Hyundai Santa Fe Elite v MG QS Essence 2025 Comparison

In its current generation, the Santa Fe launched with a single 1.6-litre hybrid powertrain priced from$55,500 to $75,000. Now the South Korean manufacturer has introduced a second engine option – a 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol without a hybrid system. It increases performance but cuts the price by about $2500 across the board.

Here, we’re looking at the mid-range Hyundai Santa Fe Elite, which gets the new engine with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, on-demand all-wheel drive and seven seats for a reasonable $62,500.

MG is known for its aggressively sharp pricing and the QS seven-seater doesn’t break from the brand tradition. The range starts from an almost unbelievable $46,990 drive-away and even at the most premium end, this Essence AWD costs just $50,990 – also drive-away.

Regardless of whether you go for the entry Excite front-wheel drive or the Essence all-wheel drive (AWD) we have in this battle, the MG QS is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine bolted to a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic.

One of the reasons the new Santa Fe has been so warmly received is its carefully laid-out variant spread from entry, through Elite to the Calligraphy range-topper which offers something for almost every budget.

In the middle of the range, the Elite offers a great balance of equipment and leaves all the flourishes for the Calligraphy such as the amusing and hugely unnecessary UV phone sanitiser.

In Elite trim you get leather upholstery with electric front seat adjustment and heating (although no ventilation), heated steering wheel, 12.3-inch central screen, wireless charging for two devices, 12-speaker Bose sound system, a digital instrument cluster, dual zone climate control, 20-inch wheels and all-LED exterior lighting.

Before you ask, we haven’t mistakenly hit copy-paste for the MG’s standard equipment list. The two cars really do align very similarly for kit.

For that cash, MG includes 20-inch alloy wheels, full LED exterior lighting, eight-way power-adjustable front seats wrapped in leather with heating and ventilation, a 12.3-inch infotainment system with wireless smartphone mirroring native navigation and digital radio, wireless charging for one device, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a 10.1-inch digital instrument cluster, keyless entry and start, electric tailgate, three-zone climate control and a 360-degree camera complemented by parking sensors all-round.

Options are, you guessed it, very similar for both with pretty much everything included in the asking price. The few available extras include premium paint costing $750 for the Hyundai and $800 for the MG. In this case the Hyundai wears no-cost Terracotta while the QS is finished in optional Regency Green.

Both interiors can be upgraded to $295 Supersonic Grey for the Hyundai or Beige Stone in the QS for $700.

Hyundai offers a five-year warranty on all new vehicles which is about the average, while MG’s deal is about the longest you’ll find at 10 years. That said, if you choose to have your QS serviced anywhere but an MG dealership, that warranty is reduced to seven years.

The Hyundai wins back points as the cheapest vehicle to service compared with the MG which costs nearly $7000 over seven years, most of which comes in the sixth year.

Hyundai’s SmartSense safety suite includes a lot of tech for protecting occupants and other road users. As standard, it includes 10 airbags, one of which provides protection between the two front occupants, as well as curtain bags for all three rows of seating.

Active safety features include autonomous emergency braking in forward and reverse, junction-turning and crossing assistance, oncoming lane-change steering assistance which functions between 40 and 145km/h, brake-assisted direct-collision assistance between 10 and 130km/h, vulnerable road user avoidance, front and rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring with active assist, driver attention detection, lane tracing and lane-keep assist.

That extensive list helped the Santa Fe earn the full five-star rating from ANCAP when it was introduced in 2024.

Despite its lower price, the MG also offers a lot of active and passive safety from adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, driver assistance lane-keep tech to match the Hyundai, driver monitoring camera, front and rear collision warning, blind spot detection with steering assistance, rear cross-traffic alert and braking as well as intelligent speed limit assistance.

It may have a very similar level of safety features to the Hyundai, but the MG is yet to be tested by ANCAP and, at the time of writing, has no safety rating from an Australian assessor.

