Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is the winner of Drive Car of the Year 2025

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The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has won the coveted Drive Car of the Year 2025 award, in the 20th running of Australia’s most comprehensive new car awards program.

As the winner of the Best Large SUV under $80K category award, the Santa Fe was considered among 11 other new-to-market winners from the 19 award categories. The Santa Fe achieved unanimous voting success from the Drive Car of the Year judging panel.

To select an outright winner, the Drive judges look for a car that moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers, and the Santa Fe Hybrid’s delivery of a family-centric balance of value and quality set it clearly apart from other contenders.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid emerged as a standout this year with its fuel-efficient hybrid line-up, enhanced safety and technology, and bold, futuristic design

Australia's most comprehensive new car awards program covers 19 key vehicle categories and addresses buyer needs across all segments of the market.

Hyundai celebrations were not limited to the overall award as for the first time in the program's 20-year history a single brand has been awarded three wins in Australia's much-loved SUV categories, Best Small SUV Under $50K (Kona Hybrid), Best Medium SUV Under $50K (Tucson Hybrid), and Best Large SUV Under $80K (Santa Fe Hybrid).

"We are elated to receive the prestigious Drive Car of the Year 2025 award for the rugged, spacious and efficient Santa Fe model range," said Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Executive Officer, Ted Lee.

"It is also a wonderful acknowledgement of the quality and appeal of the whole Hyundai SUV range that Santa Fe, Tucson and Kona have won a clean sweep of awards in the important Small, Medium and Large SUV categories," he said.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid meets the evolving needs of Australian families and sets a new standard for SUVs, making it a worthy winner of the top award

For two decades, the Drive Car of the Year awards have been Australia's most trusted and comprehensive guide for consumers shopping for new cars. Nearly 500 cars pass through the Drive garage annually, with tens of thousands of kilometres covered each year in intensive testing to determine the best vehicles for everyday Australians across all segments.

Read more about how the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid impressed Drive Car of the Year judges here.

Drive Car of the Year 2025

You can read all the information about the Drive Car of the Year 2025 awards at our DCOTY Hub.

If you are in the market for a new car, we’ve grouped winners into six key categories:

View all results from all category winners.

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