Hyundai jumped on the modern SUV bandwagon when it debuted the compact Santa Fe crossover in 2001. Back then, it was a true crossover, as it shared its platform with the Hyundai Sonata, a midsize sedan, as well the Kia Sorento. A few years later, Ford introduced the first hybrid SUV with the 2004 Escape Hybrid, opening the floodgates for popular models such as the Honda CR-V Hybrid and the Mazda CX-90 Hybrid over the next decades.
Hyundai was late to the game but finally brought a hybrid to the U.S. with the 2011 Sonata Hybrid, but its longest-running SUV didn't make the leap until a decade later. Since then, the Santa Fe Hybrid has grown into a larger three-row SUV to keep pace with American shoppers' desires for bigger vehicles.
Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: Buying Guide: Cost, Reliability, and the Best Years to Buy
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Pros and Cons
- Second generation (2024 - present)
- First generation (2021 - 2023)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid years are the best?
The current Santa Fe Hybrid has more safety and technology features than its predecessor and steps up to the three-row SUV class. It's also more fuel efficient, though only by a few mpg. One hurdle for shoppers is its odd exterior styling, which tends to split opinions.
Which Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid years are the worst?
We don't consider the first-generation Santa Fe Hybrid a bad vehicle, but with such a short history, one of them has to come in second place. Besides being smaller and having only two rows of seats, there are plenty of similarities to the current model in terms of driving dynamics and comfort. Depending on your personal tastes, you may even find its styling more attractive.
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid a good deal?
As with most Hyundais, the Santa Fe Hybrid comes with a long list of standard features that gives it an advantage over many competitors. Add in the manufacturer’s industry-leading warranty coverage and the value proposition only increases. After a few years of ownership, the Santa Fe Hybrid also tends to hold its value about as well as the rest of the class.
Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Reasonably priced against its non-hybrid sibling
- More maneuverable than midsized SUVs
- Offers more features for the money than most rivals
Cons:
- Polarizing exterior design
- Dull driving dynamics
- Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid generations
Second generation (2024 - present)
The new Hyundai Santa Fe debuted as a 2024 model, along with the Hybrid variant. This redesign marked a significant shift in the model's lineage, with boxy, utilitarian styling and a standard third row of seats. It grew by just over two inches in length and height, while gaining 500 pounds in weight. This was one of the more polarizing makeovers, splitting opinions over its unusual proportions and pixelated lights.
Like its predecessor, the second-generation Santa Fe was powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that was paired with an electric hybrid motor and a six-speed automatic transmission. Combined power output came to 231 horsepower, an increase of only six hp compared to the previous generation, but shoppers had the ability to choose between front-wheel drive (FWD) or Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive (AWD).
The new Santa Fe Hybrid also drove very similarly to the previous generation. It needed just over eight seconds to accelerate to 60 mph, which is on the slow side for the class, but should be adequate for most drivers. It's composed when cornering, but far from inspiring. As with almost all three-row SUVs, comfort is the priority, and the Santa Fe Hybrid delivers. The ride quality is soft enough to absorb most road imperfections, but not so soft as to be floaty on the highway. Wind and road noise are also well silenced.
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid trims included the SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy, while the non-hybrid version was also offered in a base SE as well as the off-road-capable XRT trim levels.
The entry-level SEL Hybrid came with plenty of standard features, including 18-inch alloy wheels, a hands-free power liftgate, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a curved display with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and digital instrument panel, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and wireless phone charging. Standard safety features included forward collision avoidance assist with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control (which Hyundai calls smart cruise control), a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, a driver condition monitor, and a safe rear-passenger exit warning system.
The Hybrid Limited added spec such as 20-inch wheels, automatic wipers, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, a surround-view camera system, a blind-spot camera, front and rear parking proximity sensors, and remote smart parking assist.
The top Calligraphy trim finished off the features list with 21-inch wheels, unique exterior styling elements, premium quilted Nappa leather seats, a synthetic suede headliner, power-folding second-row captain's chairs, dual wireless device chargers, enhanced interior lighting, a virtual rearview mirror, a head-up display, lane centering, highway driving assist, and blind-spot steering intervention.
The base SE trim debuted for the 2026 model year, giving shoppers a more affordable hybrid option. That year also brought the captain's chairs and wireless chargers to the Limited trim, while the SEL only gained third-row USB charge ports.
The front-wheel drive model is the most efficient, with an EPA estimated 36 mpg in combined driving conditions (36/35 mpg city/highway). The all-wheel drive version only dropped to 34 mpg combined (35/34 mpg city/highway). By comparison, the non-Hybrid Santa Fe is rated at 24 mpg combined, and according to the EPA's projections, would cost an additional $650 in annual fuel costs compared to the Hybrid.
The Santa Fe Hybrid only cost between $1,100 and $1,350 more than an equivalent non-hybrid model, which gives it an enticing financial advantage. Using the EPA's math, it would take less than two years to recoup the Hybrid's price premium, and after that, you'll continue pocketing that $650 or so.
In crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the second-generation Santa Fe Hybrid was awarded four out of five stars in overall, frontal, and rollover tests, and five stars in side impacts. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Santa Fe its highest score of "Good" in all but the updated frontal moderate overlap test, where it received a second worst "Marginal" rating. That blemish was addressed for 2025, as it achieved top scores in all crashworthiness tests. It was also upgraded to a Top Safety Pick+, the Institute's highest honor.
Initial recalls for the 2024 model year included issues for a faulty rearview camera and inadvertent deployment of the sunshade and airbags. For 2025, the camera problem persisted, along with a new non-deployment issue with the side airbags. We don't yet have enough data to evaluate value retention for this generation, but early indicators show it depreciating at an average rate compared to other three-row and hybrid SUVs.
As a new car, the 2026 Santa Fe SE had a starting MSRP of $36,150 at the time of writing, with prices rising to $48,450 for the Calligraphy.
First generation (2021 - 2023)
The first Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid debuted in 2021 alongside the fourth-generation Santa Fe that was redesigned for the 2019 model year. The easiest way to tell the 2021 Santa Fe from its predecessor was by its wider grille that incorporated its main headlights in the edges, with a distinctive accent light that was seemingly drawn from above. Size-wise, the fourth generation was very similar to the third, growing only by about an inch in length and height.
In its inaugural year, the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid was only available in the mid-range SEL and Limited trims, while the standard Santa Fe was also sold in the entry-level SE and the range-topping Calligraphy trims. It was powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with two electric hybrid motors. Combined, they produced 225 horsepower, which represented a middle ground between the non-hybrid's 191-hp base engine and its 277-hp turbo option. The standard Santa Fe had an eight-speed, dual-clutch automated transmission, but the Hybrid was equipped with a six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive (AWD) was standard. The previous plug-in hybrid variant did not carry over to this generation.
The Santa Fe Hybrid SEL had a long list of standard features, with highlights that included 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, keyless entry/ignition, heated front seats, cloth upholstery, a wireless charging pad, an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard advanced safety features included frontal collision warnings with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, trailer sway control, and safe rear-passenger exit warnings.
The SEL trim was eligible for the optional Convenience package that added a hands-free power liftgate, a digital instrument panel, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear passenger sunshades, power-folding rear seats, and a digital key that allowed some smartphones to replace the conventional key fob. To that, the Premium package added leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen display, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio upgrade, interior ambient lighting, and lane centering.
The Limited trim included both the Convenience and Premium packages, as well as 19-inch wheels, upgraded LED headlights, driver-seat memory functions, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, a surround-view monitor, a blind-spot camera, automatic wipers, and an automated self-parking system.
For 2022, a new Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid debuted, with 30 miles of electric-only range. The returning Hybrid model added a new base Blue trim with standard features including 17-inch wheels, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a digital instrument panel, and rear parking proximity sensors. The SEL trim was renamed SEL Premium and incorporated many of last year's options as standard equipment. It was upgraded to 19-inch wheels, leather upholstery, 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio, the larger infotainment touchscreen with navigation, and a panoramic sunroof.
In 2023, all Santa Fe Hybrid models came standard with the larger 10.25-inch touchscreen and blind-spot steering intervention. The SEL Premium also added the surround-view and blind-spot cameras but downgraded the seat trim to synthetic leather.
Initially, the 2021 Santa Fe Hybrid was estimated by the EPA to return up to 32 mpg in combined driving (33/30 mpg city/highway), which compared very favorably against the non-Hybrid's 24 mpg combined estimate with AWD. The Blue trim improved fuel economy to 34 mpg (36/31 mpg city/highway).
In crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the first-generation Santa Fe Hybrid was awarded five out of five stars for overall, frontal, and side protection, and four stars in rollover evaluations. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) similarly awarded the 2021 Santa Fe its highest score of "Good" in all crash tests, and named it a Top Safety Pick, the Institute's second-highest honor. For 2022 and 2023, it was upgraded to a Top Safety Pick+.
The 2021 Santa Fe Hybrid was issued recalls for its rearview camera, a tow hitch wiring harness fire hazard, and exploding seatbelt tensioners. These persisted into 2022, along with another recall issued for the instrument panel. All but the tow hitch harness had been addressed by 2023 but, as always, it’s worth enquiring about these with the seller during an inspection or a test drive.
Hybrids typically depreciate at a slower pace than their gas-only competitors, but in the case of the first-generation Santa Fe Hybrid, it held its value about as well as the standard Santa Fe. Hyundai's generous 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty could be a selling point for shoppers, but it's important to note that this coverage only applies to the original owner. For the next owners, the warranty is reduced to five years and 60,000 miles from the date of original purchase.
