Fast Facts | 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Review
⚡ Powertrain: Hybrid powertrain paired with a six-speed automatic transmission
⛽ Fuel Economy: FWD models are EPA-estimated at 37 mpg city, 36 highway, and 36 combined
🌧️ AWD Economy: AWD Calligraphy models are EPA-estimated at 35 mpg city, 34 highway, and 34 combined
🛋️ Seating: Lower trims offer a second-row bench, while upper trims get heated captain’s chairs
👧 Third Row: The third row works best for kids, with cupholders, USB-C ports, climate controls, and overhead lights
🧳 Cargo: Cargo space expands to more than 40 cubic feet with the third row folded and nearly 80 cubic feet with the second row down
💰 Pricing: FWD SE starts at $38,000 MSRP including destination, while the tested Calligraphy comes in at $50,300 MSRP
I got on the highway late on a Sunday morning, anticipating a traffic-free drive from my home in the California desert to Los Angeles. Yeah, I completely forgot one of the largest music festivals in the world had just ended, and it seemed that all 90,000 attendees were headed back to the City of Angels. It was bumper-to-bumper for miles.
No problem for me in the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. I just activated Highway Drive Assist in my top Calligraphy trim and let the car handle some of the heavy lifting. Bring it on, music fans — I was relaxed and listening to podcasts inside my three-row SUV.
Eccentric Exterior
The Santa Fe got a major makeover in 2024, and not much has changed since. The hybrid is available in SE, SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy trims in front- or all-wheel drive. Hyundai is known for loading up even its lower trims with features, but my top Calligraphy really takes the cake: heated and power-folding side mirrors, 20-inch wheels, glossy exterior trim, and rain-sensing wipers. The Calligraphy stands out from the rest of the lineup.
Even in lower trims, the Santa Fe Hybrid is a welcome design departure from most other midsize SUVs. It's boxy with pixelated lighting, and the throughline here seems to be the letter “H.” You'll find the motif in the headlights, grille, and lower front fascia. The taillights follow the same formula, although I think they sit a bit too low, which throws off the proportions of what's otherwise a nice-looking rear end. Others have disagreed with me on this, and design is, of course, subjective. The Santa Fe Hybrid is polarizing if nothing else.
On the Road
But we’re here to find out how this thing drives, right? Most owners of this family hauler will be pretty happy. It can feel a bit sluggish when merging and passing, and the handling isn't particularly sharp, but it’s quiet and incredibly smooth. There's no hitch when the electric power kicks in and out, and the six-speed automatic transmission does its job quietly in the background.
If fuel economy is your priority, stick with a front-wheel drive Santa Fe Hybrid, which returns an EPA-estimated 37 miles per gallon in the city, 36 mpg highway, and 36 mpg combined. My all-wheel Calligraphy gets a bit less at 35/34/34. I actually hit the combined average over a week of driving by keeping it in Eco mode the whole time.
For shoppers weighing the Santa Fe Hybrid’s available AWD against other all-weather options, our Best All-Wheel Drive Hybrids guide adds useful shopping context ➜
There's also a Snow mode, a center-locking differential that splits power equally between the front and rear axles, and downhill brake control. However, don’t think those last two features make the Santa Fe Hybrid a trail-conquerer. If you want to get into the dirt, I recommend getting the XRT trim. It’s not offered with the hybrid powertrain, but it has better tires for off-roading and a bit of a lift.
I was glad to have Hyundai’s latest edition of Highway Drive Assist, though I wish it centered the car a bit better in the lane. It seems to drift towards the passenger side every time I’ve used it. The lane-change assist, however, works as expected, and the Blind-Spot View Monitor in the gauge cluster gives you a live video feed of what's beside you. And should you attempt to manually change lanes anyway, blind-spot collision avoidance nudges you back into the safe zone.
Kids Only in the Back
A big reason to buy a Santa Fe Hybrid is that you need a third row but aren't interested in a full-size SUV. Fair enough, but I’m here to tell you: that last row is really only fit for kids or your worst enemies. I’m five-foot-nine, and back there, my knees were up around my ears, and my rear end sat so low I might as well have been on the floor. It reclines a bit, which is helpful, but no adults will want to spend much time back there. The good news is that each side gets a cupholder, a USB-C charging port, climate controls, and overhead lights. One side has a standard household outlet as well.
It’s a better story in the second row in terms of room. Lower trims offer a bench seat, but the upper two trims swap it for comfy, heated captain’s chairs. I had plenty of legroom, and the two-stage heating is perfect for those who like hot-cross buns. Like the third row, the second row gets its own climate controls, vents, and charging ports. The seat pockets are deep enough for a laptop, and I love the cupholders built into the doors.
Up front, the top two trims get heated and ventilated seats, and my tester had a one-touch relaxation mode for the driver’s seat. At one point during my testing, I needed to close my eyes for a catnap. Once I pulled over and settled in, the calf support of the seat and supremely soft headrest had me snoozing in no time flat.
The top trims also get dual wireless phone chargers that worked even through my phone case, plus two USB-C ports for wired charging, if necessary. I ended up using those ports because the infotainment system had trouble connecting to my phone wirelessly. I tried it a few times to no avail and just had to plug in to use Apple CarPlay. In theory, both it and Android Auto connect wirelessly to the 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Hopefully, that was just a glitch on my particular tester.
Interior color options are limited to black and gray, but don't let that worry you. The gray skews much closer to warm cream. There's some open-pore wood trim on the dash, with a wider section under the infotainment screen, which is a nice place to rest your hand while tapping around. There's also a shelf for the passenger, as well as an upper and lower glove box and a two-story center console that offers up extra storage. Small items will definitely have a place.
Since the Santa Fe Hybrid is a midsize SUV, there isn’t a ton of room behind the third row. You can fit a few grocery bags or slim luggage pieces, but for larger items, you’ll need to fold the third row down. That gives you over 40 cubic feet of space, expanding to nearly 80 cubes with the second row flat. That’s less than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid but more than its cousin, the Kia Sorento Hybrid.
Priced Right
Hyundai doesn’t offer packages for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. Sure, there are some accessories, like a cargo net or mud guards, and all-wheel drive is an extra $1,800, but the features in each trim are largely set in stone. A front-wheel drive SE starts at $38,000 MSRP, including destination, but my top Calligraphy is $50,300 MSRP.
The Kia Sorento Hybrid starts a bit higher and ends a bit lower than the Santa Fe Hybrid, and is a good alternative if you find the Hyundai's styling a bit too modern for your liking. In front-wheel drive, it does a bit better in fuel economy as well. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is only available in all-wheel drive and is a bit more efficient than the equivalent Santa Fe Hybrid, but it has less third-row legroom and starts at nearly $50,000 MSRP.
If you’re looking for a three-row SUV with decent fuel economy, plenty of features, and styling that stands out from the crowd, you could do much worse than the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. While the third row won’t accommodate adults for very long, it’s plenty for kids and should suit your family just fine.
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