“Okay, I know this car is a hybrid, but seriously, how is it this economical?”
That’s the prevailing thought my wife had after looking at the fuel-tank readout, which showed the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid fuel tank was still three-quarters full at the end of our second month with the car.
The last time I filled up was well over four weeks ago, and we’d travelled a healthy 360km since the previous top up.
Fuel economy for the month was 7.2 litres per 100km, which might not seem all that impressive, but given our car is loaded with two car seats, a toddler, a baby, a full-size pram, an extra seat attachment, a nappy bag, snacks, toys and (seemingly) everything else, this is seriously frugal motoring.
Could the fuel figure be better? Of course. My driving the last month has strictly been on inner-city streets ferrying a toddler to and from childcare, taking the newborn to appointments, and also taking the family to various parks and swimming pools on the weekend.
Throw some freeway driving into the mix (like we plan to next month), and that 7.2L/100km could very well drop into the sixes.
For reference, the Santa Fe’s nearest competitor is the Toyota Kluger Hybrid, which in our most recent test, returned a 7.7L/100km figure tested under similar inner-city driving conditions.
And in our most recent test of the Kia Sorento HEV AWD, it returned a similar figure of 7.1L/100km – which is almost bang on what we were getting because both cars use a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and drive all four wheels.
In terms of seven-seat large SUVs, then, the Hyundai Santa Fe is right in contention as the most frugal.
But fuel cost is only one part of the picture.
Potential buyers of the Santa Fe are no-doubt medium- to large-sized families, and with the rising costs of living (rent is insane!), as well as higher interest rates, every dollar makes a difference.
The Santa Fe Hybrid needs servicing every 12 months or 10,000km (whichever occurs first), and will set owners back $459 each year for the first five years (being more expensive each year thereafter).
Toyota’s Kluger on the other hand, requires a service every 12 months or 15,000km and is just $265 per service for the first five years (again, rising in costs after that).
So, the Kluger can go longer between maintenance intervals and is $971 cheaper after five years of ownership.
Does this distinction make a difference? Not to me, I’d still have the Santa Fe over the Kluger, but depending on your situation, it’s certainly something to consider.
However, I’d also argue that the Santa Fe Hybrid is more than just a smart purchase, as it is also elevated by how genuinely premium it feels.
Step inside and the materials are high-quality, durable and well-designed, and it certainly leaves the current-generation Kluger feeling decidedly old school – and not in a cool way.
Everything from the softness of the supportive seats, the textured leather-wrapped armrests and the cold plastic of the push-button start combine to really make this one of the most refined models to wear a Hyundai badge.
Seriously, they could change nothing about it and put a Genesis badge on the front and I wouldn’t even be mad.
The hybrid powertrain also informs how comfortable the Santa Fe is on the move, as its heavy reliance on the electric motor and battery means the petrol engine is only occasionally on.
This means less noise, less lurching around when the automatic needs to change gears and generally a much more pleasant environment.
All this is to say, yeah, the Santa Fe Hybrid is a fantastic car for those looking for a frugal and functional family-facilitating ferry, with the caveat that it is a little dynamically uninvolving.
Acquired: March 2023
Distance travelled this month: 360km
Odometer: 4073km
Average fuel consumption this month: 7.2L/100km (measured at the pump)
Keyword: Hyundai Santa Fe 2023 review: Elite hybrid long-term | Part 2