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The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento have established themselves as formidable players in the large SUV segment over the years. The Santa Fe has just entered its fifth generation while the Sorento has been recently given a mid-life facelift. They may still look like vastly different vehicles but they are in fact very similar under the sheetmetal, sharing underpinnings, powertrain and cabin tech.
If you’re shopping for one of these, it’d be prudent to also check out the other. For this comparison, we are pitting the Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy AWD against the Sorento Hybrid GT-Line AWD. As their names suggest, they are both hybrid models, with the Santa Fe being the range-topping variant and the Sorento one below the flagship plug-in hybrid (PHEV) grade. The pricing is pretty similar as well, with the Hyundai costing $76,500 and the Kia slightly cheaper at $73,990. Prices exclude on-road costs.
Yes they do cost quite a fair bit. For the Sorento, if you must have a hybrid you’ll need to splash, as the hybrid only comes in top-spec GT-Line trim. On the other hand, the Santa Fe offers hybrid in lesser specs, with pricing starting at $57,000.
Nevertheless, these high spec hybrid 7-seater SUVs are equipped to the brim with interiors that wouldn’t look astray behind a premium badge. More on that later.
Conventional against Controversial
Choosing between the cars would be easy if you prefer conventional over controversial styling. The updated Sorento is a sweet looking SUV with clean lines and classy touches. Its design wouldn’t draw any criticism, nor special praise. It’d be one of the many large SUVs on the road. The Santa Fe, though, is a bold visual statement that demands attention and splits opinion. The blocky proportions and rigid lines aren’t for everyone but for those adventurous enough to embrace it, they’d be driving something that stands out from the crowd.
For us, we can’t yet decide which design we like more, but one thing certain is that the unorthodox Santa Fe styling will take sometime to digest. That said, we applaud Hyundai for having the courage and confidence to push design boundaries and challenge the norm.
Grandeur or Sophistication
The boxy theme of the Santa Fe carries through to its interior with probably the only curved element being the steering wheel. And even that has a squarish centre and spokes. Seeing a whiff of Land Rover there? You’re not wrong.
Such inviting is the cream cabin of the Santa Fe that it feels like a wonderfully pleasant place to be spending time in. In other words, it’s good for long trips.
The Sorento interior is more business-like with a much darker, moodier tone. It feels premium and sophisticated. The gloss black trims are of higher quality with noticeably deeper and richer texture that those in the Santa Fe. The polished aluminium-look trim inserts are applied with more restraint, resulting in a more upmarket feel.
Practicality
While both interiors are as practical as what you’d have come to expect from a large family SUV, the Santa Fe cabin packs more storage compartments than the Sorento, including a second glove box, a shelf in the dashboard, a cavernous centre storage bin which is dual hinged and can be opened from either the front or second row seats, a larger storage tray below the centre console, dual wireless phone charger and a slide-out tray for the second row. It’s not just the more practical of the two interiors here, it’s easily the best packaged in the segment.
Passenger space is very similar in both vehicles though as they share nearly the same exterior dimensions with identical wheelbases. This means there’s generous room in the first and second row seats, with good width across the second row to accommodate three average size adults quite comfortably.
As these are SUVs and not people movers, the third row is compromised as expected. Legroom is tight which means they are good for kids but not so much for adults. Things also aren’t exactly the same back here for the two competitors. The upright and squared off rear body section of the Santa Fe results in much better headroom. This pairs with those large square windows makes for a much brighter and airier third row space.
Access to the third row is equally a little underwhelming in both cars, with the second row seats not sliding forward enough and so the gap to clamber through to the third row is quite tight. Rivals like the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Kluger offer a wider passage to the back seats.
Further back, it’s again the Hyundai that offers more cargo space with 612 litres of capacity behind the second row compared to 608 litres in the Kia. Drop the second row seats the Santa Fe’s 1949 litres of space is just marginally shy of the Sorento’s 1996 litres.
Technology
Both cars are very up-to-date in the technology on offer. The twin-screen display panel featuring two 12.3-inch displays is the centrepiece of the dashboard and is shared between the two models. The display behind the steering wheel serves as the instrument cluster with limited customisability, while the second display is a touchscreen that operates the infotainment system.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto are featured in both vehicles, however, unlike certain systems currently on the market, the phone map is not mirrored on the instrument cluster, only turn by turn instructions. The map does still up on the touchscreen. It’s the same story with the in-built navigation map.
The touch-sensitive controls below the centre touchscreen in the Sorento are dual-purpose, switching between climate and navigation settings via a button. Obviously, this is to reduce clutter but ultimately it’s not as user friendly as direct controls.
The Santa Fe has quite a lot more buttons in the centre console, offering straightforward controls. It doesn’t look as clean but neither is it cluttered.
Being top-spec models, both SUVs are comprehensively equipped when it comes to safety. Fitted as standard on both cars include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear View Camera, Surround View Camera, Side Door Exit Warning and Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. There’s even a Remote Parking Assist feature where you can remotely move the car in and out of a parking lot while being outside the vehicle.
The Santa Fe does go a step further in safety with more fitted airbags on top of the usual front, front side, front head and head centre airbags, including a knee airbag for the driver, head airbags for the third row and side airbags for the second row. All of those lacking in the Sorento.
