Hyundai Santa Fe vs Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

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
Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV in South Africa

Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

PHEV Ultra Plug-in Hybrid Current
ZAR 679,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 265 kW 🔧 530 Nm ⛽ 20.4 km/l
Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Hyundai Santa Fe vs Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV: the short answer

Santa Fe and Tiggo 7 PHEV are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context Santa Fe: last listed from ZAR 899,900 · Tiggo 7 PHEV: current from ZAR 599,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Santa Fe Tiggo 7 PHEV
Maximum Power Santa Fe147 kW @ 3800 rpm Tiggo 7 PHEV265 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque Santa Fe440 Nm @ 1750 rpm Tiggo 7 PHEV530 Nm
Engine Size Santa Fe2199 cc Tiggo 7 PHEV1500 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Santa Fe13.8 km/l Tiggo 7 PHEV20.4 km/l
Ground Clearance Santa Fe188 mm Tiggo 7 PHEV162 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)

Santa Fe

Strengths
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Published Practicality
Specification evidence leader

Tiggo 7 PHEV

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

Which One's Right for You?

Santa Fe

  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Tiggo 7 PHEV

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use

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 Tiggo 7 PHEV
Model Introduced Year 2001 2026
Generation Fifth generation Santa Fe on Hyundai's i-GMP platform; 'Sensuous Sportiness' design with distinctive parametric LED lighting signature Current South Africa Tiggo 7 PHEV range
Facelift History Fifth generation launched in SA in 2022; significant styling and interior quality upgrade; distinctive boxy design language with vertical lighting Current South Africa version listed by official source
Facelift Launched Since 2022 2026
Tare Mass Kg 1980 kg 1825 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 SUV
Vehicle Type Not confirmed SUV
Spec Santa Fe Tiggo 7 PHEV
Length 4830 mm 4553 mm
Width 1900 mm 1862 mm
Height 1750 mm 1686 mm
Wheelbase 2815 mm 2670 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 188 mm 162 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 67 l 60 l
Boot/Cargo Space 703 l 626 l
Kerb Weight 1980 kg 1825 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 5 seats
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not confirmed 184 mm
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Not confirmed 2310 kg
Payload Capacity Not confirmed 485 kg
Towing Capacity Not confirmed 1500 kg
Number of Rows Not confirmed 2 rows
Minimum Turning Radius Not confirmed 5.7 m
Front Headroom Not confirmed 1010 mm
Rear Headroom Not confirmed 970 mm
Front Legroom Not confirmed 1050 mm
Rear Legroom Not confirmed 950 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Santa Fe and Tiggo 7 PHEV 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 Tiggo 7 PHEV 91.

Efficiency index: Santa Fe 55 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 85.

Safety-equipment index: Santa Fe 98 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 94.

Practicality index: Santa Fe 89 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 68.

Ownership-cover index: Santa Fe 65 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 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

Tiggo 7 PHEV leads by 7 points

Santa Fe and Tiggo 7 PHEV are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 85 /100
Lead 7 points
Data 69% source coverage
85
#1 Evidence leader

Tiggo 7 PHEV

69% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Practicality 68
Performance 91
Efficiency 85
Safety 94
Practicality 68
Leads by 7 points
78
#2

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
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tiggo 7 PHEV +17 Efficiency Tiggo 7 PHEV +30 Safety Santa Fe +4 Practicality Santa Fe +21

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Tiggo 7 PHEV

Performance 91/100
Efficiency 85/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 68/100

Santa Fe

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

What the evidence means

Evidence index Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV leads the specification evidence index with 85 pts vs 78 pts for Santa Fe

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Tiggo 7 PHEV leads. However, Santa Fe may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Santa Fe vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 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.