Drive Car of the Year 2025 Winner

The needs and wants of Australian family buyers have conflated significantly over recent years, so much so that the idea of buying a car where you have to compromise even slightly is something of a foreign concept.

Buyers want and need efficient and effortless hybrid power. They want and need well considered practicality and functional operation. Heated seats, wireless smartphone charger, power tailgate? It’s 2025, these are things buyers once wanted –  but surely for a modern world, these are now needed too?

It’s this consideration against the Drive Car of the Year overall winner assessment, as a car that moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers, that enabled judges to arrive at a unanimous decision; the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is the Drive Car of the Year 2025.

The Santa Fe nameplate is no stranger to the Drive Car of the Year awards, taking trophies in 2018 and 2020, but the new generation car that launched mid-2024 has stepped Hyundai’s large SUV to another level.

From the retro-futuristic styling, through generous standard equipment, to delivering hybrid power across the range, the new Santa Fe ticks all the want and need boxes that Australian families are looking for.

Even hearing people say it looks like a Land Rover Discovery is enormous praise for how Korea’s modern interpretation of family functionality should look for 2025.

Powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 1.5kWh lithium-ion battery and electric motor, the hybrid Hyundai offers 172kW and 264Nm combined output with a claimed combined cycle fuel consumption of 5.6L/100km.

This driveline is offered with all-wheel-drive in all three trim grades, with the entry-level variant also available with a sharply priced front-drive option.

Inside there are three rows of seats that can even be configured with the choice of a more spacious six-seat layout in the top-specification Caligraphy variant. And while this is relatively normal for any large, modern SUV, the key to the Santa Fe’s charm lies in its delivery.

Gone are generic trims and dull monotones, instead the Santa Fe rises to become a special occasion each time you open the door. You can be greeted by interesting and impressive browns, whites, and greens. The trim pieces stand out, the quality and touch points feel high quality, and all of a sudden the family SUV has become a brilliant place to spend time.

Functionality isn’t overlooked with over a dozen cup holders scattered throughout. There are thoughtfully placed USB charge points, heated seats in all models and even some wild inclusions like an ultraviolet sanitising tray to safely remove those invisible germs from your phone or glasses.

On the road the Santa Fe tours with ease. The six-speed automatic transmission is well-matched to the hybrid system and the ride quality and body control a brilliant balance between comfort and dynamic feel.

As a consumer-centric awards program, Drive Car of the Year judges often need to place themselves in the mind of a target buyer to understand how well a car performs within the context of its role. For the Santa Fe, this was as simple as being themselves, so broad is the broad is the big Hyundai’s appeal.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is a perfect exercise in blending the wants and needs of Australian family buyers, and we are thrilled to announce it as the Drive Car of the Year 2025.