The Hyundai Santa Fe NHL Edition Is A Branded Special Edition You’ll Actually Want

Yesterday, we poked some lighthearted fun at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 Disney100 Platinum Edition for being a bit half-hearted. Other than a snazzy set of wheels, some brown upholstery, and a unique infotainment welcome animation, it didn’t offer much over the cheaper “regular” Ioniq 5. Well, our timing is impeccable as ever, because Disney isn’t the only company Hyundai is teaming up with. The Korean automaker still knows how to make a special edition because the Santa Fe NHL Edition is actually special, although Americans can’t have it. This is an incredibly Canadian special edition, but it feels like a shame to limit sales to north of the border considering just how much premium spec this thing comes with.

Here’s a car fact for you to sequester deep inside your brain until the opportunity for use arises: Hyundai Canada is not only the official automotive partner of the NHL, but also the National Hockey League Player’s Association and the NHL Alumni Association. How’s that for a hat trick? Sure, winning the Stanley Cup and driving off in a Venue seems unlikely, but this partnership makes sense when you see just how popular Hyundai is in Canada. The original Pony wasn’t just sold in Canada, it was a best-seller. Today, Hyundai is Canada’s third-bestselling car brand, and it really shows on the roads up here.

As with many modern special editions, the Hyundai Santa Fe NHL Edition gets a relatively modest visual treatment consisting of matte white paint reminiscent of an ice rink, blacked-out wheels, special door sills, and branded Weathertech floor and cargo liners in any NHL team of the buyer’s choosing. It’s rather minimalist for a special edition, but the sports partnership isn’t what makes this Santa Fe really appealing.

Strip away the branding, and the Santa Fe NHL Edition grows more tantalizing because it takes everything from the fully-loaded Calligraphy trim and puts a hybrid powertrain underneath it. Combustion-powered duties are carried out by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, electric motors do the rest, and it’s all managed through a six-speed automatic transmission. Total output? A respectable 232 horsepower and 271 lb.-ft. of torque. This will be the only way to get a fully-loaded Santa Fe Hybrid, and the feature content is absolutely immense. We’re talking about pecan brown Nappa leather, fancy ultra-adjustable seats, dual wireless smartphone chargers, a Bose 12-speaker sound system for blaring “Fifty Mission Cap“, a UVC disinfecting glovebox, and more USB-C ports than your average office.

It’s also worth noting that if you aren’t a massive NHL fan, you can take solace in the fact that most of the branded stuff appears to be easily removable, leaving you with an incredibly nice hybrid Santa Fe that not many others have. Hyundai is limiting sales to 500, and pre-orders open on Feb. 16.

With its blend of efficient hybrid power and just about every option under the sun, the Santa Fe NHL Edition seems like the sort of parts bin creation that should be a regular production model. There’s absolutely a market for a fully-loaded hybrid, and I think Hyundai’s American product planners should copy their Canadian counterparts’ homework.

(Photo credits: Hyundai)

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