For Toyota, the urge to say “we told you so” must be unbearable at times.
While the Japanese giant has pegged much of its fortune, and its credibility, on electric power, most other car makers have smiled to themselves and ignored the juggernaut that is Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system.
Yet here we are, at least two decades after Toyota’s first hybrid rolled off the production line in the form of the ungainly but clever Prius, welcoming another brand to the Hybrid “revolution”.
Significantly, the latest vehicle to join the queue is not a smart little city car or practical station wagon.
No, it’s a 4WD - and a full-sized, seven-seat version at that.
Korea’s Hyundai has accepted, at least temporarily, that hybrid power can be used in all manner of machines to equal success as we build a bridge to EVs.
Take the Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander Hybrid - a seven-seat family soft-roader that, after more than 20 years as part of the Hyundai range, has suddenly been released in petrol-electric form.
Why now? Well, perhaps because it actually made good sense for all those years that Hyundai and others have been looking the other way while Toyota has built a Hybrid juggernaut.
During that time, as well as the usual suspects such as the Prius, the Camry and the Corolla, Toyota’s hybrid family has now expanded to include a handful of hybrids, most particularly the category-topping RAV4 Hybrid and the big, seven-seat Kluger Hybrid.
Maybe, just maybe, Hyundai was persuaded to roll out this hybrid version to stem the flow of potential buyers trotting off to Toyota dealerships.
What might also help explain this last-minute change of heart, less than a year away from releasing the fifth-generation Santa Fe, is that this is the perfect stepping stone to fully-electric models very soon.
That would certainly explain why now, with a futuristic new iteration soon to roll off the production line, Hyundai has given the big seven-seater a last-minute heart transplant.
But it certainly doesn’t feel like a car headed for the knacker’s yard. In fact it’s been a standout machine in its standard combustion-engine form - big, athletic, comfortable and impressively equipped, for most of its six-year model life.
Now, with the hybrid propulsion, the Santa Fe flexes a different set of muscles.
The trip computer of the test car displayed just under 1000km of range remaining - efficiency that no Santa Fe, even the outgoing diesel version, has managed to threaten.
No wonder Hyundai has chosen to advertise this upgraded model with a cool new theme song - Cake’s “Going the Distance” - to emphasise its complete lack of so-called “range anxiety”.
Quite the selling point. And so, surprisingly, is its driveability.
It’s not so long ago that the idea of a big SUV with a puny, four-cylinder hybrid engine was unthinkable. Toyota has won that argument and Hyundai has been clever enough to take notice.
The result is surprising.
The Santa Fe’s 1.6 litre, turbocharged four-cylinder delivers a useful 132kW and 265Nm - not ground-breaking, but when combined with the smallish electric motor, transforms the package, with a combined 169Kw and 350Nm.
In practical terms, that means surprisingly spirited performance, smoothly delivered via a six-speed torque converter transmission and with all manner of on-the-fly adjustments to the car’s off-road capability.
So “going the distance” also means getting off the beaten track.
But even for those who prefer not to leave home for the weekends, the Hybrid brings notable improvements.
The Santa Fe is a car of its time - perfectly poised to appeal to Aussies families but making sure range anxiety, that bane of all electric cars, is never an issue.
Its official thirst of 6.1L/100km which, for a car of this size and capability, is phenomenal efficiency without noticeably compromising performance.
The Hybrid version will be available only in top two trim levels - the Elite ($63,000) and flagship Highlander (tested) with a $69,500 asking price (plus on-road charges).
That elevates the Santa Fe into some impressive company - its Korean sibling, the smart Kia Sorento, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Kluger and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
With build quality and design a constant improver in Korean vehicles, the Santa Fe more than holds its own against most.
The Highlander’s interior styling is upmarket, comfortable and classy, with all three rows of the leather pews adjustable electrically.
Buyers can choose an optional “captain’s chair” arrangement for the middle rows, meaning extra space and the convenience of step-through to the smallish third-row.
A wireless smartphone charger adds wow factor, as does the premium Harman Kardon audio, 10.25-inch infotainment touch-screen and the Digital Audio capability. Other notable features include 360-degree parking camera, blind-spot monitor and smart parking assist.
The only dislike was the push-button gear selector (which sits within a storm of buttons and dials in the centre console) but feels more old-school than ultra modern as it’s meant to.
All in all, though, the Santa Fe is impressive for a model that’s been five years on the market and is about to be superceded by an all-new version.
That car will be keenly awaited, by everyone except Toyota.
HYUNDAI SANTA FE HIGHLANDER HYBRID
HOW BIG?
A full-sized seven-seat SUV, it requires very little concession from the occupants.
HOW FAST?
Much more impressive than you might expect. The electric motor does some of the heavy lifting before the punchy four-cylinder turbo engine.
HOW THIRSTY?
Official thirst is a remarkable 6.1L/100km.
HOW MUCH:
The Hybrid is only available on the two top-spec models. The tested Highlander, costs $69,500 plus inroads.
