Hyundai Santa Fe 1.6 Turbo Hybrid Max Facelift Review: A Completely Underrated CR-V Challenger

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The only reason why you didn’t buy a Santa Fe over a CR-V is simply because you forgot about it…

Now, there is no denying that the latest and greatest iteration of Honda’s CR-V is a fantastic SUV — it was, after all, crowned SUV of the Year at DSF’s VOTY 2024. However, at RM 195,000 for the e:HEV RS variant, one must also admit that the prices of CR-Vs these days have become quite steep.

And really, for the same price (or a little more cash for this higher-end Max variant tested here), there is an electrified SUV on the market that offers a LOT more space, more features, and greater refinement than what would you get with the Honda. But yet, no one seems to be talking about it…

So in an attempt to change that here then, let’s all say annyeonghaseyo to the recently refreshed Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid!

Now to start with this Hyundai here, let’s talk about just how much more space you’re getting with this South Korean SUV. Simply put, the Santa Fe is capable of seating seven — something the CR-V cannot claim.

What’s more too is that, thanks to its positively gargantuan proportions, all seven occupants in the Santa Fe can actually be full-sized adults. An average-sized Malaysian could easily endure a long journey in the rear-most row, and thanks to its generous width, shoulder room in the middle row is sufficient, even when three generously proportioned individuals are sitting abreast.

Continuing on within the interior also, the keyword when it comes to the Santa Fe’s cabin is quality. All its doors shut with a solid thud, its seats are oh-so-cushy, and its leather upholstery is incredibly soft. The switchgear is well-weighted as well, while all major touchpoints generally feel pleasant to the touch. Essentially, the cabin of this Hyundai feels every bit like the RM 200,000 car that it is (which, if we’re being frank, might not entirely be true for the CR-V e:HEV RS).

That said, the Santa Fe’s cabin does have an air of being from a generation prior — because it is. However, despite its slightly dated aesthetics, this South Korean SUV still manages to pack all the modern conveniences one could ask for (and perhaps a bit more too).

Among the standout features of this Max variant of the Santa Fe Hybrid are:

8-inch central infotainment touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity
More-than-decent 6-speaker (4-speaker + 2 tweeter) sound system with impressive clarity (though slightly lacking in bass)
12.3-inch fully digital driver’s display
Colour head-up display
An auto-dimming rearview mirror
Ventilated and heated front seats with an electrically adjustable thigh rest for the driver
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Third-row air conditioning vents with independent climate controls
Wireless smartphone charging pouch
Interior ambient lighting
Comprehensive suite of active driver aids, including a smooth adaptive cruise control system with auto-steer and Hyundai’s signature blind-spot camera that displays its feed on the digital dials
Crystal-clear 360° surround-view camera

Also, precisely because it leans a bit old-school, the Santa Fe mercifully retains tactile buttons for everything. There is a physical volume knob on the head unit, and all climate control settings are actual buttons on the centre console. Even the ventilated and heated seat controls are just one easy push away, rather than buried deep in some submenu like in many modern cars.

Another refreshingly old-school trait of the Santa Fe too is its cushy ride. Saying it feels like a body-on-frame SUV might sound like an insult, but in the case of ride quality, it absolutely is not. There is a comforting degree of isolation when running over bumps in this Hyundai.

The flip side of all this cushiness, however, is that the Santa Fe does feel a bit like a boat to drive. The steering isn’t the sharpest, and this high-riding SUV does wallow a fair bit when thrown into corners at speed. But seriously, this seven-seater isn’t meant to be a touge runner anyway.

Instead, drive this South Korean SUV in its Eco or Smart drive modes, and it becomes a perfectly comfortable cruiser, not to mention a rather quiet one. There is some road noise at highway speeds, and the engine is audible when pushed hard, but when just cruising around town, the refinement to be had with this Santa Fe might even put some cars costing twice its price to shame.

Oh, and this hybrid variant also delivers pretty decent fuel economy. This writer managed to achieve 8.0 km/l from this electrified behemoth without any effort toward driving efficiently. And while he didn’t have enough seat time to confirm it, his colleagues at DSF mentioned that this hybrid Hyundai is a proper 1,000+ km-per-tank SUV.

Side note: This writer once achieved an astonishing 6.5 km/l in a diesel Santa Fe during a highway cannonball run to and from JB. Here’s the link to that story.

Having previously mentioned that the Santa Fe is most comfortable as a cruiser too, it’s worth just pointing out also that when in Sport mode, this behemoth can actually fly. The speed at which this SUV takes off is truly surprising, and it most definitely piles on speed faster than its official 0–100 km/h time of 8.9 seconds suggests.

And while on the topic of surprises, this massive Santa Fe is incredibly manoeuvrable as well. Thanks to good sight-lines and a relatively tight turning circle, this writer had actually managed to squeeze this gargantuan SUV into spots tighter than he would be comfortable parking his own tiny hatchback in. This ease of manoeuvrability is further aided by the fantastically clear surround-view camera, which—like everything else in this Hyundai—is just one easy button press away.

Additionally, thanks to its massive size, the Santa Fe has fantastic road presence. It certainly looms large on the highway to the point that, anecdotally (and allegedly, at least), most other drivers tend to move out of the fast lane on their own accord when this giant SUV appears in their rearview mirror.

Now, in the interest of balance here, it’s only fair to acknowledge some of the downsides of this South Korean SUV. But here’s the thing, apart from the fact that it will likely depreciate more than the CR-V over time, this writer really can’t think of anything else that is significantly wrong with the Santa Fe.

In fact, the Santa Fe has quietly rocketed to become his top recommendation for anyone looking for a family car in the RM 200,000 range. It ticks all the right boxes in terms of practicality (a seven-seater behemoth that can swallow everything), comfort (a premium-feeling cabin and a fantastically cushy ride), and style (this writer, at least, likes how it looks).

This 1.6-litre hybrid variant is possibly the best pick of the Santa Fe lineup — not least because it delivers good fuel economy, costs only RM 120 in road tax, and is more than capable of keeping up with (or, more precisely, blasting through) traffic. But there is also some merit to the diesel too, especially for those whose second home is the PLUS.

Seriously, the only reason why you didn’t buy the Santa Fe over a CR-V or any other RM 200,000-ish SUV is that you simply forgot it even existed in the first place. (Which is a genuinely easy mistake to make, actually, as this writer did too forget of its existence until Hyundai called him up asking if he wanted to review it, despite him having previously covered its launch before).

That said, we must address the elephant in the room: this iteration of the Santa Fe is not the latest model. A newer and rather boxy version has been out for over two years now. However, as this review hopefully conveys, this slightly older SUV is still a fantastic family hauler that is totally worth your time and money!

Odds & Ends

There is a dedicated ‘driver only’ air con button, which is likely in the effort to conserve some fuel.

The Santa Fe has ‘Auto Steer’ as its own dedicated button, independent of cruise control, which is more handy than you might think. Such is as there are actually many occasions where you can allow the car to steer itself, while you yourself manage the pedals, like following closely in stop start traffic for instance, or wanting to gently accelerate up to a cruising speed.

The fact that this Santa Fe still comes USB-A ports all round is an easy telltale to how old it really is…

Easy access to the third row is interestingly only available on the left seat on the second row, with a button on the side of the seat to tumble it forward.

The Santa Fe emits an external beeping sound while reversing which sounds quite like a submarine sonar bong. This is as the car only runs on EV power alone while in reverse.