One major complaint we have on both cars is the overspeed warning. It chimes the moment you creep over the detected speed limit with no small allowance or delay. The audible warning can be disabled in the settings leaving just visual warning but it doesn’t stick and on restart it’s automatically re-enabled. At least in the Kia, it can be muted by a long press on the steering wheel mute button, but in the Hyundai there’s no such feature and you’ll have to put up with the constant chiming when you’re just 1 or 2km/h above the limit.
Driving impression
As mentioned, both cars share the same hybrid drivetrain. It consists of a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack to produce a combined output of 172kW and 367Nm. Drive is sent to an on-demand four-wheel drive system via a six-speed automatic transmission.
It’s impressive how a small engine, with the help of an electric motor, can make so much power and torque. These SUVs weight just over two tonnes but there’s plenty of poke to get you through the daily grind. They never feel like they’re struggling, even with a full load onboard. Response is good as well, with the electric motor providing the initial push, filling in any turbo lag from the engine.
While there’s a bit more frequent use of the engine here than other competing hybrid systems such as that in the Toyota Kluger, the transition between electric and combustion power is very seamless and never distracting.
Left to its own devices, the drivetrains are also very efficient. But the way they’re tuned might be slightly different between the Santa Fe and Sorento. Based on the rated fuel economy figures, the Santa Fe seems to bias toward freeway efficiency (Santa Fe’s 5.3L/100km vs Sorento’s 6.5L/100km) while the Sorento prioritises urban efficiency (Santa Fe’s 6.2L/100km vs Sorento’s 4.2L/100km).
On the combined average though, the rated figures are almost identical (Santa Fe’s 5.6L/100km vs Sorento 5.7L/100km). In our real world test with about 400km of mixed roads travelled in each car, the Santa Fe was the more economical of the pair, recording 6.7L/100km against the Sorento’s 6.9L/100km.
When it comes to ride and handling, the Sorento has a sportier tinge in its suspension tuning, with it a little firmer and tauter than the Santa Fe. There’s a bit more roll in the Hyundai around the bends, while the Kia is a tad more dynamic. That does mean the softer Santa Fe delivers a cushier ride than the Sorento which can jostle a bit on rougher roads.
Both SUVs exhibit excellent NVH levels with generally quiet cabins that are comfortable for the family to travel in for long trips.
Verdict
The latest generation Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento proves again why they play at the top of the mainstream 7-seater family SUV segment. Both are well engineered, quality products loaded with modern tech and creature comfort features. There’s really not much that separates the two. It does really come down to which one satisfies your taste more.
If you want something that looks cool and unconventional, has an amazingly practical cabin and rides more comfortably, the Santa Fe is the pick. For something with a bit more flair that is sportier to drive, the Sorento suits.
For us, the looks of the Santa Fe might be too adventurous for our liking but it’s hard to ignore that wonderful cabin with benchmark packaging. And that’s enough for the Santa Fe to just marginally inch ahead of the Sorento.
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy AWD | 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid GT-Line AWD | |
| Design and Comfort | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Performance and Handling | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| Quality | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Economy | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Equipment and Features | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| Overall | 42/50 | 41/50 |
Pricing and Specification
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy AWD | 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid GT-Line AWD | |
| Price (excluding on-road costs): | From $76,500 | From $73,990 |
| Warranty: | 5 years, unlimited km | 7 years, unlimited km |
| Warranty Customer Assistance: | 1 year roadside | 1 year roadside |
| Service Intervals: | 12 months, 10,000km | 12 months, 10,000km |
| Country of Origin: | South Korea | South Korea |
| Engine: | 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol:
132kW @ 5,500rpm, 265Nm @ 1,500-4,500rpm Electric motor: 172kW / 264Nm Combined: 172kW / 367Nm |
1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol:
132kW @ 5,500rpm, 265Nm @ 1,500-4,500rpm Electric motor: 172kW / 264Nm Combined: 172kW / 367Nm |
| Transmission: | 6-speed automatic | 6-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain: | All-wheel drive | All-wheel drive |
| Combined Fuel Consumption (L/100km): | Claimed: 5.6/Tested: 6.7 | Claimed: 5.7/Tested: 6.9 |
| Fuel Capacity (L): | 67 | 67 |
| Body: | 5-door SUV, 7-seats | 5-door SUV, 7-seats |
| Safety: | 5-star ANCAP, 8 airbags, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, Safe Exit Assist, Surround View Monitor, ISOFIX | 5-star ANCAP, 8 airbags, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, Safe Exit Assist, Surround View Monitor, ISOFIX |
| Dimensions (L/W/H/W-B): | 4,830/1,900/1,770/2,815 | 4,810/1,900/1,700/2,815 |
| Kerb Weight (kg): | 2,105 | 2,014 |
| Entertainment: | 12.3-inch colour touchscreen, satellite navigation, AM/FM/DAB+, Bluetooth, USB, AUX, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
12-speaker Bose premium audio system |
10.25-inch colour touchscreen, satellite navigation, AM/FM/DAB+, Bluetooth, USB, AUX, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
12-speaker Bose premium audio system |
