Hyundai Santa Fe vs BYD SEALION 6 DM-i

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Hyundai Santa Fe Discontinued model
Hyundai Santa Fe in South Africa

Hyundai Santa Fe

2.2D 4WD Executive Diesel 8-Speed Automatic Discontinued model
ZAR 899,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 147 kW 🔧 440 Nm ⛽ 13.8 km/l
VS
BYD SEALION 6 DM-i in South Africa

BYD SEALION 6 DM-i

Premium DM-i AWD Plug-in Hybrid e-CVT Current
ZAR 799,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 96 kW 🔧 220 Nm ⛽ 17.2 km/l
Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Hyundai Santa Fe vs BYD SEALION 6 DM-i: the short answer

Santa Fe and SEALION 6 DM-i are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context Santa Fe: last listed from ZAR 899,900 · SEALION 6 DM-i: current from ZAR 639,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Santa Fe SEALION 6 DM-i
Maximum Power Santa Fe147 kW @ 3800 rpm SEALION 6 DM-i96 kW @ 5200 rpm
Maximum Torque Santa Fe440 Nm @ 1750 rpm SEALION 6 DM-i220 Nm @ 1500-3500 rpm
Engine Size Santa Fe2199 cc SEALION 6 DM-i1497 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Santa Fe13.8 km/l SEALION 6 DM-i17.2 km/l
Ground Clearance Santa Fe188 mm SEALION 6 DM-i180 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Evidence for Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2D 4WD Executive

Source type: Hagalu catalogue record

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

Santa Fe

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

SEALION 6 DM-i

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

Santa Fe

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

SEALION 6 DM-i

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Santa Fe SEALION 6 DM-i
Model Introduced Year 2001 2024
Generation Fifth generation Santa Fe on Hyundai's i-GMP platform; 'Sensuous Sportiness' design with distinctive parametric LED lighting signature First South African SEALION 6 DM-i generation
Facelift History Fifth generation launched in SA in 2022; significant styling and interior quality upgrade; distinctive boxy design language with vertical lighting No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026
Facelift Launched Since 2022 Original current-generation version
Tare Mass Kg 1980 kg -
Facelift Version Ending Not confirmed Current
Body Style Not confirmed SUV
Model Year Not confirmed 2026
Production Status Not confirmed Active
Segment Not confirmed Medium SUV
Vehicle Type Not confirmed Passenger vehicle
Spec Santa Fe SEALION 6 DM-i
Length 4830 mm 4775 mm
Width 1900 mm 1890 mm
Height 1750 mm 1670 mm
Wheelbase 2815 mm 2765 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 188 mm 180 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 67 l 60 l
Boot/Cargo Space 703 l 425 l
Kerb Weight 1980 kg 2100 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 5 seats
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not confirmed 150 mm
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Not confirmed 2510 kg
Payload Capacity Not confirmed 410 kg
Towing Capacity Not confirmed 1300 kg
Number of Rows Not confirmed 2 rows
Minimum Turning Radius Not confirmed 5.5 m
Front Headroom Not confirmed 980 mm
Rear Headroom Not confirmed 910 mm
Front Legroom Not confirmed 1120 mm
Rear Legroom Not confirmed 820 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Santa Fe and SEALION 6 DM-i comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Santa Fe 74 vs SEALION 6 DM-i 58.

Efficiency index: Santa Fe 55 vs SEALION 6 DM-i 75.

Safety-equipment index: Santa Fe 98 vs SEALION 6 DM-i 99.

Practicality index: Santa Fe 89 vs SEALION 6 DM-i 59.

Ownership-cover index: Santa Fe 65 vs SEALION 6 DM-i not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Santa Fe leads by 6 points

Santa Fe and SEALION 6 DM-i are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 78 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 89% source coverage
78
#1 Evidence leader

Santa Fe

89% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Efficiency 55
Performance 74
Efficiency 55
Safety 98
Practicality 89
Ownership 65
Leads by 6 points
72
#2

SEALION 6 DM-i

83% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 99 Check Performance 58
Performance 58
Efficiency 75
Safety 99
Practicality 59
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Santa Fe +16 Efficiency SEALION 6 DM-i +20 Safety SEALION 6 DM-i +1 Practicality Santa Fe +30

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Santa Fe

Performance 74/100
Efficiency 55/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 89/100
Ownership 65/100

SEALION 6 DM-i

Performance 58/100
Efficiency 75/100
Safety 99/100
Practicality 59/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Hyundai Santa Fe leads the specification evidence index with 78 pts vs 72 pts for SEALION 6 DM-i

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Santa Fe leads. However, SEALION 6 DM-i may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Santa Fe vs SEALION 6 DM-i questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.