Used Hyundai SANTA FE cars

When the Hyundai Santa Fe first arrived on UK roads in 2001, it came with an understated design and five seats. Five years later the Mk2 arrived, but it was with the third generation model, launched in 2012, that this family SUV really hit its stride. Boasting smart styling and an extended seven-seat interior, it offered more than ever to large families, rivalling contemporaries such as the Kia Sportage and Nissan X-Trail.

Hyundai Santa Fe updates and facelifts

Such was the Mk3’s appeal that it scooped several awards, from the Auto Express Best Large SUV accolades in both 2013 and 2014 to Honest John’s Most Popular SUV award in 2015. A single diesel engine was offered with a choice of manual or automatic transmission, two or four-wheel drive, and three trim levels. A facelift followed in 2016, which brought a raft of innovative tech.

Hyundai didn’t tamper with a winning formula. When the Mk4 Santa Fe launched in 2018, it again came with a single diesel engine and two and four-wheel drive options. In 2021, however, the model was revised heavily, switching the diesel engine for a choice of self-charging hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains, and offering sharper, more attention-grabbing styling. The updates paid off: the Santa Fe won a slew of What Car? Awards, including Large SUV of the Year in 2022, and both Seven-seater of the Year and Best Plug-in Hybrid for Big Families in 2023.

As a family SUV, the Santa Fe offers abundant space, impressive reliability and a high-quality interior, making it excellent value for money. If you choose a model from 2021 onwards, there are only Premium and Ultimate trims to select from. The standard kit is generous, helping ensure all journeys are connected, entertaining and safe.

Practicality and style of the car

Practicality is at the heart of the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Mk3 car comes with five seats as standard, offering an additional two seats when you step up to the Premium SE trim. Whichever suits you best, you’ll benefit from lots of legroom in both the front and rear. The third row is designed for children and teens but provides them with adequate space to travel in comfort. The Mk4 builds on this, offering enough width to easily accommodate three adults in the middle row and room for a couple of adults in the third row seats. Even rivals such as the ŠKODA Kodiaq and Land Rover Discovery Sport can’t claim as much rear space. What’s more, third row passengers get their own climate controls for optimum comfort on the journey, while ISOFIX anchor points are installed in the rear seats and front passenger position.

The Santa Fe’s cabin boasts a premium feel thanks to chrome accents and soft-touch materials. It is easy to keep tidy thanks to large door bins and a pair of cup holders in the centre console. There’s also a cooled glovebox, which is handy for keeping drinks and snacks fresh.

Despite the cabin’s size, there’s no compromise on luggage capacity. The Mk3 Santa Fe has a 516-litre (seven-seat variant) or 537-litre (five-seat variant) boot, which offers plenty of room for groceries, small suitcases and more. Fold all the rear seats down and capacity increases to 1,615 litres and 1,680 litres respectively. Choose an Mk4 and there’s 571 litres of space and a convenient flat floor with the third-row seats folded down. Drop the middle row and you’ll get 1,649 litres to play with.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a competent tow car too. The Mk3 and manual diesel Mk4 variant have the highest braked capacity – 2,500kg – while the PHEV and self-charging hybrid can haul a braked weight of 1,350kg and 1,650kg respectively.

Running costs

Many Santa Fe SUVs are a reasonable cost to insure, with Mk3 editions occupying groups 18–29 out of 50, and most Mk4s sitting in groups 22–27. The highest specs, however, find their way into groups 39 and 40. Road tax is similarly variable depending on the model year and engine you choose. Mk3 vehicles cost between £180–£320 per year, while Mk4 models incur an annual rate of between £180–£570 according to list price.

How a used Hyundai Santa Fe drives

The Santa Fe engine lineup is refreshingly simple, with the Mk3 edition offering a single 2.2-litre 194bhp diesel unit that’s paired to either six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Entry-level trims had front-wheel drive, while the other trims came only in four-wheel drive . Santa Fes from 2016 onwards boast greater efficiency than their predecessors, producing 197bhp and 440Nm of torque, and returning a combined fuel economy of up to 47.1mpg.

