What is it?
Gone are the days when Hyundai’s top-billing SUV was available solely with diesel engines. Not only are the two engines in the Hyundai Santa Fe line-up now petrol-fuelled, but Hyundai has electrified both.
We’ve already tested the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, praising its elegant interior and generous seven-seater ergonomics, and now we’re experiencing the Plug-in Hybrid.
With 262bhp and 36 miles of electric-only range (versus 227bhp and, well, almost nothing), the PHEV is clearly the stronger proposition than the regular hybrid in terms of both performance and fuel economy.
What’s more, in base Premium trim, it will set you back only around £3600 more than a commensurately equipped Hybrid; and for company car drivers, the BIK tax rate is far kinder, at 11% compared with 32%.
One thing worth noting, however, is that the PHEV is offered only with four-wheel drive. And if you feel that neither the extra traction nor the electric range of the PHEV is going to make an appreciable improvement to your life, the Hybrid can be had in front-drive form, at which point the price drops to less than £40,000.
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The headline reads Hyundai Santa Fe 1.6t_GDi PHEV 2021 and underneath it says from £33425 and then reading the article we find out the price of this entry car is £45600.
And what a crazy comparison. If you're going to compare it to a Volvo then it has to be the 7 seat XC90 Phev which starts from £65600. Motoring hacks therefore only have to find £20,000 of someone elses money rather than just £8000 more.
If anyone was interested in a 5 seat PHEV then why buy a Santa Fe when Hyundai can offer you a 5 seat Tucson PHEV for £6000 less would be my question. That XC60 is ONLY £14,000 more now.
£45,600 for a family car?
No amount of mpg / running costs justification is going to make that price anything other than a huge waste of money, whether from an outright purchase or via finance.