2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2025 Ford Explorer in Wichita, KS

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2025 Ford Explorer in Wichita, KS

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2025 Ford Explorer in Wichita, KS View Inventory

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2025 Ford Explorer

The competitive landscape for midsize three-row SUVs sees fresh contenders for the 2025 model year, with the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe and the 2025 Ford Explorer both vying for family drivers seeking space, comfort, and the latest technologies. Buyers in Wichita, KS, and the surrounding areas, including Dodge City and Pratt, have a wide array of vehicles to consider, but the new Santa Fe stands out for its blend of innovation, style, and family-centric features. At Hatchett Hyundai West, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe is showcased as a forward-thinking alternative to the traditional bestsellers, leveraging an all-new design, enhanced powertrain options—including an available hybrid—and a host of advanced amenities that place a premium on convenience and safety. While the 2025 Ford Explorer continues its reputation for reliability and confident performance, it stops short in key areas where the Santa Fe shines, such as digital integration, smart safety technology, and flexible interior solutions. This comparison aims to provide a clear, factual look at why the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe emerges as the better choice for families and adventurers alike.

Feature 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe 2025 Ford Explorer
Available Hybrid powertrain Yes No
Dual wireless device charging Yes No
Full-display digital rearview mirror Available No
12.3-inch touchscreen with navigation Available No
Remote Smart Parking Assist Available No
SmartSense® safety suite Yes No
Rear seat alert Yes No
Available digital key (phone as key) Available No
Unique outdoor terrace feature Yes No

Exterior - Hyundai Dealer serving Wichita, KS

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe commands attention with its bold, elongated body profile and eye-catching “H” motif signature LED lighting, both front and rear. Its design philosophy merges urban sophistication with adventure-ready lines, presenting a rugged stance that’s equally at home in city life or off-road excursions. Available exterior colors like Rockwood Green and the integration of modern alloy wheels enhance its visual appeal. Practicality is also prioritized, with a unique outdoor terrace tailgate feature that converts the rear into a destination for relaxation or family gatherings, setting a true benchmark for outdoor usability. Additional conveniences include the auto-open liftgate and available C-pillar assist handle for easy access to roof storage. The Ford Explorer, though boasting an athletic profile and available 21-inch wheels, adheres more closely to traditional SUV cues with fewer exterior innovations. LED lighting and a wider color palette ensure the Explorer’s ongoing appeal, but it does not offer Hyundai’s distinctive terrace feature or rear spoiler camera integration. For drivers in Wichita, KS, looking to make a statement while ensuring their crossover fits both adventure and daily life, the Santa Fe’s design stands out for its modernity and function.

Wichita, KS - 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe's Exterior

Interior - 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe in Wichita, KS

Stepping into the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, drivers and passengers are greeted by an environment designed for modern living, highlighted by spacious configurations and innovative storage solutions. The three-row setup comes standard, offering available power-reclining second-row captain’s chairs for extra comfort and versatility, and upscale touches such as available Nappa leather seating for a premium feel on select trims. Technology integration takes center stage with the available 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a matching hi-res 12.3-inch touchscreen navigation system, providing seamless access to entertainment, maps, and vehicle settings. Santa Fe’s unique dual wireless device charging and a smart rearview system with a display utilizing the rear spoiler camera further distinguish its cabin experience. The center console opens front-and-back for effortless operation by all occupants, and an available open-air panoramic sunroof floods the cabin with light. For convenience, families will enjoy features like dual rear seat alert and a highly customizable climate control system covering all three rows. By contrast, while the 2025 Ford Explorer offers familiar soft-touch materials, three-row seating, and some digital enhancements, it lacks the Santa Fe’s distinctive amenities such as dual wireless charging, power second-row seats, and real-time digital rearview mirror, making Hyundai’s interior architecture the more appealing and advanced choice.