In 2021 the diesel engine was dropped in favour of a self-charging hybrid (HEV) and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The HEV teams a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 59bhp electric motor to produce a combined 227bhp. This is mated to six-speed automatic transmission and comes in both two and four-wheel drive formats, with the fastest iteration achieving 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds. Choose the PHEV and the same engine is paired with a larger battery, delivering a total output of 261bhp and providing an all-electric range of 36 miles. Economy for the HEV reaches 40mpg, while the PHEV can achieve up to 70mpg.

Engines and official MPG

Please refer to the table below for a comprehensive list of engines and their official MPG figures.

2012 - 2018

Engine	Official NEDC MPG
2.2 CRDi	46.3–47.1 mpg
2.2 CRDi 2WD	47.9 mpg
2.2 CRDi Automatic	41.5–42.8 mpg

2018 - onwards

Engine	Official WLTP MPG
1.6 T-GDI Hybrid	38.2–44.1 mpg
1.6 T-GDI PHEV	173.7 mpg
2.2 CRDi 2WD	42.8–43.5 mpg
2.2 CRDi 4WD	40.4 mpg
2.2 CRDi Automatic 2WD	42.2–42.8 mpg
2.2 CRDi Automatic 4WD	38.7–41.5 mpg

Features you can expect in a Hyundai Santa Fe

Interior

Climb inside the Santa Fe and it’s clear you’re in a well-built, high-quality car. With its elevated ride height, forward visibility is excellent, and the cabin’s materials and plastics give the model a premium feel. It’s user-friendly too, with clearly marked buttons and controls that are intuitively laid out on the centre stack.

Technology

The infotainment offering depends on the model year and trim you choose, but you’re guaranteed a good level of standard kit whichever variant catches your eye. The earliest Mk3 entry-level cars come with DAB radio and Bluetooth with voice recognition technology, while the next-tier Premium trim offers a touchscreen display with sat nav. Select a Mk4 model and it’ll come with a minimum 7.0-inch touchscreen display as standard, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Step up to Premium and Premium SE trim for an 8.0-inch display and navigation, while the top-spec trims from 2021 onwards boast a 10.25-inch touchscreen and a ten-speaker Krell sound system.

Safety

The Hyundai Santa Fe scored highly in both its 2012 and 2018 Euro NCAP tests, achieving a full five-star rating. Mk4 models have excellent levels of adult and child occupant protection, with scores of 94% and 88% respectively. These are higher than those achieved by the Kia Sportage. Safety features are generous, with all Santa Fes featuring multiple airbags, and editions from 2018 onwards including automatic emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control is standard on automatic variants, and top trims have a blind spot detection system.

On the road, the Santa Fe’s all-wheel drive system runs primarily in front-wheel drive but can send up to 50% of the power to the rear wheels if loss of grip is detected. You can also manually select four-wheel drive when conditions are snowy or icy. Trailer stability assist is also standard across the range to prevent trailers or caravans from snaking.

Trims available on the Hyundai Santa Fe

The Santa Fe has kept a similar trim lineup. Mk3 models come in SE, Premium and Premium SE varieties, while Mk4 editions offer the following trims:

Hyundai Santa Fe SE

The entry-level trim between 2018–2021, the SE offers 17-inch alloy wheels, front parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and a seven-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a reversing camera.

Hyundai Santa Fe Premium

The entry-level trim from 2021 onwards, the Premium comes equipped with 17, 18 or 19-inch wheels, roof rails, full LED headlights, and an electric tailgate. Inside you’ll find leather upholstery and heated front and rear seats, dual-zone climate control, a rear-view camera and an eight-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation. Driver aids include adaptive cruise control and front and rear parking sensors.

Hyundai Santa Fe Premium SE

Premium SE was available until 2021 and adds 19-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic roof to the Premium grade, as well as ventilated front seats and a 360-degree camera.

Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate

Top-spec Ultimate trim offers 19 or 20-inch alloy wheels depending on engine, as well as a raft of advanced safety technology, including a camera-based blind spot view monitor, rear-cross traffic alert (which detects vehicles approaching from either side as you’re reversing) and remote smart parking assist. Inside are ventilated front seats and a driver’s seat with memory function.

Search our stock of used Hyundai Santa Fe cars for sale.