2025 Santa Fe Review Roadtrip REVIEW

Some say it looks like Darth Vader’s helmet. Heavy breathing aside, the new Hyundai Santa Fe is a cracking piece of modernism-meets-brutalism that precisely captures a moment in motoring history. Not only is the SUV bigger and beefier than its predecessor, it knows exactly what it is and doesn’t care if it is liked or not. And before you ask, yes, you do get used to the back end, as odd as it is.

I feel rather downcast for anyone owning the previous generation Santa Fe; it looks like a half-baked blancmange by comparison. Not only is 2025 Santa Fe bigger, but makes better use of space.

2025 Santa Fe cleverly mixes “H” patterns into the lights front and back, and although LEDs do a brilliant job, the headlights do not have a matrix adaptive function. That’s something an update will no doubt bring.

The Exterior

2025 Santa Fe designers are clearly a fan of Land Rover, with more than a hint of Discovery finding its way into theme. The 6 or 7 seater cabin requires much metalwork to contain it, and that metalwork has striking features. Big square arches struggle to contain the big 20” alloys of our range-topping Calligraphy. The C Pillar has a concealed hand grip for standing on the tyre to reach the roof rack.

Hyundai have simplified their nomenclatures with 3 simple lines: Santa Fe, Elite, and Calligraphy. The top Range Rover is an Autobiography, coincidence? I think not.

Download Specifications HERE: SANTA FE (MX5) Specifications – May 2024

Unlike all previous Santa Fe generations, this one should age as gracefully as all brutalist architecture does. At first there is protest, then acceptance, then pride, then listing it as an item of historic significance. This is the moment Hyundai changed.

The matte copper test car is tied firmly to the outdoors by its name; Earthy Brass. “Bronzed Surfer” sounds better I think, don’t you?

Hyundai has slimmed the front end despite its still-substantial façade, but the rear end looks like someone cut the end of a huge square sausage. Thankfully the roof slopes gently over the heads of the 3^rd row seats otherwise Santa Fe would look like a bus.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Car Review – 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Alan Zurvas REVIEW At The Farm

@hyundai, #2025hundaisantafecalligraphy, #gaycampers, #gayhyundai, #alanzurvas, #gaycarboys

ABOVE: 2025 Santa Fe Calligraphy

The Cabin

There is a relaxed “James Bond Club” feel about the interior’s spacious proportions. The EV-like flat floor design allows a gracious drawing room to be crafted into the fucntion. Lashings of white leather has been lavished on the seating, and the front seats have roll-out foot rests for relaxing (every 2 hours on a road trip).

2^nd row captain’s chairs allows its occupants scale the lofty heights of dictatorship, while the 3^rd row remains a place to stash people you dislike. As with all 6/7 seaters, filling the cabin with chattering chaps takes up luggage space so is only suitable for short trips.

There are buttons to control some of the seat movement of 2^nd and 3^rd rows all while leaving enough space for a full sized alloy spare to be stowed.

Technology

Once solely the reserve of the snobby European brands, clever Koreans have endowed the Santa Fe cabin with every must-have.

A curved screens houses a couple of ubiquitous 12.3” LCD screens, an HUD projects data onto the windscreen for the driver, and the rearview mirror doubles as a display screen for a high-set camera at the back. Thankfully there are none of those daft digital side mirrors.

The driver is constantly monitored and alerted if distracted, and there is voice control that is best left solely to Siri functionality.

There is charging aplenty: 2xUSB C for each row (6 in all) plus a set of high-speed Qi wireless trays for the front seaters. Calligraphy also gets a natty UV-C sanitation function for the upper glove box. It will do 3 or 4 phones at a time with the press of a button, turning them over to flash the other side if needed.

There is dual Zone climate control, a booster blower for the 3^rd row, seat heating/cooling for front pews, and heating for the 2^nd row.

