Hybrids come in many flavors, and one way to differentiate between hybrids is whether a given vehicle was developed to be exciting or to sip fuel. The redesigned Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid clearly falls in the latter category, for it clocks a somewhat pedestrian 9.51 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour).
On damp tarmac, that is. Paul Maric of CarExpert also tested Hyundai's three-row crossover from 100 clicks to a complete stop in similar conditions, with the front-biased utility vehicle requiring 3.75 seconds and 46.45 meters (152.39 feet).
Bear in mind that – as opposed to the BMW X3 M Competition – the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is anything but a sporty vehicle. From the chassis to rubber, engine, transmission, and everything in between, the South Korean automaker designed and calibrated this fellow to be a family-oriented utility vehicle with good fuel economy.
"It really just does not put a foot wrong in terms of its offering as a family SUV," highlighted Paul, who doesn't like a few things about said crossover. The driver-assistance systems are said to be rather annoying; it's not good enough for towing at 1,650 kilograms or 3,638 pounds; the styling isn't exactly to everyone's taste. Looking at the bigger picture, maximum towing will be upped by new powertrains coming to the Australian market.
This fellow here is the best-equipped Santa Fe on sale in this part of the world for the time being, namely the Calligraphy grade. Said trim level stands out from its brethren with blacked-out badging, wheels, and body cladding, a hidden auxiliary handle in the C pillar for better accessibility to the roof rack, a digital rearview mirror, and optional six seats instead of seven.
Photo: CarExpert on YouTube
The Calligraphy is all-wheel drive by default, with prices kicking off at 75,500 kangaroo bucks or just around 50,300 freedom eagles at current exchange rates. The six-seat configuration adds 500 dollars to the final price, whereas matte premium paint is a grand. Over in the United States, the revised Santa Fe Calligraphy retails at $46,500 with front-wheel drive or an extra $1,800 with all-wheel drive.
Other than where the steering wheel is located, the other big difference between the Australia- and North America-spec Santa Fe Calligraphy is the powertrain. Instead of a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder hybrid, the US model packs a 2.5-liter turbo four-pot with no electrified assistance.
Differences further include transmission, with the 1.6er packing six forward gears and the 2.5er leveling up to eight forward gears for its DCT. Of course, American customers are presented with a hybrid version of the extremely well-equipped Calligraphy grade as well.
Similarly to the 2.5-liter turbocharged version, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy is front-wheel drive as standard or all-wheel drive if you're prepared to pony up an additional $1,800. The recommended starting price of the Hybrid Calligraphy in this part of the world is $47,000 (sans destination fee).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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