Hyundai Santa Fe vs Kia Sorento
Value retention, real cost and monthly money, compared on the same 2026 South African data.
Too close to call on resale: both keep about 66% of their value over three years. Decide on the deal, not the badge.
Both curves, one chart
Head to head
| Santa Fe | Sorento | |
|---|---|---|
| New price (from) | R 1 249 900 | R 999 995 |
| ±Monthly instalment | R 21 846/m | R 17 478/m |
| Retained after 1 year | 81% | 82% |
| Retained after 3 years | 65% | 66% |
| Value after 3 years | R 808 462 | R 659 462 |
| Lost to depreciation (3y) | R 441 438 | R 340 533 |
| Value after 5 years | R 630 963 | R 520 274 |
| Our tier | Mainstream | Mainstream |
Hyundai Santa Fe →
Hyundai's large SUV has been in South Africa since the early 2000s and has moved steadily upmarket. The current boxy generation is sold here as a 1.6 turbo hybrid seven-seater at a price deep in premium territory. Older diesel versions remain popular used family buys.
Known for: upmarket seven-seater that moved with the brand
Kia Sorento →
The Sorento arrived in 2003 as a ladder-frame 4x4 and has evolved into a premium-feeling seven-seat family SUV. The 2.2 turbodiesel is the volume choice in South Africa. Priced around the million-rand mark it sells in small numbers, so residuals behave more like a niche import than a mainstream Kia.
Known for: upmarket seven-seat diesel suv
Common questions
Which holds value better, the Hyundai Santa Fe or the Kia Sorento?
They are close to inseparable: 65% vs 66% retained after three years. Buy on price, spec and the deal you can get, not on resale.
Which is cheaper to own over three years?
Depreciation is the biggest ownership cost. The Hyundai Santa Fe loses about R 441 438 over three years and the Kia Sorento loses about R 340 533. Fuel, insurance and servicing can narrow or widen that, but the depreciation gap is the number to start from.
What do they cost per month?
On typical finance (10% deposit, 72 months, 11.75%), the Hyundai Santa Fe runs about R 21 846 per month and the Kia Sorento about R 17 478, before fees and insurance.
Keep going
Modelled estimates on a retail basis; spec levels and real transaction prices vary.