Buyers of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid have a choice of three trims: Blue, SEL Premium, and Limited. The hybrid powertrain for this five-seat compact crossover brings together a turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor (combined horsepower: 226) working with a six-speed automatic transmission. All trims get standard all-wheel drive. According to the EPA’s official estimates, the Blue trim returns 36 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway, whereas the SEL Premium and Limited get 33 city/30 highway. The ’23 Santa Fe Hybrid can handle some light towing, too. With trailer brakes it can pull up to 2,000 pounds, but without them the towing capacity tops out at 1,650 lb.
The Blue kicks off the trim range with a generous supply of amenities, such as LED exterior lights, heated side mirrors with turn-signal indicators, roof rails, a gesture-activated liftgate, and Digital Key, which turns your smartphone into the vehicle’s key fob. This entry-level Santa Fe Hybrid also gets push-button start, heated front seats with driver’s-side power adjustments, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, wireless phone charging, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink.
In the second row, there are side-window sunshades, HVAC vents, and power-adjustable seating. The cargo area also has an underfloor storage compartment for hiding/storing items out of sight. Meanwhile, the Blue’s infotainment system consists of a 10.25-inch touchscreen with integrated navigation, dynamic voice recognition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Bluetooth.
This trim even has an assembly of driver-assist technologies collectively known as SmartSense: forward collision warning (with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction-turning detection), blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and curve control, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, driver attention warning, safe exit warning, semi-automated driving assist (Highway Driving Assist), and rear occupant alert.
The SEL Premium is granted more goodies with its panoramic sunroof, synthetic-leather upholstery, power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, premium door sills, LED interior lighting, and exclusive 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with surround sound. Plus, its safety suite is upgraded with a real-time blind-spot view monitor and a surround-view camera system.
The top-tier Limited receives genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a power leg cushion extender for the driver’s seat, enhanced projector-type headlights, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding side mirrors, position memory (for the side mirrors and driver’s seat), a heated steering wheel, and heated rear outboard seats. As the icing on the cake, Hyundai adds front parking sensors and Remote Smart Parking Assist.