The Santa Fe was introduced exclusively with a 1.6-litre turbo hybrid powertrain and it was a good unit with excellent efficiency. Now it has increased the choice to include a 2.5-litre conventional turbo-petrol powertrain with 206kW and 422Nm. The result – it’s cheaper and faster, but thirstier.

The MG also has a turbocharged four-cylinder powertrain. However, with just two litres of displacement, it’s down on power and performance with 153kW and 360Nm.

Both engines are bolted to dual-clutch-type automatic transmissions with eight ratios in the Hyundai and nine for the MG. Both are all-wheel drive.

When fitted with the 1.6-litre/hybrid powertrain, the Santa Fe is a seriously efficient large SUV in real-world driving and, in previous testing, we managed a figure close to the claimed 5.6L/100km average. However, with the increased power and torque, the 2.5-litre loses frugality.

That said, the Hyundai was still the more efficient in this comparison. It used 11.1 litres per 100km (a significant jump over the 9.1L/100km claim), while the MG was even thirstier using 11.4L/100km – an even bigger increase over the manufacturers claim of 8.8L/100km.

This is most likely due to the MG’s smaller engine having to work harder to produce similar driving urgency compared with the Santa Fe which is more relaxed in its delivery.

When it comes to driving enjoyment and occupant comfort, the MG has a formidable rival in the Santa Fe. That’s because the Hyundai has such a lovely balance of ride and comfort versus dynamics thanks to a chassis that has been turned with clever spring and damper rates that maintain a good level of body control without introducing uncomfortable stiffness.

It also manages to be quiet at speed regardless of the road surface and has light steering that weights-up in faster corners but never becomes exhaustingly heavy.

It even has a lively tail end if you ever feel like throwing it into a corner like large SUVs rarely get driven. Otherwise, it’s a safe and predictable car to drive that is easy to manage despite its generous exterior dimensions.

With the new beefier engine, the Santa Fe 2.5T ups the driving reward stakes another level while offering a drivetrain that would likely handle towed loads and a full boot even better. It’s quick on its feet in a straight line and the bends and even sounds nice when wrung out.

It might sound strange, but the new 2.5-litre Santa Fe doesn’t feel completely unlike one of Hyundai’s fun little hatchbacks when thrown at a few enjoyable country roads.

However, the MG rises to that challenge with surprising aplomb.

It can’t match the Hyundai’s outright firepower with a whole half-litre smaller engine and even though its outputs are adequate, the 2.0-litre has been tuned to deliver those peaks at strange places in the rev range. Unlike the Santa Fe which dumps a hearty dollop or torque early on in an almost diesel delivery, the QS is revvy and any meaningful grunt is short-lived.

Swift progress therefore can be frustrating in the QS but its chassis offers a little redemption with light and precise steering, an eager front end and, while there is some roll in corners, the QS is composed and happy to maintain momentum in twisty sections.

It too has a good trade-off of balance, dynamics and comfort with a little more road noise but a similar blend of passenger comfort with fun-to-drive credentials – if you’re prepared to stoke the furnace more than the Hyundai.

Both transmissions deliver the classic DCT snappy shifts on the fly and a smooth uptake of torque at stop-and-start speeds although the QS has no paddle shifters so it can’t be prompted like the Hyundai.

It’s also worth noting that, although the Hyundai has its fair share of annoying driver assistance warnings that can be switched off, at least they make sense for the most part. The MG, however, has even more noises constantly irritating the driver. It appears the QS has an extra audible warning when there is a speed limit change – even mandatory and advisory limits.

Combined with the overly eager driver-attention warning, the QS cabin is constantly chiming and beeping and it’s not always clear what the warning relates to. Did someone say boy who cried wolf?

Small annoyances as side, like the rest of the growing MG family, the new QS arrives with a surprisingly good ride and handling package and it deserves praise for such a resolved offering straight out of the traps. Yet, the Hyundai is consistently just a nose ahead with the stronger drivetrain and a chassis that’s superbly well suited to Australian conditions.

