2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Road Test and Review

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Adding the latest technology typically feels like an upgrade. If something is more advanced, surely it must be better? In the Hyundai Santa Fe mid-size crossover SUV, Hyundai decided the opposite. 

The current-generation Santa Fe debuted in 2024 using a dual-clutch automatic transmission. This is what you find in modern luxury sports cars. Think of it as a computer that automatically shifts a manual transmission for you. Shifts are faster than a conventional automatic, and fuel efficiency improves because the engine is directly connected to the transmission without a torque converter. The trouble is, these transmissions are more complex. And like a driver working a clutch pedal with their left foot in a traditional manual, the shifts aren’t always smooth. 

So the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe turns back the clock. It drops the dual-clutch automatic for an old-fashioned conventional unit. For this review, we recently spent a week testing the updated 2026 Santa Fe (priced from $35,050 plus a mandatory $1,600 destination charge) to see how the new transmission behaves. Here’s how it pairs with the luxurious, comfortable, family-friendly, and value-packed Santa Fe that we’ve loved since its debut. 

Same Numbers, Smoother Shifts

A quick glance at the spec sheet doesn’t show any changes. The 2026 Santa Fe still comes standard with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. It still uses an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

It also gets nearly identical EPA fuel economy estimates to last year’s Santa Fe. That’s 20 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined with front-wheel drive, and 20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined with all-wheel drive on most trim levels. The only difference was a slight drop on the off-road-themed XRT AWD model, like our test vehicle; it now gets 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined – about 1 mpg less than last year. We averaged 23 mpg in a 2024 AWD Calligraphy model and 20 mpg in a 2026 XRT, though this year’s test was in bitter winter cold versus our 2024 vehicle’s summertime test. 

Underneath the familiar specs, the Santa Fe drives better than before. While the dual-clutch transmission sometimes stumbled at low speeds, the new torque-converter automatic shifts smoothly and unobtrusively. It lets the engine rev more than we’d have expected in gentle driving, but that’s a matter of programming decisions more than mechanical smoothness. 

Otherwise, the 2026 Santa Fe drives the same as before – and that’s a good thing. It has effortless power for routine driving, and it rides and handles well. The Santa Fe is a three-row SUV, but it’s smaller and less bulky than most (including Hyundai’s own Palisade). That gives it the agility and tidy feel of a compact crossover. 

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

The Hybrid Option

Even after the new transmission, our favorite Santa Fe is the hybrid model – and it also got even more appealing for 2026. 

The Santa Fe Hybrid didn’t get a mechanical change. It still pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor for a total of 231 hp. And it still uses a six-speed conventional automatic transmission. It’s not quite as fast as the standard Santa Fe; we’d estimate that it needs about 8 seconds to reach 60 mph versus 7 seconds for the 2.5-liter gas-only model. But it’s still agreeably quick and not too noisy or buzzy. 

And if you thought 24 mpg was good for a three-row SUV, the hybrid blows that away. In EPA testing, front-drive Santa Fe Hybrids get 36 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 36 mpg combined, while AWD models get 35 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined. An AWD hybrid we drove last summer beat those numbers, getting 37 mpg during our weeklong test. 

And now, this year, you can get this fuel-saving advantage for a lower starting price – $36,400 (plus destination) versus last year’s $37,800. That’s because Hyundai now offers the hybrid powertrain on the base Santa Fe SE instead of limiting it to the next-up SEL like it did last year. The SE has manually adjustable cloth seats instead of power-adjustable leatherette; it doesn’t have a wireless smartphone charger or roof rails; and you can’t use your smartphone as a key. But it costs more than $2,000 less. 

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Still a Box

The Santa Fe got a dramatic redesign just two years ago, and that hasn’t changed for 2026. With sharp corners, squared-off headlights, pronounced fender flares, rectangular windows, a vertical rear end, and a low rectangular lightbar spanning the rear of the vehicle, it embraces boxiness. And as we’ll discuss, while this shape is making a styling statement, it also pays off for the Santa Fe’s functionality. 

The Santa Fe is one of the smallest three-row vehicles in the U.S., measuring just 190 inches long. That puts it between the compact Hyundai Tucson and the larger Palisade. That’s great news if you’re looking for a family-sized vehicle without the extra bulk, or if you don’t need a third row anyway and would just leave it folded down. 

This year’s one stylistic change is to the XRT’s grille, which shifts from last year’s dark chrome to our test car’s new gloss black. If you liked last year’s Santa Fe, you likely won’t notice the difference. But if you weren’t a fan, Hyundai hasn’t touched the more polarizing elements. The Santa Fe’s conventional-looking cousin, the Kia Sorento, has nearly as much room. But it still has the dual-clutch transmission. 

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Beautiful Yet Functional Inside

The Santa Fe’s exterior is a “love it or hate it” design. By contrast, its interior should impress just about anyone who doesn’t hate digital screens. It’s a luxury-grade cabin with an elegant design, top-notch materials (especially on top-trim models), and even fairly easy-to-use controls. 

