Written by Marco Carvajal
Test driving the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
There are several good reasons, good pricing and value that make Hyundai’s customers choose the Santa Fe as their first choice SUV.
The Santa Fe is Hyundai’s best-selling SUV in the brand’s 36-year history in America.
Hyundai’s best value SUV, the Santa Fe, fills the gap in Hyundai’s SUV lineup between the compact SUV Tucson and the larger midsize SUV Palisade.
The Santa Fe seats five passengers, but offers more room than the Tucson and it is more accessible and maneuverable than the larger Palisade.
Pricing is one of the key elements to the Santa Fe’s appeal and success, as you get a lot of features for the money, something that the competition has not been able to achieve in its class.
Redesigned 2022 Santa Fe
Continuing with the successful sales of this car, the new completely redesigned Santa Fe SUV offers more space, comfort and convenience.
The new 2022 Santa Fe features an even more expressive and elegant design, an impressive array of the latest technology, advanced safety features, and a variety of efficient and powerful engines.
This SUV has an expressive appearance, and also combines a masculine style with refined elegance, but it doesn’t cost you more. it has a really good price, you get a lot for your money, with a purchase price around $34K.
The new interior and exterior design of the Santa Fe looks fantastic.
New state-of-the-art safety features, as well as advanced driver assistance systems, allow the new Santa Fe to compete with premium cars, even if the Santa Fe in certain models is recognized more as a value SUV than premium.
The new Santa Fe features a wide range of next-generation engines that deliver greater efficiency and lower CO2 emissions with hybrid technology, combining electric and gasoline engines.
The Santa Fe is Hyundai’s best-selling SUV in the brand’s 36-year history in America, this SUV offers a family-oriented interior, practical advanced technology, and a bold exterior that looks great but is priced with value and budget in mind.
Beside SUV vehicles, if we talk about Hyundai sedans, then the Sonata is Hyundai’s oldest and most successful sedan model, featuring excellent active safety systems, lightweight technology, and a sporty four-door coupe.
Some of the competitors of the Hyundai Santa Fe are the Toyota Venza Hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid or Honda CRV Hybrid among other SUVs.
Trims and Pricing for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
The Santa Fe is offered in 3 versions for the hybrid model. There are also additional versions of the regular non-hybrid Santa Fe and the Plug-in Hybrid Santa Fe.
- 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid BLUE $34,300 Starting MSRP
- 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridSEL PREMIUM $38,360 Starting MSRP
- 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridLIMITED $40,710 Starting MSRP
Performance
The Santa Fe is strong and performs well, it is powered by a 1.6L turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder Hybrid engine with a 6 speed HEV automatic transmission that produces 226 Horse power.
HTRAC All Wheel Drive gives you the power you need on any road.
The Santa Fe has good power for all what is given, with a great size with a combined 226 horsepower, what is very good for a hybrid electric SUV.
The 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder is paired with a 44kW electric motor and a 1.5-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery.
The Santa Fe’s engine working with the six-speed automatic transmission and standard HTRAC All Wheel Drive produces a value and powerful SUV that can perform well on all roads and weather conditions, while giving a great hybrid 34 MPG average.
Travel cross-country, Camp and ATV.
The fantastic Santa Fe hybrid is not large but i has enough towing ability to carry high loads up to 2,000 pounds.
The feature Trailer Sway Control is standard in all Santa Fe models, for extra safety and confidence when towing. When the standard Trailer Sway Control senses the trailer swaying, the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) light flashes, throttle is reduced and brakes engage, stabilizing the Santa Fe Hybrid and its trailer.
10 years/100,000 miles Electric Battery Warranty
One of the concerns when buying a hybrid or electric car is the fact that at some point you will have to replace the battery and this can be very expensive now. Maybe in the future battery cost will be much lower.
When buying a Santa Fe hybrid SUV, the high-capacity lithium-ion polymer battery system comes guaranteed for 10 years or 100,000 miles.
The Santa Fe Looks and Feel Great
The Santa Fe Hybrid looks amazing, not too big, not too small. It’s bold, modern and elegant. The new look of the Santa Fe is wider and more aggressive.
New front end down to details like its T-shaped Daytime Running Lights and the elegant grill produces a premium look
On the inside the Hyundai Santa Fe extra-large displays helps you enjoy driving while keeping better control of your vehicle, the Santa Fe incudes a standard 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and it offers the optional hi-res 10.25-inch touchscreen navigation, to complement the SUV’s clean modern interior.
Enjoy the optional Remote Smart Parking Assist, press your Smart Key button, and it drives itself into and out of the parking spot.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto let you connect your phone without cords when using the standard 8-inch. You can control the touchscreen from your phone without plugging in your smartphone.
You can use Android Auto to get your smartphone apps, maps and infotainment.
You can also use a wired connection to the available hi-res 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Family time gets an upgrade with a futuristic space to be together.
Visually, interior ambient lighting is modern and trendy and the high quality audio system Harman Kardon makes you feel premium and elite.
Large room and lots of standard features make the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid one of the SUVs producing best value for your money.
Hyundai Santa Fe Award Winner
Hyundai was the winner of five awards by the US News and World Report 2022 Best Cars for the Money Awards, more wards than any other automotive brand. These awards are focused on 11 automotive categories, drawing attention to cars and SUVs.
Ratings for these awards are based on safety and reliability data as well as the collective opinion of the automotive press. The Santa Fe was one of the 5 Hyundai car winners. Five Hyundai models won in the following categories:
- 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Best 2-Row SUV for the Money
- 2022 Hyundai Tucson Best Compact SUV for the Money
- 2022 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Best Hybrid and Electric Car for the Money
- 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Best Hybrid and Electric SUV for the Money
- 2022 Hyundai Kona Best Subcompact SUV for the Money
Fuel Efficiency
The Santa Fe hybrid not only gives you a lot of savings on the purchase price and extras included but also its low fuel consumption.
Hyundais technology of Regenerative braking helps to make the Santa Fe more efficient. Brakes convert energy into electric power, which recharges the battery, producing more energy for your hybrid SUV.
The average fuel economy for the Hybrid Santa Fe is 34 MPG Combined, 36 City/31 Highway
When you drive the Santa Fe at lower speeds, this vehicle uses more electric power and less gas, helping fuel economy. This together with other elements contribute to good driving performance while spending less gasoline.
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Highlights
- 1.6 Liters turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder Hybrid Turbo engine
- Compression ratio – 10.5:1
- Trailer Sway Control
- 6-speed automatic with SHIFTRONIC
- Drive Mode Select
- HTRAC All Wheel Drive (AWD)
- Body type: 5-passenger crossover
- Body construction: Unibody, high-strength steel
- Front suspension: MacPherson struts with gas-filled damper and stabilizer bar
- Motor-Driven Power Steering (MDPS)
- Adjustable front-seat shoulder belt anchors
- Front seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters
- LATCH lower anchors and upper tether anchors
- Power window lock-out button
- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with 4-wheel disc brakes
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Traction Control System (TCS) and Brake Assist (BA
- Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop & Go
- Rear View Monitor (RVM) with parking guidance
- LED headlights with LED accents
- LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
- Side mirror approach lights (puddle lamps)
- Roof-mounted Center High-Mount Stop Light (CHMSL)
- 8-way power driver seat
- Heated front seats
- 60/40 split fold-flat seats with slide and recline & adjustable head restraints
- Dual front/rear 2.1-amp USB outlets (1x power/data & 3x power)
- Bluelink Connected Car Service
- Bluetooth hands-free phone system
- Wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay
- Wired Android Auto & Apple CarPlay
