2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The entry-level 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe comes standard with the following standard features:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Full-size alloy spare wheel
• LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• LED rear fog lights
• Black front grille
• Heated and power-adjustable side mirrors
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 4.2-inch TFT LCD digital trip computer
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Six-speaker sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• Manual air-conditioning
• Third row air-conditioning
• Electric parking brake with auto-hold
• Leather steering wheel
• Leather gear knob
• Seven seats
• Manually-adjustable driver’s seat with two-way power lumbar support

The Active adds the following:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Chrome exterior highlights
• Rain-sensing window wipers
• Rear privacy glass
• Front parking sensors
• Power-folding side mirrors with puddle lamps
• Dual-zone climate control
• Push-button gear selector
• Paddle shifters
• Keyless entry and push-button start
• Leather upholstery
• Safe Exit Assist with electronic child locks

The Elite adds:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• 19-inch aero alloy wheels (Hybrid only)
• LED combination tail lights
• Powered tailgate with hands-free opening
• 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Satellite navigation
• Passenger Talk functionality
• Harman/Kardon 10-speaker premium sound system
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Second-row sun shades
• 10-way power driver’s seat
• Eight-way power passenger’s seat
• Heated front seats
• Radar-based rear occupant alert

The range-topping Highlander adds:

• Body-coloured cladding
• Panoramic glass sunroof
• LED projector headlights
• Acoustic laminated windshield
• Acoustic laminated front door glass
• Auto-dipping side mirrors
• Head-up display
• Rear AEB
• Blind-spot View Monitor
• Remote Smart Parking Assist
• Surround-view camera
• LED interior lighting
• Ambient lighting
• Aluminium interior trim
• Suede headliner
• Perforated leather steering wheel
• Heated steering wheel
• Nappa leather upholstery
• 14-way powered front seats
• Driver’s seat memory
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated second-row outboard seats

On the top-spec variant, the driver’s seat is great, with plenty of bolstering, powered lumbar adjustment, plus both heating and cooling. There are also multiple memory presets if you share the car with another.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel is tastefully perforated on the hand grips and has easy to understand buttons on each spoke for audio, phone and driver-assist functions, and trip computer scrolling.

The digital cluster has a speedo on the left and power/charge meter on the right in lieu of a tachometer, and can be configured to show various functions – but not full-screen maps like you might find in, say, a Volkswagen product.

It’s supported by a head-up display on the windscreen so you can have a digital speed readout projected at eye level, for example.

Buttons and dials are no longer fashionable according to most car brands, but Hyundai has stuck with hard physical shortcut controls here. It may look cluttered, but it’s far easier to interface with on the move than it is to wade through menus.

You’ll find buttons, dials or rocker switches for functions such as your audio and ventilation controls, seat temperature adjustments, drive mode selection, and even the shift-by-wire transmission selector – in lieu of a traditional shifter.

There’s good storage, including a rubberised open section above the regular glovebox, a two-level console, bottle holders in the doors, and an open semi-hidden section below the central bank of buttons.

The third row of seats (two occupants) remains a token effort really, suitable for kids or very tolerant adults, though they stow away flat into the floor when not in use so no harm. While rearmost occupants get ventilation and a USB, the side curtain airbags are explicitly listed as only covering the heads of rows one and two.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe is available with the following exterior paint colours, depending on the trim level.

• Abyss Black
• Taiga Brown
• Magnetic Force
• Glacier White
• Lagoon Blue
• Rain Forest
• Typhoon Silver

Every paint colour besides Glacier White and Lagoon Blue cost an additional $695.

Hyundai currently offer three-, four-, and five-year pre-paid servicing plans for Santa Fe V6 and diesel models. They are as follows:

Petrol V6

• Three years or 45,000km $1197
• Four years or 60,000km $1596
• Five years or 75,000km $1995

Turbo Diesel:

• Three years or 45,000km $1377
• Four years or 60,000km $1836
• Five years or 75,000km $2295

Hyundai has not yet published service prices for the hybrid, but says the intervals will be annual or 10,000km – which is lower than many rivals which now have 15,000km intervals.

Power in the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe comes from a range of three powertrains including a naturally-aspirated petrol V6, turbo-diesel four-cylinder, and a petrol-electric hybrid.

The 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6 petrol engine is available across the range and produces 200kW of power and 331Nm of torque. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with drive sent to the front wheels only.

The 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine is also available across the range and produces 148kW and 440Nm. It’s mated to an eight-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.

The petrol-electric hybrid powertrain is only available on Elite and Highlander trim levels and consists a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 132kW/265Nm, an electric motor producing 44.2kW/264Nm, and a 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack.

Total system outputs for the hybrid powertrain are 169kW of power and 350Nm of torque. This is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.

All variants of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe come with Eco, Sport and Smart drive modes. V6 and turbo-diesel modes gain a Comfort drive mode.

The entry-level Santa Fe with the turbo-diesel engine gets a 4WD Lock mode, whereas the rest of the diesel all-wheel drive variants receive Snow, Mud and Sand terrain modes.

The Santa Fe Elite is offered with Cognac Brown leather upholstery for an $295, whereas the Highlander is offered with a Camel Beige Nappa leather upholstery for $295.

The Santa Fe Highlander Hybrid can also be optioned with six seats, instead of seven seats, for no cost. It replaces the second row of seats with two captain’s chairs.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s high-voltage battery on the other hand is covered for eight years or 160,000km.

Logbook servicing for the V6 petrol and turbo-diesel models is required every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. Hybrid models on the hand require servicing every 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first.

The Base model comes with a 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 4.2-inch TFT LCD digital trip computer that has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with a six-speaker sound system and wireless phone charger.

The Elite model adds a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster but goes back to a wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (strangely).

Nonetheless, it also gets DAB+ digital radio, built-in Satellite navigation and Passenger Talk functionality with a Harman/Kardon 10-speaker premium sound system.

The top of the range Santa Fe highlander gets a head-up display as well.

Boot space is between 571L and 782L with the rear seats in place, depending on how far forward they’re slid. That expands to 1649L with the second row folded flat, and contracts to 130L with the third row in place.

Until the end of October 2022, Hyundai sold a total of 3583 Santa Fe models. It was outsold by the likes of the Toyota Kluger (10,989 sales), Mazda CX-9 (5916 sales), Kia Sorento (5574 sales), and Mazda CX-8 (4905 sales).

The Santa Fe did outsell the Hyundai Palisade (3420 sales), Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace (2605 sales), and Skoda Kodiaq (1294 sales) though.