Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Hyundai Santa Fe review - Boot space, practicality & dimensions

“The Santa Fe’s large dimensions mean there’s space for up to seven adult passengers to sit comfortably”

Carbuyer Rating

4.5 out of 5

Owners Rating
Be the first to review
Boot space, practicality & dimensions Rating

4.5 out of 5

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a big car, and that translates to a spacious cabin. There’s the choice of five, six or seven-seat configurations. The latter two are spread over three rows, with the six-seater’s middle row sporting two large ‘captain’s chairs’ instead of a bench, for added comfort – although this does cost £1,000 extra.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Even in the seven-seat version, every space is large enough for a fully grown adult – even for those sitting in the back row, with extremely generous headroom. The Santa Fe certainly gives the Land Rover Discovery a run for its money in this area, because we’d only recommend children sit in the rearmost seats of the Discovery on longer journeys – there’s plenty of legroom in all three rows. The Santa Fe’s middle row is highly adjustable, too, so you can move it backwards or forwards to prioritise leg room or luggage space as necessary, and there’s more space and elbow room than in the Skoda Kodiaq, with slightly better access to the rear seats.

We also liked the Hyundai Santa Fe’s interior usability. There are plenty of storage compartments located around the cabin to boost practicality further and USB ports in the seat backs allow every passenger to charge a device. The centre console alone can store two cups and smartphones, not to mention the huge tray underneath and another large storage cubby within the armrest.

Size comparison
Model LengthWidthHeight
Hyundai Santa Fe4,830mm1,900mm1,720mm
Land Rover Discovery4,956mm2,000mm1,888mm
Skoda Kodiaq4,758mm1,864mm1,659mm
Kia Sorento4,810mm1,900mm1,700mm

Does the Hyundai Santa Fe have a big boot?

At 628 litres, the Hyundai Santa Fe’s boot capacity is larger than the outgoing car’s with just five seats in place, and we had no issues packing in all our luggage, bags and camera equipment when we tested it, even with the second row of seats positioned all the way back. Fold all the back seats down and space increases to a massive 1,949 litres, which is amongst the best in class.

The speed at which the Santa Fe’s powered boot lid opens and closes can be adjusted to your preference, as can the height the tailgate opens to, so if you’re a smaller person you can tweak the settings to make it easier to reach. Hyundai has referred to the Santa Fe’s wide rear opening and boot as a ‘terrace’ where users can sit and enjoy it as a social space. We expect most buyers will use it in a more conventional manner, but it could come in handy on camping trips or at outdoor events.

Boot space comparison
Model Boot space
Hyundai Santa Fe628 litres
Kia Sorento616 litres
Skoda Kodiaq835 litres
Nissan X-Trail775 litres

Is the Hyundai Santa Fe a good tow car?

Traditionally the Santa Fe has been a favourite amongst buyers towing heavy caravans, horseboxes and trailers, and it’s still to be seen how the lack of a diesel engine option could affect its ability in this department. In the outgoing model the diesel could haul 2,500kg, while petrol and hybrid models peaked at 1,650kg.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best?

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi Hybrid Premium 5dr Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £47,200

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi Plug-in Hybrid Premium 5dr 4WD Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £52,475

Fastest

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi Plug-in Hybrid Premium 5dr 4WD Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £52,475

Charlie writes and edits news, review and advice articles for Carbuyer, as well as publishing content to its social media platforms. He has also been a regular contributor to its sister titles Auto Express, DrivingElectric and evo. As well as being consumed by everything automotive, Charlie is a speaker of five languages and once lived in Chile, Siberia and the Czech Republic, returning to the UK to write about his life-long passion: cars.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Range Rover review – comfy and luxurious, but not perfect
RR 1
In-depth reviews
5 Feb 2025

Range Rover review – comfy and luxurious, but not perfect

New Alpine A390: everything we know about the hot French electric SUV
Alpine A390 concept profile
News
5 Feb 2025

New Alpine A390: everything we know about the hot French electric SUV

Top 10 best sports and performance SUVs 2025
Best performance SUVs 2025
Best cars
5 Feb 2025

Top 10 best sports and performance SUVs 2025

Jaecoo 7 review – more car for Qashqai money
Jaecoo 7 front quarter driving
In-depth reviews
5 Feb 2025

Jaecoo 7 review – more car for Qashqai money

Have You Considered

Jaecoo 7 review – more car for Qashqai money
Jaecoo 7 front quarter driving
In-depth reviews
5 Feb 2025

Jaecoo 7 review – more car for Qashqai money

Peugeot 3008 review – sleek petrol hybrid undercuts the EV, still pricey
Peugeot 3008 front quarter driving
In-depth reviews
23 Jan 2025

Peugeot 3008 review – sleek petrol hybrid undercuts the EV, still pricey

Most Popular

Engine management light: what to do if it comes on
Engine warning light
Tips and advice
30 Jan 2025

Engine management light: what to do if it comes on

Best new car deals 2025: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
7 Feb 2025

Best new car deals 2025: this week’s top car offers

The 10 best electric cars in 2025
Bets electric cars 2025
Best cars
31 Jan 2025

The 10 best electric cars in 2025

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
21 Oct 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps
Charging station
Tips and advice
23 Jul 2024

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

The 10 best electric cars in 2025
Bets electric cars 2025
Best cars
31 Jan 2025

The 10 best electric cars in 2025

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2025
Best cheap to run cars
Best cars
8 Jan 2025

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2025

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2025
Fastest hot hatchbacks 2025
Best cars
22 Jan 2025

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2025