Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid 2021 Review

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is a small two-row SUV. The Santa Fe was one of Hyundai's first SUVs, though the lineup has expanded greatly since then. For 2021, Hyundai now offers a hybrid variant, building on the Santa Fe's strengths, such as a comfortable and handsome interior, with improved fuel economy. The Santa Fe Hybrid is loaded with features, tech and driver aids, even on base-trim models. Hyundai's excellent five-year/50,000-mile warranty and standard all-wheel drive only improve the package.

The Santa Fe Hybrid is a bit of a tweener vehicle, both in Hyundai's own lineup and among the competition. It's larger than small SUVs like the Honda CR-V Hybrid but not quite as large as three-row SUVs like the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The Santa Fe Hybrid slots between the smaller Tucson and larger Palisade SUVs in Hyundai's own lineup (the latter is not currently available as a hybrid). Outside of Hyundai, rivals include the Honda CR-V Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Venza (sold only as a hybrid), and of course the Sorento Hybrid from Hyundai's sister brand, Kia. If you need more space than what a small SUV offers but don't need three rows of seating, take a look at the Santa Fe Hybrid.

Which Santa Fe Hybrid does MatoCar recommend?

Most of the time, we suggest going with a midlevel trim. With the Santa Fe Hybrid, we think the base-level Blue trim is the one to have. It includes loads of standard features, in-car tech, and driver aids such as adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring. Additionally, the Santa Fe Hybrid Blue nets the best fuel economy in the lineup.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is available in three trim levels: Blue, SEL Premium and Limited. All three are powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four engine paired with a hybrid system making 226 combined horsepower. A six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive are standard across the board.

Blue The Santa Fe Hybrid comes fairly well equipped from the start. Standard features include:

• 17-inch wheels
• LED headlights and taillights
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Remote start
• Power-adjustable driver's seat
• Heated front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 8-inch digital display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
• Wireless charging pad

Standard driver aids include:

• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Lane keeping assist (steers the Santa Fe Hybrid back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
• Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
• Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the Santa Fe Hybrid and the car in front)

SEL Premium Besides all of the Blue's features, the SEL Premium includes:

• Leather upholstery
• Power-adjustable passenger seat
• 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system
• 10.25-inch display with navigation
• Panoramic moonroof
• Enhanced adaptive cruise control (will assist with lane changes during highway driving)

Limited The top-level Limited trim includes everything available on the Santa Fe Hybrid. Features include:

• 19-inch wheels
• Power-folding mirrors
• Additional adjustment on driver's seat
• Driver's seat memory settings
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• 115-volt power outlet
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)
• Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Santa Fe Hybrid and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
• Blind-spot camera (displays image in instrument cluster when changing lanes)
• Remote Smart Parking Assist (allows low-speed vehicle control through a smartphone)