We didn’t take either of these models off-road this time but, since both models have all-wheel drive, reasonable ground clearance and at least one off-road driving mode, you can hit mild unsealed trails with a degree of confidence.

If more enthusiastic all-terrain adventures are your thing, the Santa Fe is available with an XRT pack, which adds some serious all-terrain ability.

In the cabins of these respective SUVs you’ll find design and styling as different as their exterior aesthetics, while space is in surplus for both. If you have a large family or lots of stuff to haul around, both models have a lot to offer.

Perhaps our favourite attribute of the Hyundai is that its blocky and bold exterior (which we love by the way) actually boosts the practicality once inside – quite the opposite to many large SUVs which forfeit volume for swoopy coupe-like roof lines and styling folly.

The MG is partially guilty of this in the third row although it is still a useable sixth and seventh seat, yet its second row is the star of the show. It’s cavernous.

For taller occupants, knee room is as generous as space above the head, while the seats roll fore and aft as well as offering a reclining back rest that adjusts independently of the other seat.

In the Hyundai it’s a dead heat with just as much space, the same comfort features and adjustability although the QS offers a climate control panel in place of the Hyundai’s vents only. The QS has respectable storage solutions but can’t touch the Santa Fe, which has the better third row space and access.

In the front row it’s the Hyundai that is the clear winner with one of the best storage-solution packages we’ve ever encountered. It includes vast spaces in the central console, a triple glovebox consisting of two doors and a shelf in the middle and the door pockets are also decent.

We also love that the same big centre storage is easily accessible from the rear of the car thanks to an ingenious drawer and hatch design.

At the other end, the Hyundai also has the superior boot. Thanks once again to the boxy exterior, the load area measures up to 642 litres compared with the QS’s 517L.

Both are big, but the Hyundai is bigger and has a full-size spare wheel that hides under the vehicle, while the MG has a space-saver (better than the sealant and pump kit) and robs a bit of under-floor space.

In terms of quality, fit and finish the MG is a strong performer. Its leather is pleasantly waxy and supple, while the wood-look trims are very convincing if not actually real tree. Ergonomically it works well also with good seat comfort and adjustability.

But the Hyundai is the most intuitive in function with its own dedicated climate control panel with a mix of mechanical and touch-screen switches, while the MG buries all HVAC functions in the main infotainment. The Hyundai is the clear favourite for function, while matching the MG’s efforts in quality and build.

Technologically, this pair comes down to preference with a similar level of advanced electronics in each and the same sized screen with excellent resolution and refresh rate. That said, the Hyundai manages to offer consistently useful and novel features such as Sounds of Nature, while the MG offering can feel just a touch gimmicky at times.

Importantly, there is no booby prize here. Both cabins are luxurious and comfortable. Neither would be a poor choice for long journeys with excellent practicality and comfort for all on board.

The all-new MG QS is a lot of car for your cash. It’s spacious, well-appointed and while its drivetrain is a little lacklustre, it rolls on a chassis that’s fun to drive and all of its tech, comfort and design is on offer for a sharp price.

The Hyundai though, is the more resolved of the pair and that solid proposition only comes with a gradual evolution over five generations. It’s entertaining to drive, it’s kit-packed but good value – and those gorgeous looks don’t compromise on practicality, they enhance it.

In a fiercely competitive segment, the Hyundai manages to stay in the top echelon with design and technology that’s constantly improving. Its more powerful engine is in keeping with that strategy, offering a bit more brawn over the 1.6L hybrid if outright efficiency is less of a priority.

But in virtually every test, the MG was not convincingly blown out of the water, instead falling only just behind the high standard set by the Santa Fe. It wasn’t enough to snatch victory this time, but if MG’s trajectory continues at the current rate, it won’t be long before the Chinese brand features in comparisons not as the hopeful challenger, but as the one to beat.

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Elite 2.5T at a glance:
Price: $62,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 206kW/422Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 9.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 128g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2024)

2025 MG QS Essence AWD at a glance:
Price: $50,990 drive-away
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 153kW/360Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 198g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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