Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Elite 2026 review

After a triumphant overall Car Of The Year 2026 victory and subsequent six-month long-term experience with the flagship Calligraphy, one might presume there’s little left to unearth with the current-generation Hyundai Santa Fe.

During this window, a twin test pitting our all-you-can-eat hybrid Calligraphy against the base turbo-petrol shone particularly rosy light on just how good the entry-level seven-seater is: it’s possibly the best value vehicle on sale in Australia, bar none.

Less visible, though, has been the mid-grade Elite, here on test in Hybrid AWD guise at $67,150 list, or $69,490 driveaway (on limited offer through March 30th), some $10K above the value-busting entry grade and not quite as fancy as the kitchen-sink-loaded Calligraphy flagship. So, is it perhaps the goldilocks? Or a black sheep?

The Elite takes the fulsome equipment fitout of the base version and adds:

• 20-inch wheels with 255mm tyres (above the dawdy 18s with 235s) 
• Dual-projector beam LED headlights
• Leather appointed trim
• Leatherette door garnish and suede-like headlining
• 14-way power driver’s seat
• Heated steering wheel
• Bose 12-speaker audio
• Dual wireless phone charging  
• Highway Driving Assist (semi-autonomy)
• Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control
• Server-based Voice Control
• Driver-passenger ‘talk’ functionality
• Solar windscreen and side glass
• Rear window blinds
• Auto-dimming mirror
• Ambient LED lighting

Essential additions above the base spec? Not really. But a worthy swag of extras befitting the $6500 (driveaway) upcharge over the base AWD Hybrid? Most certainly. 

At the time of review, the Elite Hybrid AWD’s $69,490 actually undercuts the Elite 2.5L turbo-petrol AWD – cheaper $63,900 list price but $69,606 in driveaway. So, effectively, you’ve got a choice of quite different powertrains for almost parity outlay.  

Our tester looks the business in no-cost Terracotta Orange – some colours want for a $750 upcharge – and arguably the best-looking alloys in the Santa Fe line-up. The standard Obsidian Black interior can be ‘lifted’ to a light Supersonic Grey theme for an added $250.   

How does the Santa Fe Elite Hybrid drive?

With well over 15,000km of Chasing Cars testing of the fifth-gen Santa Fe in all powertrain configurations, the ‘G1.6T-GDi HEV’ – or 1.6T hybrid – with all-wheel drive brings a straightforward prognosis: it’s twice as frugal, but not nearly as lusty, as the 2.5L turbo petrol alternative.

The hybrid shines well enough in isolation. Driveability is decent, its shove unladen is ample, and its 172kW/367Nm blend of (132kW/265Nm) 1.6-litre turbo combustion and (47kW/264Nm) electric punch works well, even if it at times it works hard. Both sonically and in power source switchover moments.

Electric torque filling putties over the auto’s limited six-ratio choice, but while it’s smooth in the upchanges internal combustion can clock on loudly and proudly under load. It just doesn’t have the red-misted thrust of the 206kW/422Nm 2.5-litre turbo petrol version.

Still, the hybrid dividend is 5.6L/100km combined against 9.3L/100km for the 2.5T – numbers quite genuine when sampled in the real world – and the gap widens further around town (13.3L/100km urban for the petrol!).

Whichever way you go, the Santa Fe runs on cheapy 91RON or E10 petrol.

Does all-wheel drive offer any benefit in balance of ownership? Outside of particularly slippery conditions, no. However, once you’re in mid-spec Elite grade, or Calligraphy, the Santa Fe is no longer offered as a front driver anyway.

Despite its relatively concise 4.9m length, the Santa Fe is about as wieldy as you could reasonably expect from a three-row SUV that breaches two tonnes.

One up and unladen, there’s a crispness to the chassis and engagement in its handling character, complete with fluid steering. It’s an enjoyable thing to punt. A trade-off, though, is that ride quality (in its big 20-inch wheels) gets a touch brittle across smaller road imperfections.

Loaded four-up with loved ones plus luggage, the Santa Fe settles nicely into a firm-ish and confident state that returns a nice compliance across all manner of road lumps and bumps. But push the friendship and the (2680kg) GVM with seven adults aboard and it can crash out on its rear bump stops.

Generally, though, its quiet, smooth and comfy nature are hallmarks of a true Car Of The Year champion, complete with great visibility for all occupants, be it around town or on long interstate drives.

Steering and brakes are both natural and cooperative, and the Santa Fe hybrid doesn’t dip into any weird on-road histrionics or demand any fiddling of the drive modes for general family hauling duties.

It’s a set and forget experience…bar having to disarm the overspeed warning system and active lane keeping, tiresomely, at every restart. The Driver Attention (aka ‘distraction’) Warning, too, is a little overbearing, but it can’t be switched off quite as easily.

The Elite omits the blind spot monitor (camera) system featured in the Calligraphy’s driver display, though this is tech that’s never proven much benefit over old-fashioned analogue wing mirrors – it’s no foul. And the fine 360deg camera array makes parking a breeze, even in the confines of multistory shopping centre carparks.

How is the Santa Fe Elite Hybrid’s interior?

Santa’s Fe’s cabin virtues are many: the versatility of its packaging smarts; the contemporary (Ioniq-like) design and presentation; and the choice of six- or seat-configurations, the latter only if you stump up for the flagship Calligraphy.

Two out of three ain’t bad – indeed, it proves more than enough. As our base-versus-flagship comparison suggested, it’s tough to pull the goodness from a great combination when specifying its entry-level variant to meet an attractive price point.

So Elite subs the base version’s cloth for ‘leather-appointed’ trim, which feels harder-wearing (great for grubby kids) if less welcoming (not great for outright comfort) – good, though not the pick of the litter. That said, 10-way driver and eight-way passenger electric seat adjustment are nice touches.

The added leatherette and ‘suede’ lifts presentation and premiumness, as do the dual charging pads that mightn’t seem supremely handy until you live with them. Both the climate control panel and the dual 12.3-inch displays are large, clear and intuitive to use.

Features? The multi-camera system, with switchable viewpoints (plus the novel if not entirely useful floating perspective), is mostly excellent. The Bose audio system, however, doesn’t quite knock the sonic socks off.

There’s oodles of storage with a ‘split’ dual level glovebox arrangement and plenty of room around the centre console area and door bins.

The Santa Fe’s second row compliments its roominess and space with smart details, such as the air vents in the B-pillars and USB-C located inboard in the seatbacks. It’s a well thought out package.

Two-way tilt and slide adjustment is handy for maximising row two space as a five-seater or balancing the available kneeroom between the second and third rows with occupants in all Santa Fe seating positions. It’s a genuine seven-adult affair, provided, as mentioned, that you don’t overload the GVM – which is surprisingly easy to do.

As our long-termer demonstrated, luggage space is generous and very flexible: the hybrid examples convert from a 628-litre boot through to 1949L as a two-seater, large enough (as we’ve assessed) for a motorcycle or six car wheels and tyres! There is, if you’re counting, 14 additional litres of space in petrol versions…

A full-size spare wheel, too, bolsters the Santa Fe’s credentials as a genuine long-haul tourer – you don’t want to get caught with a little goo kit if you slogging around a sunburnt country in a rig full of loved ones.

What are the Santa Fe Elite Hybrid’s ownership costs?

Servicing is a reasonable $2455 for five years, though the 12-month intervals are capped at a fairly stingy 10,000kms between visits. Hyundai offers seven years of unlimited-kilometre warranty if servicing is done through the brand’s dealer network.

Budget Direct told us the median annual premium purchased for the first time between 1/2/25 and 1/2/26 to comprehensively insure a new Hyundai Santa Fe was $1608. Individual circumstances and policy terms may vary.

Of course, everybody’s situation is different, and the premium will vary according to make and model, and other things insurers take into account, such as your postcode, driving history, who drives the car, where you garage the car and more.

Please quote for yourself. Subject to meeting underwriting criteria. Insurance issued by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited. See PDS & TMD at budgetdirect.com.au.

The honest verdict

A resounding Chasing Cars COTY win obviously positions Santa Fe as our gold-standard choice of three-row family haulers. And it’s proven since that victory that, regardless of variant grade or powertrain format, there are no bad outcomes.

We’ve reserved high praise for the base ‘just Santa Fe’ by blending all-round goodness – greatness, perhaps – with knockout value. And while little that the Elite adds in specification could hardly be considered essential, it’s a fair stack of added goodness for the $6500 upcharge over the lower-grade hybrid AWD ($62,990 driveaway).

Many buyers will surely be lured by the big 20-inch wheels (since the base version was downgraded to 18s last year) for arguably the prettiest variant in range, though the boost in aesthetics come at a minor cost in overall ride comfort. It’s a trade many Aussies are willing to make.

Is the hybrid the pick? Absolutely, if you want to save money at the bowser.

But for a lustier and gutsier experience, the high-output 2.5L turbo is the pick of the pack for now. Given it’s the biggest C02 polluter in Hyundai’s lineup in the face of tightening NVES regulations, best not to sleep too long on the turbo-petrol Santa Fe option…