A 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen connects across a single panel to a digital gauge cluster, which is heavily customizable on top trim levels to show a variety of gauge styles. Several physical buttons and knobs serve key audio and climate controls below the touchscreen. Some other climate controls rely on a fussy touch-sensitive panel, though, except on the base SE model. And we wish it were easier to see what song is playing on the radio. But overall, the Santa Fe's controls are generally easy to use.

The functional cabin also includes abundant storage areas. These include available dual wireless smartphone chargers, a generously sized center console bin, an upper glovebox area, and an open storage area below part of the center console. The Santa Fe’s cabin looks good, feels good, and works well – better than many SUVs that cost far more. 

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Family-Friendly Space

Functionality continues to the Santa Fe’s passenger space. We mentioned that the Santa Fe is smaller than most three-row crossovers, but it still has generous room in its front and second-row seats. Heated front seats are included on most trim levels, while upper models add heated rear seats and ventilated front seats. The top Calligraphy model even has “relaxation seats” up front – a pop-up footrest. 

The Santa Fe seats seven people with a third-row bench seat or six if you opt for second-row captain’s chairs. The second row adjusts fore/aft to create either generous second-row legroom or tolerable third-row space. But as we’ll discuss, the bigger issue with the third row is the space behind it. 

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Ample Cargo Room, Most of the Time

When the third-row seat is in use, the Santa Fe has just 14.6 cubic feet of cargo space – less than most three-row crossovers. The upright rear end maximizes the few inches of space back there, and it also spans the full width of the car behind the wheel wells. But if you’re trying to carry passengers and their stuff, plan on keeping most of the luggage on the roof or in a trailer. Most 2.5-liter Santa Fes can tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the XRT boosts that limit to 4,500 pounds and the hybrid tops out at 2,000 pounds. For easier access to the roof rack, Land Rover-style handholds hide next to the side windows. 

But we don’t expect most people to use the Santa Fe’s third row too often. And when it’s folded down, you get a generous 40.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row or 79.6 cubic feet behind the front seats. That’s more than most similarly sized mid-size crossovers, such as the Nissan Murano and Subaru Outback. You can also split the difference and fold down just half the third row, giving you a six-seat SUV (with the second-row bench seat) plus a fair bit of cargo space. 

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Priced From $35,050

As we mentioned, the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe starts at $35,050 plus its destination charge. That money buys the base SE model, which comes with a number of features that would cost extra on many SUVs. These include convenience features like push-button starting and a power liftgate; appearance items like dressy 18-inch alloy wheels; and driver-assistance systems like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping steering assistance. 

As we mentioned, the SEL ($37,950), adds leatherette upholstery, roof rails, the “digital key” smartphone functionality, and a power driver’s seat. It also brings heated front seats, a wireless smartphone charger, air vents for the third-row seat, and automatic climate control.

Other trim levels include the off-road-themed XRT ($42,040); the Limited, $44,600, with features that include genuine leather, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a panoramic roof, 20-inch wheels, and a premium 12-speaker Bose stereo instead of the base six speakers; and the top Calligraphy ($47,350) with Nappa leather, the “relaxation seat,” a head-up display, and 21-inch wheels. 

AWD costs $1,800 extra on all but the XRT, and the hybrid powertrain costs $1,350 extra. 

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Santa Fe vs. the Competition

As we mentioned, the Santa Fe is sized between a compact SUV and a typical three-row model. In that niche, the top rival is its cousin, the Kia Sorento. It’s the only other crossover this size with three rows of seats, and it costs less than the Santa Fe. But the Kia’s interior isn’t as posh as the Hyundai’s, and the gas-only Sorento still has the old dual-clutch transmission.

If you’re interested in something with more space, we’re fans of Hyundai’s own Palisade. For a combination of the Santa Fe’s nimbler handling with the Palisade’s roomier interior, we can recommend the value-packed Volkswagen Atlas, powerful and luxurious Mazda CX-90, reasonably sized Nissan Pathfinder, and well-rounded Ford Explorer. 

We’d also shop the Santa Fe against mid-size five-seat crossovers like the Nissan Murano and Subaru Outback. The Murano challenges the Santa Fe for luxury, but it has a smooth, sleek shape rather than the Santa Fe’s boxiness – which also means it has less room inside. And the newly redesigned Outback is boxy, comfortable, and more capable off-road than the typical crossover, just not very fancy. Neither of them has a hybrid option like the Santa Fe.

Finally, you can decide if you need the Santa Fe’s extra room, extra power, and posher interior finishes over an excellent compact crossover like the Honda CR-V or Hyundai’s own Tucson. 

2025 Nissan Murano Platinum ・ Photo by Brady Holt

A Great SUV That Just Got Better

Since its redesign, the Hyundai Santa Fe has been one of our favorite mid-size SUVs. It’s a compelling luxury vehicle at a reasonable price, all while it’s also a functional yet not too bulky family ride. 

For 2026, the Santa Fe just got even better. The new transmission solves one of our few complaints. And the new Hybrid SE model means you don’t need to buy more luxury upgrades to save on gas. 

If you like how it looks and you don’t need a bigger third-row seat, the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe has uncommonly broad appeal. 

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy ・ Photo by Brady Holt