Wichita, KS - 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe's Interior
Hyundai Santa Fe vs Ford Explorer Mechanical Specs

Hyundai’s engineering for the 2025 Santa Fe brings versatility and performance to the forefront, featuring advanced HTRAC All-Wheel Drive for confident handling in variable Kansas weather, and multi-mode terrain selection for diverse driving conditions. Santa Fe’s robust suspension and available larger wheels ensure ride quality is both controlled and comfortable, even when the SUV is fully occupied. Accessibility features such as the C-pillar assist handle further demonstrate Hyundai’s attention to detail in tackling real-life situations like loading roof storage. Remote Smart Parking Assist is optionally included, allowing the Santa Fe to autonomously park or exit tight spaces with the touch of a button. The Explorer, sharing all-wheel drive availability and terrain management options, delivers confidence on the road, but lacks the same level of advanced remote parking technology and convenience modules. Across mechanical features, Hyundai’s dedication to meeting the demands of families and adventure seekers—especially those commuting in and out of Wichita, KS, or traveling to places like Dodge City and Pratt—results in a more capable, user-friendly platform.

Wichita, KS - 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe's Mechanical
Powertrain - Hyundai Dealership in Wichita, KS

The new 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe sets itself apart in powertrain versatility by offering both robust gasoline and efficient hybrid options, allowing buyers to tailor performance to their driving needs. The available hybrid powertrain delivers impressive combined horsepower and optimized fuel savings, a key missing element in the 2025 Ford Explorer lineup, which does not offer a hybrid configuration for this model year. Santa Fe’s turbocharged gasoline engine, mated with an advanced automatic transmission, ensures brisk acceleration and smooth shifting, while the hybrid model adds an eco-friendly edge appreciated by families seeking to reduce their environmental impact. Both models offer available all-wheel drive for maximum traction, but Santa Fe goes further with advanced transmission tuning and dedicated terrain modes that include Snow, Mud, and Sand. Explorer’s standard power comes from a 2.3L EcoBoost® I-4 engine or an available V6 on higher trims, focusing on towing and highway performance. However, for daily drivers in Wichita and surrounding areas prioritizing technology, efficiency, and capability, the Santa Fe’s wider array of engine options and hybrid availability make it the forward-thinking choice.

Safety - Hyundai Santa Fe vs Ford Explorer

When it comes to passenger protection and driver confidence, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe raises the bar with Hyundai SmartSense®, a comprehensive suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, and an available Surround View Monitor. The optional full-display digital rearview mirror, enabled by the rear spoiler camera, dramatically improves visibility in all conditions. Additional safety measures include Rear Occupant Alert and multiple airbags throughout the three-row configuration, underscoring Hyundai’s commitment to occupant well-being. While the Ford Explorer offers the Ford Co-Pilot360® suite with features such as Lane-Keeping System and Blind-Spot Information System, its technology set is not as all-encompassing or as integrated as the SmartSense® system found in Santa Fe. Furthermore, Santa Fe’s unique driver-assist offerings, such as available Remote Smart Parking Assist, exceed Explorer’s available safety aids. Buyers shopping with Hatchett Hyundai West in Wichita, KS, can be assured that Santa Fe’s approach to safety doesn’t rest on legacy, but leverages the latest technology for true peace of mind.

Request more 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2025 Ford Explorer in Wichita, KS information

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe emerges as the superior choice in this highly contested segment, offering greater technological innovation, interior comfort, and utility compared to the 2025 Ford Explorer. Hyundai’s commitment to integrating meaningful features, such as dual wireless device charging, a hybrid powertrain option, and the user-friendly digital SmartSense® suite, results in a family SUV that genuinely adapts to modern lifestyles. Exterior features like the terrace tailgate and signature “H” lighting accentuate Santa Fe’s blend of style and practicality. From advanced mechanicals to unparalleled driver-assistance technologies, every aspect is crafted with the needs of Wichita, KS, families in mind. Hatchett Hyundai West takes pride in offering the Santa Fe’s versatility and innovation to consumers seeking a vehicle that not only covers the basics but also raises industry standards. When considering the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2025 Ford Explorer, drivers searching for a future-ready, sophisticated, and convenient SUV should select Santa Fe as their family’s next companion on the road.

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