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Hyundai's TM-series Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid launched in 2021 aimed to combine the class and quality of an established brand large 7-seat 'D'-segment family SUV with an affordable package of cutting-edge Plug-in engine technology. A lofty ambition, but this car got pretty close to pulling it off.
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History
The fourth generation 'TM'-series Santa Fe was originally launched in 2018 only with diesel power. By 2021 though, Hyundai had dumped diesel and wanted black pump-fuel customers to instead consider this petrol Plug-in hybrid unit, which arrived with a far-reaching refresh of the MK4 design, launched in 2021. It sold as an alternative to the other powerplant available in the range, a full-Hybrid HEV of the non-plug-in self-charging sort. This TM-series Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid sold until Spring 2024, when it was replaced by a fifth generation MX5-series model.
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What you get
There are no outward giveaways as to this model's plug-in status, unless you happen to notice the badging or the extra filler flap. The post-2021-era version of the fourth generation Santa Fe isn't quite the sort of car that will have pedestrians bumbling slack-jawed into pavement furniture but it's undoubtedly a good looking thing. It has that inherent rightness to its proportioning that'll make it tricky not to throw a glance over your shoulder when you lock it and walk away. Most importantly, choose an upscale version and it looks - and there's not really a better word for it - expensive.
And inside? Well the 2021 model year cabin updates included a redesigned dashboard with a standard 10.25-inch infotainment system and optional 12.3-inch supervision instrument cluster screen. Interior space was increased all around, width by +10mm, length by +15mm and height by +5mm. At the back, this revised Santa Fe boasted an increase of 34mm of 2nd row legroom over the previous model, giving this improved version an overall best in class 2nd row legroom of 1060mm.
This enhanced Santa Fe also continued with a standard 7 seat interior - many D segment competitors only offer 5 seat configurations. As before, there isn't a huge amount of space in the third row (don't think of this as an alternative to a big MPV). Nevertheless, adults will be OK there provided the journey isn't too long and second row occupants can slide the mid bench forward a little. Luggage capacity across the range isn't much compromised by the PHEV installation, rated at 571-litres (seats up) and 1649-litres (seats down). That's a bit less than a comparable Kia Sorento.
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What to look for
We've come across reports of glitches with the electrical system: check the powered windows, the reversing camera and look for potential problems with the infotainment system and possibly with some of the sensors. Some owners have reported issues with the climate system too; and a few owners came across faults with the audio system speakers. It's unlikely that the Santa Fe you're looking at will have been seriously used off road but check underneath just in case.
There were a few manufacturing issues that came up. In March 2022, a voltage fluctuation at very low temperatures caused the LCD instrument cluster screen of some models to show an inverted image. And in July 2022, it was found that the seatbelt pretensioner inflator of some models displayed fracturing when deployed in an accident. In early 2023, due to a programming issue, some models experienced a failsafe driving mode malfunction, resulting in reduced acceleration followed by a loss of power.
The drive battery in used Santa Fe PHEV models should have quite a bit of life in it, unless you happen to be looking at one of the very earliest '21-plate versions. When the battery is on its way out, you'll obviously find that it won't go as far on each charge - and when it starts to run low on charge, you'll find that the car will particularly start to struggle going uphill. When it gets old, the lithium-ion battery used here can suffer from the ionised liquid in the battery freezing certain cells; those cells are then unable to receive charge.
Before going to all that trouble though, make sure the issue really is the battery. If the car won't charge, it could be a problem with your home electrics (or those at the public charge point you're using). Check the charge light to make sure that electricity really is going through the charge port. And make sure there really is charge in the socket you're using to power from - plug something else into it to see - say, your 'phone. If that charges OK, it could be that your charging cable is demanding too much power, so try another power source. Another problem could be that the circuit may have tripped due to a circuit overload. Or perhaps there could be a problem with the charge cable: this needs to be cared for properly. Repeatedly driving over it (as previous owners may conceivably have done) will damage it eventually. Make sure you do a charge-up before signing for the car you're looking at. When you do this, make sure that when you plug in to start the charge cycle you hear the charge port and the cable locking and engaging as they should; that's all part of the charger basically confirming with the car's onboard computer that everything's good to go before releasing power. But if the charging cable fails to lock as it should, then that won't happen. If there is a failure to lock, the issue could be actuator failure, caused by a blown fuse.
