe, and the challenges and terrain we encountered didn’t seem to stop us. The driving modes and the hill-descent control worked effectively in muck, sand, and snow.
Now that we’re back on reliable roads, driving the enormous Santa Fe doesn’t feel so intimidating. This is made possible by the huge windows that let in a plenty of natural light, the slender A-pillars, and the sensitive electric motor, which runs at a reasonable pace to complete most chores. A surround vision display system is standard on the middle-class Above-the-line Ultimate trim levels. Because the external camera stream is visible and easy to access with a shortcut button, this is helpful in confined spaces.
The Santa Fe’s e-motor can move the vehicle around town and maintain a cruising speed even with a light foot on the accelerator; however, any speed above around 30 mph activates the gasoline engine.
There’s no need to update the engine. Even while the Santa Fe may be comfortable at times, the ride is never very enjoyable, and when you’re moving quickly, there’s a lot of road noise. It doesn’t get much better in the UK, where the Santa Fe is limited to 20-inch rims.
The Santa Fe features a multi-stage regenerative braking system that is tunable using the steering wheel paddles, despite not being an entirely electric vehicle. We would like a stronger setting because the full-hybrid version of the automobile can only be brought down to a crawl at its highest level, which takes a long time and distance to accomplish. The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe’s hybrid engine and excellent visibility make it surprisingly easy to drive in urban areas. 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Specs
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Fuel Economy
The Hyundai full-hybrid Santa Fe with front-wheel drive can achieve an average fuel economy of up to 41.5 mpg, while the four-wheel drive version can get up to 38.7 mpg. During our testing, we drove around 200 kilometers in a 4WD car through cities, B-roads, and highways, averaging 36.2 mpg.
Since the 1.49kWh battery of the hybrid system is refilled by the engine and regenerative braking, plugging in is not required. Hyundai states that in order to get the full 166 mpg of the plug-in hybrid variant and to achieve pure electric driving, regular charging will be necessary.
A 13.8kWh battery allows the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid to go 38 miles on electricity alone. That ought to be sufficient for the majority of people’s everyday commute to work or for fuel-free school runs. The Santa Fe PHEV only has a 3.6kW onboard charger, thus even with its modest battery, a full recharge using a conventional 7kW home wallbox charger would take roughly four hours.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the range hasn’t actually increased from the 36 miles that the previous Santa Fe plug-in electric car offered. The most recent Peugeot 5008 PHEV has a 48-mile zero-emission range, while the remarkable 75-mile electric range of the Skoda Kodiaq iV is also available.
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Safety Features
Based on the performance of its predecessor, the fifth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe should receive good scores in most occupant protection categories and the maximum five stars from Euro NCAP, despite not having had a crash safety evaluation yet. Numerous safety elements are also included in every model.
“Highway Drive Assist,” which combines adaptive cruise control with lane following assistance and stop-and-go capabilities, is one of the safety features available on the Santa Fe. Other onboard technologies include driver attentiveness warning, blind spot collision prevention, and forward collision avoidance assistance. Higher-end versions also come with a function called “Blind Spot View Monitor,” which shows a feed from the exterior cameras on the driver’s display when the driver signals.
In our ranking of the top 50 vehicles to buy for the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey conducted in 2024, we did not include the Hyundai Santa Fe 2026. Conversely, Hyundai ranked 17th out of 32 manufacturers on the list of the top manufacturers for 2024. Owners who answered our poll gave their automobiles’ infotainment, value, and cost great marks.
- Highway drive assist
- Forward collision avoidance assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Blind spot collision avoidance
- Lane-keeping assist
- Driver attention alert
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Release Date & Price
As they say, the sincerest form of flattery is imitation. We hope Land Rover feels the same way since we think the designers of the brand-new, audacious 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe were greatly influenced by the Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Discovery, and Range Rover.
That is not an attack. We believe Hyundai made the right decision in appropriating design ideas from some of the most attractive automobiles available, especially considering that there may be a third of a price difference between the two SUVs.
The Hyundai Santa Fe’s starting price in 2026 is £46,775. In addition to the normal full-hybrid drivetrain, a plug-in hybrid variant with four-wheel drive and a 38-mile pure-electric range is available for £51,885. A 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, and a single electric motor power both versions.
Three trim choices are available for the Santa Fe: Calligraphy, Ultimate, and Premium. Dual 12.3-inch screens, a motorized tailgate, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charging pad, keyless entry, electrically adjustable heated front seats, and a suite of driving aid technologies are all standard features, even on low-level versions.
The Bose premium sound system, glass sunroof, head-up display, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, and twin charging pads are all included with the £3,500 Ultimate upgrade for the Santa Fe. Users may choose between the “Supersonic Grey” and “Pecan Brown” interior styles as well.
maximal vigor These vehicles start at about £53,000 and have Nappa leather interiors. The front seats are labeled “Premium Relaxation,” the outer trim is black, and there’s a UV-C sterilization box that’s perfect for disinfecting tiny goods for instance.
Conclusion
The Hyundai Santa Fe of 2026 has competition from a number of huge, seven-seat SUVs. One such car is the recently updated Kia Sorento, which has the same plug-in and hybrid powertrain options as the Santa Fe. Furthermore, the Sorento’s diesel engine lowers the vehicle’s base price. Rivals include the most recent Peugeot 5008, which is offered with full electric drive as the Peugeot E-5008, and the Skoda Kodiaq, which is our Large SUV of the Year for the current year.
Note: The details included in this blog post are derived from pre-release material that was accessible when the article was written. If you want the latest information, you should check official sources or call your nearest dealership.