Download Specifications HERE: SANTA FE (MX5) Specifications – May 2024

The Drive:

The 172kw/367Nm 1.6 Turbo Petrol Hybrid is pleasingly punchy and unlike most hybrids is tethered to a 6-speed automatic rather than a fun-sapping CVT. This gives Santa Fe the feeling of an Ev or a regular SUV depending on its mood. The 1.49kwh Lithium-Ion Polymer battery stashes otherwise-lost energy for use to assist driving either with or without the petrol engine.

There is a rather unnecessary non-hybrid version arriving later this year, but, why bother? The thrifty hybrid is a pearler.

On-demand AWD plays nicely with the MacPherson front and multi-link rear suspension, especially off-road. Drive modes, 3 each for on and off-road, give Santa Fe programming to both handle road trips and slightly rougher stuff. Campers, gay or otherwise, rejoice.

Santa Fe comes with the latest Highway Drive Assist which includes the utterly brilliant Lane Change assist (see section below). The active cruise keeps the Santa Fe well back from traffic in front and includes a queue function, lane departure, and lane centering. Although the self-drive features are extremely capable and work reliably, the driver will be severely chastised if hands are thought to be errant in their control.

Auto Lane Change (aka Lane Change Assist) refused to work consistently.

It worked when it felt like it, even when all criteria had been met. Once activated in the menu, the system will then ask you if you want to use it once the Santa Fe is up to speed. Why? The driver can over ride it by applying force in either direction, or can switch it off. If you miss the chance to hit “OK” when asked, the system won’t ask you again. It is unnecessarily infuriating.

By pure chance I went into the menu while stopped after a loo break. Although all items were ticked, I unticked driver assistance then re-ticked it, only for Lane Change Assist to stay switched off. A few more stabs rekindled its interest. From then on it worked perfectly. I may have missed the “OK” request (several times) but if so, there was no indication and it was extremely annoying.

The farm

This week I motored down to the farm, a 3-hour drive.

It is nestled in the bosom of the cattle-belt in Yass, near Canberra. There is a famous sign on the Highway “MYass” for a fast food chain in the town. The sign was removed after protests and reinstated after even more protests. The hills are alive with graceful wind turbines. No, you can’t hear them but they are quite hypnotic.

Once at the farm, there are 300 acres in which to frolic. Very early spring brings the vagaries of a moody and unforgiving climate, dipping to 4c at night. The temperatures reached a more convivial 18c during the day, and there was no rain to muss the Santa Fe’s pristine paint. I say pristine, but dirt roads play havoc with your sense of order and cleanliness. The dust penetrates like a toddler’s top “C”.

Dirt roads were a bit of a treat. Potholes went almost unnoticed despite the huge alloys, but as the farm driveway hasn’t been graded for 15 years, driving down it is like being on a QANTAS flight.

Santa Fe capered over the gaping wounds and up the slopes like a mountain goat on crack. The only offroad programming is sand and mud, so we can assume Hyundai is confident Santa Fe can handle dirt roads with the defiance and fortitude of a Sherman tank.

Farm accommodations are basic and I seriously considered dossing down in the Santa Fe, but needs must. It was far too cold for a shower so I hit the hay late, to wake refreshed and raring to go. The video picks me up here, so tune in for the Santa fe Calligraphy Video Review.

Conclusion

2025 Santa Fe brings some serious bling to the large SUV market, and for under 80k is hard to beat. It is calm and Zen, has enough personality to stand out in a car park, and even if your friends hate the look, they can’t ignore it.

PRICING

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

Price: $75,000

Engine: 1.6 Turbo 4 Cyl Hybrid

Trans: 6-speed auto

Econ: 5.6 L/100k

Note: All prices are Manufacturer’s List Price. Price excludes dealer delivery and on road costs.

Options:

6 Seat configuration (Calligraphy exclusive) $500

Metallic / Mica premium paint $695

Matte premium paint $1,000

Supersonic Grey / Forest Green / Pecan Brown interior colours $295