Otherwise, it's just the usual issues we briefed you on the earlier version of this TM series model. A problem was also found with the emergency system that alerts the emergency services with your exact GPS location in the event of airbag deployment in a crash - though this should have been fixed as part of a product recall. Check all the media tech on your test drive - and the workings of the navigation system to see if it's been kept up to date. As we said, check the touchscreens and Bluetooth connectivity. Check the leather upholstery for cuts and stains. And inspect the alloy wheels for kerbing damage. And insist on a fully stamped-up service history.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2021 Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid - Ex Vat - autopartspro.co.uk) Front brake pads sit in the £34-£76 bracket; rear pad sets are around £32-£74. Front brake discs sit in the £45-£121 bracket; rear discs are around £45-£53. A cabin filter is around £6-£51. An air filter is around £13-£60. An oil filter is around £7-£46. A fuel filter is around £2-£12.
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On the road
As the fairly rapid 8.8-second rest to 62mph time of this Plug-in variant illustrates, this PHEV Santa Fe feels like it has an engine of far bigger capacity than 1.6-litres beneath the bonnet. Even when it's running without the aid of combustion power, the car's 90PS electric motor does a reasonable job of powering it in battery motion mode. And when the 13.8kWh battery pack runs out of energy (which WLTP stats suggest will happen somewhere between 36 and 39 miles) and the 1.6-litre T-GDi turbo engine cuts in, the combined power output - 265PS - is more than enough for most safe overtakes, or pressing on when you're late for the school pick-up. You might wish for a bit more pulling power through the six speeds of the drivetrain's auto gearbox though; there's only 350Nm of it, which isn't a great deal to propel along a 2.1-tonne 7-seat family SUV. That's why towing capacity is limited to 1,500kgs.
Hyundai made sure that this car still retained a reasonably degree of 'off piste' capability though. Its standard 4WD system incorporates three bespoke 'Terrain' drive modes which you select from a provided dial - 'Snow', 'Mud' and 'Sand'. But there's not really enough ride height to venture anywhere too gnarly, so the 'Terrain' side of the drive mode dial will probably remain largely unused. More everyday useful settings come when a push of the same dial clicks you in to three separate tarmac 'Drive' modes that alter steering feel, throttle response and gear change timings. Most of the time, you'll leave the car in the 'Smart' setting, basically an auto mode that sorts everything out for you. There's also an 'Eco' mode. And a 'Sport' setting for when you want to push on, though you won't want to do that terribly often in this kind of high-sided SUV.
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Overall
By 2021, Hyundai was wishing it hadn't missed the opportunity to build this kind of hybrid tech into this fourth generation Santa Fe from this 'TM'-series model's original launch back in 2018. That would have given the brand a real technological lead in this segment - even over its Kia Sorento close cousin, which wasn't ready for a new generation model back then. As it was, Hyundai introduced its hybrid electrification - and specifically this Plug-in variant - at a time when many of the Santa Fe's major rivals in this class were announcing electrified engines too. And at a time when this car's development cousin, the Kia Sorento, had been launched in a fourth generation form able to accept exactly the same engine technology. For all these reasons, from new this Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid model's appeal got rather crowded out by segment noise and potential customers often missed just what a very complete package this car really was.
On the used market, that would be a pity because you could make an argument for segment leadership here if you're looking for a large PHEV SUV with three seating rows from this period. The fact is though that this Santa Fe has a classier look and feel than its only slightly cheaper identically-engineered Kia Sorento class cousin from this era. And rival PHEV segment models from other brands generally cost more. You could easily pay as much for a contender in this class with merely a mild hybrid engine - and that would deliver hardly any of the environmental or tax benefits you get here. So be among the few who won't ignore this car and try it. You'll thank us in the long run.
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