Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Highlander 2023 Review

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Highlander sits at the top of the range, priced at $69,550 plus on-road costs – $6550 upstream of the Hybrid Elite.

The six-seat layout, which swaps out the second-row three-seater bench for two individual ‘captain’s chairs’ (and is unavailable on Elite), is a no-cost option. It’s also one of the key points of difference to the related Kia Sorento Hybrid, which is a seven-seater only and in AWD form starts at $69,750 plus ORCs.

The Sorento Hybrid has just the single trim level but includes a front-wheel drive option too (from $66,750 plus ORCs), whereas the two-model Santa Fe Hybrid is AWD only but starts at a more affordable $63,000 plus ORCs for the Elite.

It’s also worth noting that the equivalent-spec Santa Fe Highlander diesel starts at $66,550 plus ORCs.

In Highlander form, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is simply loaded with equipment.

Take a deep breath and consider that the large, luxurious family SUV comes standard with heated seats in both the first and second rows, fan-cooled seats up front, a heated steering wheel, Nappa leather trim, a panoramic sunroof, power-folded second-row seats, microphone-aided communication from the driver to the rear passengers, third-row air-con vents, 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio and a ‘smart’ power tailgate that opens if the key is within the detection zone.

Not least of all, the Highlander Hybrid also features remote-control parking, which allows the driver to stand outside and direct the vehicle into or out of a perpendicular parking space.

All versions of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe are well-packed with safety technology.

The list includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) in forward and reverse (the former at high and low speeds), pedestrian avoidance, multi-collision braking, lane departure warning/lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring with active assist, front and rear cross traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, driver attention detection and front, side and rear cameras providing bird’s-eye-view parking.

Distinctive touches include blind spot cameras that convey a view of what’s coming up in on either the right or left side of the vehicle via pop-up screen displays on the instrument panel (similar to the system pioneered by Honda years ago).

Although no safety rating is supplied for the Santa Fe Hybrid, the conventional petrol and diesel models have a five-star ANCAP rating dated from 2018. Testing procedures are much tougher today than they were back then.

Since the fourth-generation Santa Fe was launched in 2018, Hyundai has made several upgrades to safety tech such as the introduction of junction turning assist, multi-collision braking, rear AEB and a front centre airbag.

Inside the plush cabin of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Highlander there’s a wealth of technology available for driver and passengers, equalling in breadth the extensive standard comfort and convenience features we’ve already mentioned.

As well as the usual Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, there’s digital instrumentation on a 12.3-inch screen in front of the driver, a head-up display, remote engine start, one multimedia USB port and four charging USBs, two 12-volt outlets and a wireless phone charging pad.

The 10.25-inch centre dash screen includes sat-nav and a parking camera display that will stay switched on to show multiple views when driving forward.

As the capacity of petrol engines continues to shrink in efforts to maintain power outputs while reducing fuel consumption and emission levels, so it is with hybrids.

The main driving force in the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is a small ‘Smartstream’ 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder which produces 132kW and 265Nm.

This is supplemented by a 44kW electric motor that’s fed by a 1.49kW/h lithium-ion battery and produces a grunty 264Nm of torque – virtually the same as the petrol engine. The combined petrol/electric power outputs are 169kW and 350Nm.

The transmission is a new six-speed automatic (V6 and diesel Santa Fe models have an eight-speed dual-clutch auto) and the driveline is an on-demand, tailshaft-driven four-wheel drive system.

Dubbed HTRAC by Hyundai, the 4WD system apportions power delivery via a variable clutch between front and rear ends according to the amount of wheel grip available.

The driveline electronics include Comfort, Sport, Eco and Smart modes, as well as terrain modes that aim to maximise grip in Snow, Mud or Sand, all selectable via a rotating control sited to the left of the shift controls.

With all that, and a not-particularly-generous 176mm of ground clearance, the Santa Fe Hybrid is the personification of a soft-roader suited more to gentility than getting down and dirty.

Driving the point home is the braked towing capacity of just 1650kg, well down from V6 and diesel Santa Fe models which are rated at a quite-impressive 2.5 tonnes.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Highlander claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 6.0L/100km, which is competitive among its peer group and achievable.

Our review Santa Fe recorded an average of 6.5L/100km in a range of varying conditions, from urban to freeway and using regular 91 RON fuel.

Typical of most hybrids, the Hyundai tended to be at its best when being driven around town, when the lithium-ion battery was able to best exert its influence.

Ironically, the hybrid’s fuel consumption is virtually identical to the diesel Santa Fe’s claimed 6.1L/100km – although there’s something of a crunch when to comes to CO2 emissions: against the diesel’s quoted 160g/km, the hybrid is somewhat cleaner at 137g/km.

It might be getting on in its current fourth generation, but the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe is still considered a refined and highly capable family SUV – and in hybrid form there are no contradictions to that.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Highlander feels substantial and confidence-inspiring on the road and the driver’s seat is truly comfortable, well in keeping with the impressive internal ambience and promising long-distance comfort.

The powertrain is hushed in operation, smooth and assertive on the road, and the auto gearbox, although only a six-speeder, offers paddle shifting and has no trouble apportioning the power of the luxurious, close-to-two-tonne six-seater.

The unobtrusively quiet 1.6-litre turbo, helped along by the electric motor’s strong torque, feels like something much bigger.

The steering twirls from lock to lock in 2.7 turns for a turning circle of 11.4 metres and 19-inch wheels are shod with 235/55 tyres to find an appropriate balance between bitumen-grabbing tenacity and an absorbent, tending-to-cushy ride.

The fact that the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe is shorter in both wheelbase and overall dimensions than its Kia Sorento cousin shows up in a slightly less accommodating cabin which provides a little less room for occupants travelling rearward of the front seats.

Although not many are likely to complain, the legroom in the central-row captain’s chairs, even though they can be adjusted fore-aft, can be a bit lacking when long-limbed passengers are in the front.

These second-row seats are virtual replicas of the front seats and the space between them can help access between the second and third rows.

Nevertheless, there’s an expansive air about the Santa Fe that speaks of a slightly more conservative approach than its Kia Sorento counterpart and hints at different buyer demographics between the two.

Allowing for the different loading configurations resulting from the 2+2+2 seat layout, the load capacity is essentially the same as seven-seat variants; in other words, it has a noticeably smaller – about 300 litres – load capacity than the Kia Sorento.

As already alluded to, the premium-spec Santa Fe Highlander impresses with its plentiful creature comforts including the Nappa leather seats and the widespread use of soft-touch surfaces.

The cockpit layout places all the controls logically without springing any ergonomic surprises. The adaptive cruise control switchgear on the steering wheel, for example, favours tactility over visibility with rocker-style switches, while gear selection is by push-button controls on the centre console.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has been a long time coming and it’s likely to be a stayer as the family SUV moves into a new generation during 2024 – without diesel.

That marks a substantial shift for the South Korean brand, but we’re already seeing the benefits of Hyundai’s electrified powertrains with the SUV you see right here, which performs well and has low fuel consumption for such a large vehicle.

It won’t be your first choice if you plan on towing, and we’ll admit that we’re fans of the diesel.

But there’s an all-round accomplishment to the Santa Fe Hybrid that makes it a worthwhile addition to the range and, in Highlander form, one that has most bases covered.

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Highlander at a glance:
Price: $69,550 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 132kW/265Nm (electric motor: 44kW/264Nm)
Combined output: 169kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 137g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested