Car of the Year Awards 2026: Hyundai Santa Fe 1.6T Hybrid 2wd Premium wins Seven Seat SUV of the Year

The prestigious awards are held annually by the UK’s biggest car buying guide, and Hyundai has enjoyed notable success in recent years. SANTA FE in particular has established a strong track record with the judges and wins Best Seven-seat SUV at What Car Awards 2026. SANTA FE won the same award in 2025 and in 2024 won Best Hybrid Seven-seat SUV in What Car? Electric awards.

The awards have been decided by What Car?’s expert team of judges, who have driven hundreds of new cars over the past 12 months.

The Hyundai SANTA FE impressed judges once again with its accomplished blend of space, quality and versatility. Designed to suit modern families and active lifestyles, SANTA FE delivers exceptional practicality alongside premium comfort and advanced technology.

A spacious and flexible interior provides generous room across all three rows, with fully foldable second- and third-row seats offering excellent everyday usability. Its bold exterior design gives SANTA FE a distinctive road presence, while a wide range of convenience features and Hyundai Smart Sense Advanced Driver Assistance Systems ensure comfort, confidence and safety on every journey.

"The striking, angular design of the latest Hyundai SANTA FE doesn’t just help it stand out from the SUV crowd visually – it contributes to it being a great seven-seater. The oblong side windows offer everyone inside a great view, while the car’s squared off rear end ensures that even those in the third row have loads of head room. Access is superb, too, thanks to wide-opening doors. And when it comes to the dynamics, Hyundai has put comfort first – just as you’d want with a car like this."

Steve Huntingford

What Car? editor