2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy review (video)

The Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy isn’t just another large family SUV – it’s Hyundai’s bold statement that it has truly arrived in the premium space. With its imposing yet practical design, the latest model offers room for seven, hybrid efficiency and with a capability to provide comfort over a variety of conditions.

We have been on the pursuit to determine if the Santa Fe’s headline act – the ‘Calligraphy’ – is as versatile as it is stylish by putting one through a true-blue adventure from Perth to Esperance, via the remote coastline of Western Australia, covering over 2000km via iconic towns like Busselton, Margaret River and Albany.

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy: Specifications

*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy: How much does it cost?

The base Santa Fe variant kicks off pricing at $53,000. Then there is the midrange Elite, then our tested Calligraphy. A 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder with an eight-speed auto, or a hybrid electric and 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with a six-speed auto for $2500 more can be optioned with all variants. This Calligraphy hybrid tops the pricing at $75,000 (excluding on-road costs). The base variant comes in front-wheel drive only and all other models receive 4×4 on-demand.

Zooming out to the wider seven-seat large SUV market with a luxury twist, the Calligraphy is reasonably priced when compared to direct competitors like the range-topping Mazda CX-90 Azami hybrid that retails from $93,870, the Kia Sorento HEV GT-Line from $73,330, the Nissan Pathfinder Ti-L from $82,490, or the Toyota Kluger Grande from $82,860.

In terms of ongoing costs, the Santa Fe is offered with the average five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and one-year of complimentary roadside assistance. An additional 12 months is offered each time you have it serviced at a Hyundai Service Centre. Servicing on the hybrid is required every 12 months or 10,000km. The first 21 services by a Hyundai Service Centre are advertised to cost $459, $459, $569, $459, $459, $663, $666, $396, $629, $652, $328, $823, $413, $826, $629, $624, $328, $823, $413, $600, and $934. There is also a free service at 6 weeks or 1500km.

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy: Interior & packaging

The Santa Fe Calligraphy welcomes you aboard with a cabin that feels more like a chic, high-end lounge than a family SUV. Hyundai has gone all out in this department. From the moment you sit down, the premium materials are immediately apparent. The soft to the touch Nappa leather upholstery comes by default in black colour. For $295, you can also choose a stunning pecan brown or dual-tone forest green and cream finish that’s as stylish as it is comfortable. Ambient mood lighting, which reflects off the contours of the cabin, adds an element of luxury not expected in this class.

The front seats are not only heated and ventilated but also feature an impressive array of adjustments, including an adjustable leg rest that pops out from under the seat. In the second row, the seats are equally comfortable, with plenty of legroom, and even heated options for colder days. Passengers can also control their own fan speed in the second row. You can option for a 6-seat layout with captain-style configuration in the second-row as well.

The cabin is packed with thoughtful features that make it a joy to live with – especially on road trips. There are dual glove boxes with a handy shelf in between, a UV-C sanitising tray, large door pockets and bottle holders, two cup holders in each of the rear doors, a bi-directional centre console lid, dual wireless phone chargers, heaps of USB-C ports, and a dual sunroof.

But practicality does not stop there for the Calligraphy. The second row seats slide on rails to offer a versatile configuration, prioritising legroom or cargo space as needed. The seats also easily fold flat, allowing you to haul large items without fuss. There are some unique and discreet grab handles on the outside of the rear door to help with climbing into the third row.

That square rear design allows for an expansive boot area. With 628 litres on offer (or 1949L with the rear seats folded down), it is massive. Access for loading is made simple thanks to a low load lip. With many single night stays along our route, we appreciated the low load height when repeatedly getting luggage in and out – and it easily swallowed two full-sized suitcases with space left over.

In terms of tech, the Santa Fe Calligraphy showcases Hyundai’s impressive panoramic curved infotainment suite. This is made up of a 12.3-inch centre touch-screen that integrates wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Bluelink Connected Car Services.

Another 12.3-inch customisable digital instrument panel is presented, offering wonderfully easy to read graphics and gauges. The integrated layout between both screens is sleek and intuitive, and air-con controls are smartly separated out onto a 6.6-inch climate control display for less distraction while driving.

Calligraphy models also score a head-up display, and a digital centre mirror. And both the Elite and Calligraphy gain a sensational Bose 12-speaker premium sound system.

You can bet on an all-inclusive array of safety tech across the range to award the Santa Fe a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. You get items like forward collision avoidance, blind-spot warning and cameras, driver attention warning, lane keeping and following assist, parking collision avoidance assist, surround parking sensors, safe exit assist, and surround-view cameras, to name a few.

