2025 Hyundai Santa Fe review: boxy, brave, and brilliantly practical?

When it comes to three-row SUVs, few are as bold as Hyundai’s latest offering. But is there more to the Sante Fe than striking styling? Join Vicki as she puts it to the test.

Following the same unapologetically outlandish design philosophy as the firm’s smaller EVs, the new fifth-generation Santa Fe has certainly got people talking. And, whether you fall into the love or loathe camp, is entirely subjective. 

Interestingly, Vicki’s somewhere in between. Starting with the Hyundai’s blocky, upright face, the DriverReviews host is both intrigued and impressed by the H-design LED headlights and cooling flaps below the grille. She’s a little more critical of the side profile, though. In fact, she says it looks a little like a bus, although in reality the Sante Fe isn’t much larger than a Land Rover Discovery Sport. 

But it’s at the rear where things get divisive. According to Vicki, the vast rear tailgate looks like a mix between a ‘a Renault Espace and Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine’. Equally, the sheer size of the rear hatch makes loading and unloading in tighter car parks tricky. 

Thankfully, that bulbous rear end does make the Sante Fe fantastically practical and spacious inside. Offering an impressive 621 litres of storage space with the third-row seats down, or a gigantic 1,949 litres with the second row stowed away, the Sante Fe’s boot is comfortably larger than Volvo’s XC90. What’s more, there’s an abundance of rear legroom for passengers in all three rows, and those riding at the very back even have the option to recline their chairs.
 

As for those in the driving seat, there’s a slew of gadgets and premium materials to make this Hyundai feel as special as the £48,000 asking price would suggest. Alongside all the usual modern features — Apple car play, touchscreen infotainment, a heads-up display, and much more — there are a couple of particularly intriguing inclusions. These include heated and cooled seats, a dedicated off-road mode, and even a sterilisation box which uses UV-C ultraviolet light to disinfect personal items in as little as 10 minutes.  

But does the drive live up to the lavish interior? Not quite. Positively, the abundance of glass means visibility isn’t an issue, and the suspension tuning offers a pleasant balance of body control and comfort. However, it’s the Sante Fe’s sole engine choice (a modest 1.6-litre four-cylinder) which lets it down. Given the Hyundai tips the scales at over 2,000kg, Vicki reports that the SUV feels noticeably underpowered. Ultimately, she thinks this three-row 4x4 would be a great candidate for a bigger and smoother, V6 engine.

So, what’s the final verdict? You’ll need to watch the video to find out which large SUV gets Vicki’s vote. 

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