Despite its big, bold and brutalist styling, the fifth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe 1.6 GDI HEV TurboHybrid is quite a gentle giant
You get a lot of car with the latest, fifth generation Santa Fe, even if this high-spec Calligraphy test-car happens to nudge S$300,000 (at time of writing).
Its bold and brutalist shape grabs plenty of eyeballs. If anything, it is a nice throwback to the very first generation Santa Fe, which did the same with its curvy contours more than two decades ago.
Hyundais have definitely come a long way since that first generation Santa Fe this writer reviewed more than 20 years ago.
With its sublime refinement, high-tech and feature-packed offerings, as well as a full-bodied range of BEV, HEV and ICE models, the brand has evolved into a compelling and credible choice to be considered alongside the familiar Japanese and European contemporaries.
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The broody behemoth rides on 20-inch footwear, and Hyundai’s hunky hulk in its Earthy Brass Matte is certainly a conversation starter, although some will invariably draw a parallel with the Land Rover’s iconic 4x4 models, such as the Defender and Discovery.
However, the Santa Fe is quite a character and very much its own car, not least because the 1.6-litre TurboHybrid we get in Singapore is front-wheel-driven and not that inclined to partake in off-the-beaten-path, 4x4 excursions.
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As we’ll discover though, it is amenable to different types of urban adventures and escapades that don’t involve venturing into the rough.
There are striking design elements on the exterior, particularly the ‘H’ motif incorporated into the head- and tail-lights, which make for a distinctive light signature.
The Calligraphy trim also features grab-sockets in the C-pillars, which give you a hand in clambering up to access the roof-rack.
At the front, the high bonnet, massive grille and prominent fenders endow the Santa Fe with a powerful presence.
The rear-end aesthetics are similarly striking, with a wide and tall tailgate that features a subtle sculpting for an overall minimalist air. Sounds awkward, but trust us when we say it works in the flesh.
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The plush cabin is tastefully appointed, especially in the test-car’s elegant Forest Green trim. The ‘H’ motif continues in the cabin, and can be seen on the dashboard, air vents, seat stitching and seat-backs.
Taking centrestage is a panoramic screen that curves elegantly from the driver’s side to the centre of the car.
This comprises a 12.3-inch driver display and a 12.3-inch infotainment display.
Don’t be mistaken though, the Santa Fe is a proper automobile, and not another one of those modern appliances that is designed around a mega-tablet, because Hyundai has thoughtfully retained physical touch-points and tactile rocker panels for its activity vehicle’s key features.
This means you do not have to fumble around with a slippery touchscreen while driving, whether you are working the climate control, entertainment or toggling between the different drive settings.
The Santa Fe’s equipment game is strong too, as this iteration features a Relaxation Seat with Leg Rest, UVC Sterilisation Tray, as well as dual trays for wireless phone charging.
Being a Korean brand, the size of the trays are properly big, which means it will accommodate most modern oversized smartphones.
What is great is that the Santa Fe does not just look the part of the family-friendly, urban activity vehicle, it lives up to its brief too, especially with its commodious 2815mm wheelbase.
There are ample storage areas around the cabin and most importantly, the second- and third-row seats can be rumbled and tumbled to free up even more stowage. With second- and third-row fully flat, the Santa Fe offers 1949-litres of cargo capacity (up from 628-litres with just the third-row folded flat).
In fact, as the Santa Fe’s first full model change since 2018, we have been told that Hyundai focused its attention on the enlarged tailgate area before moving on to design the exterior.
The brand’s objective was to ensure the Santa Fe had the functional, full-board credentials before all-else, in order to segue with the needs of a brave new world of urban lifestyle adventurers.
Like all the other high-riding vehicles, the Santa Fe offers a lofty vantage point, especially from behind the steering wheel.
We still feel that the hybrids make the most sense, especially when you’re talking about long range drives and with close to a full tank, the Santa Fe showed us a 900+km range (pictured above bottom left), much like the recent crop of hybrids we have spent time with recently.
Yet when push comes to shove, the 1.6-litre works well with the electric motor to muster 215hp and 367Nm, so it is more brisk than boring. Once it is up to speed, the Santa Fe cruises comfortably, and is especially unstressed on long expressway trawls.
The Santa Fe’s proportions may seem daunting at first, but it slips around the driver like a glove.
Also, with its 4830mm x 1900mm x 1770mm (LxWxH) dimensions, the Santa Fe isn’t as big as its styling may otherwise suggest.
Even then, it has that cool, auto in-out parking tech that lets you control it remotely with the key-fob, which makes squeezing in and out of tight spots a real cinch. This probably doesn’t come in as useful on the smaller cars, but is perfect on something like the Santa Fe.
The doors swing open pretty wide, so in certain cases, you’ll want to ease everyone out of the car first, then engage the feature and have it reverse into the parking space.
All-round sensors mean it will stop the car the moment it scans something in its path. In fact, it will even fold-in the wing mirrors if the car decides the space between the pillars isn’t wide enough to accommodate them.
True to Hyundai form, there’s almost as much tech in the Santa Fe as you’d find in the App store, so there are plenty of active and passive safety features. One example is the blind-spot camera, which works in tandem with the indicator to display what’s in your blind spot on the lane you’re planning to cut into.
As far as we’re concerned, the Santa Fe is not just big in size, it is also big in features, and best of all, personality too. Thanks to its confident and charismatic nature, the travelling experience will be fun even when you are performing the functional.
Hyundai Santa Fe TurboHybrid Calligraphy
Engine 1598cc, inline4, turbocharged, hybrid
System Power 215hp at 5600rpm
System Torque 367Nm at 1000-4100rpm
Transmission 6spd automatic
0-100km/h 9.8secs
Top Speed 180km/h