From an external viewpoint the Santa Fe showcases a unique design themed with rectangular surfaces and H-shaped lighting. Its enlarged tailgate (though, not to everyone’s taste), and long wheelbase reflect a rugged but sophisticated character that prioritises space. From the side angle you’ll notice clean lines, a flat roof, prominent wheel arches, a short front overhang, and 20-inch alloy wheels.

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy: Powertrain & handling

Lift the bonnet and you will find a hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor. Combined, they invent 172kW of power and 367Nm, which is good for 0-100km/h in 9.53 seconds, according to our tests on a private road. The new 2.5T option in AWD Calligraphy does it in 8.59 seconds. Going for the hybrid provides a sweet balance between power and efficiency within today’s standards.

Our long-distance test entailed a mix of Perth inner-city driving and long highway straights. The hybrid provides enough grunt to handle higher speed overtaking and hasty traffic light take-offs. It doesn’t set your pulse racing, but it is ample for those who want a spacious SUV that is not heavy on fuel but still quite economical.

In operation, the engine is smooth, quiet, and refined, and it’s happy to rev when needed such as on hilly country roads or during overtaking trucks on the freeway. When you ease off the accelerator, the hybrid system seamlessly switches to electric-only mode. Then the transition back to petrol power is also barely noticeable. The smooth and quick conventional six-speed automatic gearbox helps as well – no CVTs here.

Fuel efficiency is a strong point for the Sant Fe hybrid, particularly in city driving where it benefits from frequent braking and stop-start conditions. In fact, the official average fuel consumption is 5.6L/100km. Our long-term average was 6.6L/100km. If you find yourself on the freeway only, expect consumption to increase to roughly 7.2L/100km as the electric motor is used less frequently here. But it is still an impressive figure for an SUV of this size and versatility.

On the tar, the Santa Fe offers a ride that strikes a commendable balance between comfort and agility. The suspension is soft and smooth, soaking up Western Australia’s bumps and undulations with ease – making it a great choice for long journeys like ours. And it’s not so soft that it loses its composure during quick direction changes.

At higher speeds or during fast cornering, the Santa Fe exhibits some body roll due to its tall profile (1770mm height), but it’s never unsettling. While it isn’t designed to be a corner-carver, it’s far nimbler than you might expect for a vehicle of its size.

Similarly, the Santa Fe never set out to be a hardcore off-roader but it does offer a number of features that make it capable of tackling mid-level off-road situations. With the on-demand all-wheel drive system there are selectable drive modes for sand, snow, and mud; along with hill descent control to help maintain stability on steep, slippery slopes.

We ventured onto some beautiful WA beaches with the Santa Fe – including the famous Lucky Bay – and it took them on like a champion. The 360-degree camera system was also a great addition to help us navigate through the sandy tracks to get to the beaches. And Kudos to Hyundai for offering a full-sized alloy spare wheel across the range. This is especially rare in hybrid models.

Though, 177mm of ground clearance will hold you back from any trails with deeper track washouts. But Hyundai has this covered too, with an XRT Adventure Option Pack available if you’re into the rough stuff regularly. This grants the Santa Fe with 17-inch off-road wheels, a suspension lift kit that adds 30mm, an underbody skid plate, and reinforced mudflaps and all-terrain tyres.

Along endless highways, we found most of the assisted driving systems work brilliantly. But as usual, and as with other manufacturers, the driver monitoring can be overbearing at times. It is a distraction to go through the settings to turn off each time the vehicle is turned on.

If you’re with a need to tow. The towing capability in the Santa Fe is below average, at 1650kg braked for the hybrid and 2000kg braked for the new 2.5T. There are more heavy duty offerings available in this class, if heavy towing is a high priority to you.

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy: Key attractions/reasons to buy

• Magnificently lush and practical interior: The Santa Fe Calligraphy delivers a high-end cabin with quality materials and a vast array of comfort features. Yet, this is without compromising practicality.
• Tech-rich features: A standout in its class, the Santa Fe Calligraphy offers a dual 12.3-inch display setup with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a sleek, intuitive layout. The Bose sound system is also great.
• Hybrid efficiency: The hybrid powertrain is right on the money for striking a balance between power and fuel efficiency.
• Ride comfort and capability: You get a smooth yet agile (enough) ride, which is excellent for big family adventures. 

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy: Key considerations before you buy

• Towing capacity: At 1650kg braked, the Santa Fe hybrid’s towing ability is below average for a seven-seat SUV in this class. The 2.5T option offers 2000kg.
• Driver assist systems: The overzealous driver monitoring system can be a bit distracting, requiring manual deactivation each time you start the vehicle.
• Off-road limitations: While it performs well off road for soft off-roader standards, it won’t go places serious body-on-frame SUVs in this class can.
• Price: We think the price of the entry and mid-level variants are well-justified considering the levels of luxury and features you receive. But the Calligraphy seems a bit high.

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy: Video