Compare the2025 Volvo XC60VS 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The XC60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Volvo XC60 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. Hyundai doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Santa Fe. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC60 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC60 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC60’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Santa Fe’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC60 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the XC60. But it costs extra on the Santa Fe.

Both the XC60 and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the XC60 is much safer than the Santa Fe:

	XC60	Santa Fe
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Leg Forces L/R	472/607 pounds	517/967 pounds
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	MARGINAL
Chest Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	MARGINAL

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC60 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 107 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Santa Fe has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The XC60’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the Santa Fe’s (12 vs. 7 years).

Reliability

The battery on the XC60 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the XC60’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Santa Fe’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The XC60 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 178 more horsepower (455 vs. 277) and 212 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the XC60 T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

	XC60	Santa Fe
Zero to 60 MPH	4.2 sec	6.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	10.2 sec	16.1 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.7 sec	6.7 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	2.5 sec	3.3 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.2 sec	4.4 sec
Quarter Mile	12.6 sec	14.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	111 MPH	96 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

			MPGe
XC60
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	66 city/60 hwy
Santa Fe
			MPG
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/28 hwy
		XRT 2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/26 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

			MPG
XC60
	AWD	2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	28 city/28 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
Santa Fe
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/28 hwy
		XRT 2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/26 hwy

The XC60 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 35 miles. The Santa Fe can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the XC60’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The XC60 has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe (18.8 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The XC60 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XC60’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Fe:

	XC60	XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered	Santa Fe SE/SEL/XRT	Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	15.7 inches	12.8 inches	13.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	12.6 inches	12 inches	12.8 inches

The XC60’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Santa Fe are solid, not vented.

The XC60 stops shorter than the Santa Fe:

	XC60	Santa Fe
70 to 0 MPH	165 feet	167 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the XC60’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe (265/35R22 vs. 255/45R20).

The XC60’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Santa Fe Limited’s 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The XC60 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Santa Fe’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The XC60 Ultimate has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The XC60’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC60’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (112.8 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

The XC60 handles at .88 G’s, while the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the XC60 has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (8.5 vs. 7 inches), allowing the XC60 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The XC60’s minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the Santa Fe XRT (8.5 vs. 8.3 inches).

Chassis

The XC60 is 4.8 inches shorter than the Santa Fe, making the XC60 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

The XC60 has a much larger cargo volume than the Santa Fe with its rear seat up (22.4 vs. 14.6 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XC60. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy, the XC60 Ultra/Polestar has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The XC60’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Santa Fe’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the XC60 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Santa Fe can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The XC60’s standard Keyless Entry & Drive allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Proximity Key standard on the Santa Fe doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The XC60’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Santa Fe’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The XC60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XC60 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer cornering lights. The XC60 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The XC60’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Santa Fe offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Volvo XC60 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy.

The XC60 Ultra offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Santa Fe.

The XC60 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy.

Recommendations

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC60 as the 2018 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Santa Fe has never been chosen.

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