Hyundai Santa Fe (MX5) review: the family SUV that finally looks like one
3.9/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The GCC-spec 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine is the one to buy, not because a turbo isn't available elsewhere but because the NA four is the proven, easy-to-service option in this market. Third-row space is usable for children on short trips, not adults on the causeway run. Against a Highlander, the Santa Fe wins on standard equipment and interior design and loses on resale — a familiar Hyundai-versus-Toyota trade in this segment.
Pros
- Meaningfully more interior and third-row space than the previous generation
- Simple, proven 2.5L naturally aspirated engine for GCC roads
- More standard equipment than the Highlander at a comparable price
- 725-litre boot swallows a family's luggage easily
- Distinctive styling that stands out in a crowded segment
Cons
- Resale value still trails the Highlander in this market
- Third-row space usable for children, not adults, on long trips
- Boxy styling is polarising and not universally loved in person
- No hybrid or turbo option offered on GCC-spec cars
- Fuel consumption higher than the outgoing rounded generation's base engine
The fifth-generation Santa Fe threw out three decades of rounded, inoffensive Hyundai SUV styling for a boxy, H-shaped light signature that draws more comparisons to a Land Rover Defender than to the crossover it replaced. It is the most divisive Hyundai design decision since the original Tucson's split headlights, and in showrooms it has worked.
GCC cars are sold with a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four making 198 hp through a conventional eight-speed automatic — the same reliable, unglamorous powertrain family Hyundai uses across the Sonata and Tucson ranges. It is not the hybrid or turbo powertrain offered in other markets, and in Bahrain that is the right trade: fewer complex parts, more workshops that already know the engine.
Space where it counts
The boxier shape pays off directly in interior room: headroom and third-row space both improved meaningfully over the previous generation, and the 725-litre boot behind the second row swallows a family's causeway-trip luggage without the Tetris exercise smaller crossovers demand.
Highlander comparison
Toyota's Highlander remains the safer resale bet in Bahrain purely on brand momentum, but the Santa Fe now matches or beats it on interior finish, screen technology and standard safety equipment for a comparable price. The gap that used to separate a "sensible Toyota" from an "interesting Hyundai" purchase has narrowed considerably in this generation.
Buyers cross-shopping this segment should test the boxy styling in person before deciding — it photographs more aggressively than it reads in traffic — but on space, equipment and running costs the MX5 Santa Fe is a legitimate alternative to the class leaders, not just a cheaper one.