2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai's extroverted design tendencies are on full display with the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. Where most automakers try to integrate design motifs gradually across their lineups — a specific grille pattern, distinct headlight arrays, panel creases — Hyundai's current "family" look is more like that of a coterie of stylish misfits. The boxy, slab-sided Santa Fe looks nothing like the jagged post-modern angles of the Tucson midsize SUV or the Sonata sedan's hydrodynamic sweeps. Nor does it look like many other SUVs on the road, giving it the personality to match its utility, ample cargo space and standard third row. 

Edmunds spotlight: Primed for a possible plug-in 

The Santa Fe is a steady favorite for families seeking a roomy three-row SUV with plenty of standard features, safety tech and cargo space. Multiple trims offer choices for buyers on a tight budget (SE), big budget (Limited), off-road-ish/towing budget (XRT) or a hybrid budget (SEL Hybrid). So what's missing from the Santa Fe lineup? A plug-in hybrid. It's not a stretch to envision the 2026 Santa Fe — the third year of this current generation — filling out the portfolio with a PHEV variant, similar to the last generation. That model got around 30 miles of electric range and recharged in about 3.5 hours. A newer PHEV powertrain like the one in the Santa Fe's corporate rival, the Kia Sorento, should be able to cover a little more ground while generating around 260 horsepower. 

Competitors to consider

Shoppers looking for a three-row SUV are spoiled for choice, though there are only a handful of rival compact SUVs, including the aforementioned Sorento and the Mitsubishi Outlander. Larger, most expensive midsize crossovers are plentiful; they include the Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-90 and Toyota Highlander. If you can go a little larger, there's the Kia Telluride, Chevy Traverse, Volkswagen Atlas, Toyota Grand Highlander and Hyundai's elegant Palisade. Three-rows with a plug are a rarer species, though, limited to models like the CX-90 PHEV, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and the pricier but off-road-capable Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe. 

The Santa Fe hits the right notes for a broad spectrum of buyers. A new plug-in hybrid version could widen that appeal.