Rent Hyundai Santa Fe 2023 in Dubai

Hyundai's own Tucson handles two adults and a weekend bag without complaint, but add a double stroller, a golf bag or a fourth adult's suitcase and the boot runs out of room fast. That's the gap the Hyundai Santa Fe 2023 is built to close within Hyundai's own range: same badge, a properly bigger footprint, and enough boot that you stop playing luggage Tetris every time you leave. We get this Santa Fe to your door within one to two hours of booking, wherever you're staying in Dubai. The real question is whether the extra size over a Tucson is worth the width it adds on the road, and that's what this page works through.

The engine, and how it drives

Under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four making 177 hp and 232 Nm, sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic. That output is unremarkable for a car this size, closer to what you'd expect from a family sedan than anything with real urgency, and it shows when you're merging onto Sheikh Zayed Road with a full load. Give yourself a longer gap than you would in a turbocharged crossover.

Once it's up to speed, though, the Santa Fe settles into a relaxed cruise that a Tucson, working harder to carry the same people and bags, doesn't quite match. Around town the extra weight isn't obvious. Steering is light, the automatic changes gear smoothly, and the ride shrugs off Dubai's rougher back streets and speed bumps better than a smaller, stiffer crossover. Nobody rents this car to feel quick. They rent it because the drivetrain does ordinary things without fuss, which matters more across a week than a number on a spec sheet.

Boot, back seat and the daily load

This is the section that actually answers the Tucson question. The Santa Fe's boot holds 571 litres with the rear seats up, enough for three or four large suitcases stacked flat instead of wedged in on their side, which is the compromise a compact crossover usually forces on you. Fold the rear bench and that opens out to 1,649 litres, which swallows flatpack furniture, sports kit or a full grocery run without needing the roof.

The back seat matches the boot. Three adults fit for a normal trip, not just two with someone squeezed in the middle, and there's genuine legroom for a child seat plus a passenger beside it. This is a 5-seat car with no third row, so if your group regularly runs to six or seven, this isn't the car and you should look at a proper three-row SUV instead. For four adults with real luggage, it sits exactly between a crossover that's too tight and a bigger SUV you don't need.

That extra room asks something back outside. At 4.785 metres long and 1.9 metres wide, the Santa Fe is noticeably wider than a Tucson, and it's worth a bit more care on a tight Marina ramp or in an older multi-storey where the bays were never built for a car this size. Ground clearance of about 185 mm clears speed bumps and mall ramps cleanly, but this is a front-wheel-drive SUV on road tyres. Save Hatta and the dunes for something with proper 4x4 hardware.

Fuel economy, heat and the cabin

Hyundai's official combined figure is about 7.1 litres per 100 km, a reasonable number for a car this size but still a lab result. Real Dubai driving, with the AC working hard and traffic that rarely moves freely, lands closer to 9 or 10 litres per 100 km. The 71-litre tank still covers a decent stretch between fills, somewhere around 650 to 750 km depending on how much of your week is stop-start city driving versus open highway.

Mileage is worth reading before you book rather than after. You get 250 km a day included, which covers a normal week of commuting, school runs and mall trips with some to spare, and past that it's AED 0.5 per extra kilometre, so a long day out of the city is worth a quick sum first. Salik tolls and any RTA fines during the rental fall to the renter, as they do on every car we hand over, and you'll need to be at least 25 to take the keys on this one.

The cabin is larger than a Tucson's, so it takes a little longer to cool after sitting in an open car park at 45 degrees, but the front vents pull hard once the engine's running and most of the heat clears within a few minutes. Start the engine and give it a short head start before everyone gets back in, and use shade or a covered bay when it's there. For the room you're getting, that's a fair trade.

Who should rent it, and who should size up

Rent the Santa Fe 2023 if you're a family of four, or two couples travelling together, who need real boot space and a back seat that fits three adults without a fight, but don't need a third row you'll rarely use. It handles the airport run, a highway trip to Abu Dhabi and the daily grind without forcing a compromise on luggage, and it rides more settled than anything in the compact crossover class.

Size down to a Tucson if it's just two of you with light bags. You'll save on the daily rate and on fuel, and parking gets noticeably easier in the tighter bays around town. Size up to a proper three-row SUV if your group regularly hits six or seven, since the Santa Fe stops at five seats with no fold-out extra row, and skip it altogether if Hatta or the dunes are on the plan, since this front-wheel-drive SUV isn't built for sand. Within its lane, a mid-size family car for a genuinely busy Dubai week, it earns the extra size over a Tucson.