Hyundai raises the stakes with the 2026 Santa Fe, it's clear that no one wants to be left behind
Hyundai is one of the brands that, although it may not seem like it, listens to its customers. This feedback has allowed the Koreans to improve a couple of significant issues that were hindering the success of the Santa Fe. The large family SUV debuts a more powerful hybrid, among other improvements.
There are more family-oriented and sportier options, larger, smaller, efficient or "gas guzzlers". The catalog of SUVs is impressively long, each with its own personality, but if what you're looking for is distinction, you should probably take a look at a model that might go unnoticed: the Hyundai Santa Fe.
This latest generation from the South Korean manufacturer has matured enough to compete with more luxurious, more premium models. Although the Santa Fe is currently on offer, the success of the self-charging hybrid Santa Fe was being hindered by a couple of significant problems that customers discovered and communicated to the brand.
Hyundai enhances the quality of the hybrid Santa Fe
Hyundai is one of the brands that values feedback the most, the one that customers convey to dealerships and they to the manufacturer, which has not only listened to them but also solved the problem. And it is that the 215 hp that the hybrid Santa Fe (HEV) homologates is not enough to move this five, six, or seven-seater SUV with agility, which, when empty, weighs almost two tons.
Thus, looking ahead to 2026, Hyundai is introducing an extra boost in the hybrid 1.6 T-GDI engine of the Santa Fe, which now reaches a maximum power of 239 hp, compared to the previous 215 hp. The manufacturer's philosophy of offering front-wheel and all-wheel drive versions remains intact, available with the following specifications.
| Santa Fe HEV | Santa Fe HEV 4x4 | |
|---|---|---|
 Engine | 1.6 l T-GDI + EV | 1.6 l T-GDI + EV |
 Power / Torque | 239 hp / 380 Nm | 239 hp |
 Transmission | Auto 6v | Auto 6v |
 0-100 Km/h | 9 s | 9.2 s |
 Max Speed | 196 km/h | 196 km/h |
 Consumption | 6.8 - 6.6 l/100 km | 7.2 - 7.1 l/100 km |
 Traction | Front | All |
Officially homologated performance figures for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid
More power is not the only novelty of the Santa Fe HEV
An important improvement in this non-plug-in hybrid version brings another equally interesting measure, especially for caravan lovers. Now this version has increased its towing capacity from 1,110 kilos to 2,000 kilograms.
In Spain, this novelty has not yet arrived, but it will not take long, as in Germany it is already available in its online configurator, with an interesting news: the price difference between the "old" Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid and the new one is only 200 euros, and that is what we also expect for Spain.
In the German market, the Santa Fe has also undergone a review of the equipment lines, increasing the standard equipment in the "Signature" and "Blackline" trims, for example, including the Digital Key, or debuting new body colors. A strategy that may also reach our market, but we are obliged to wait to know more details.
