The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fes were yet again a little bit different from the later model years when it came to certain options and trim levels, but the towing capacity was very similar, as you can see if you look in the charts I have posted below.
They were able to achieve a maximum rating of 5,000 pounds, if you had all of the proper equipment and engine equipped in your vehicle. On the low end of the spectrum, the maximum weight rating was set at just over 1,650 pounds, so you do need to have the right equipment installed in order to achieve the higher ratings, which I go into in depth in this article.
Be sure that you read through your owner's manual to get to know your vehicle better and that you abide by all of Hyundai's requirements.
2018 Santa Fe Overview
Overall Towing Capacity: The overall towing capacity for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe range from 1,653-5,000 lbs. and this figure was for both Standard models and Sport models.
The standard models had the same range as the overall range that was listed, but if we look at the sport models, we can see that they had a lower higher-end range, that only went up to 3,500 lbs., maximum.
Engine Options: There were two different engine options for the sport models, which was a 2.4 L engine or a more powerful 2.0 L turbo engine and for the standard models, there was only one engine choice in this was the 3.3 liter engine that provided the highest capacity rating of 5,000 pounds.
Trim Levels: There were three different trim levels for both the sport models and for the standard models. The standard models had pretty much the same specs when it came to all three trim levels, mainly due to the fact that they had the same engine option.
The sport models, on the other hand, did have two different engine options which did affect the weight ratings and was tied directly to the trim levels as well.
Assumed Weight: I was not able to find any information on the assumed weight in the vehicle with the specified trailer weight ratings.
Typically, a driver will be assumed at minimum and sometimes the driver and one passenger are assumed to be in the vehicle and will specify typically a 150 pound weight for each occupant, but I was not able to find any of this information for the 2018 Santa Fe.
The Two Tow Charts:
There were two different charts listed for the 2018 Santa Fe and one chart was for standard models, while the other chart was for sport models. Keep in mind that the standard and sport models did have different trim levels within those models, which we will go into a little bit later in this article.
If we look at the two charts, we can see that the engine is listed, along with three different trailer weight ratings. The lowest rating is for trailers that do not have a braking system equipped and then we have two other ratings that have maximum trailer weight rating specified for vehicles that have a trailer package equipped and vehicles that do not have one of these packages equipped.
In order to get the most out of these SUVs, you will have to have the trailer package equipped in order to achieve the highest ratings possible. We can also see that the maximum tongue load weight rating is listed in both charts at the bottom and is essentially 10% of the maximum trailer weight ratings that are listed in the columns.
Standard Chart
Sport Chart
On To The Tongue Load Weight Rating...
I already mentioned the maximum tongue load weight rating that was specified in the chart above, which was 10% of the maximum trailer weight ratings and I was also able to find that the 10% rating should not be exceeded, depending on the weight that you are pulling behind your SUV.
For instance, if you were only pulling 3,100 lbs., then you would want to aim for a 10% tongue load that would equate to about 310 lbs.
Info On Trailer Brakes:
Trailer brakes are always an important part of towing and Hyundai specifies a 1,653 lb. limit for trailers that do not have their own braking systems equipped, which is what we see stated in the charts above.
You will want to check your local vehicle codes to see what they require as far as trailer weight and trailer brakes, as their requirements could differ from Hyundai's and you will want to comply with those requirements as well.
The Trim Level Options:
I was able to find an image in the brochure that breaks down the different trim levels and shows us what engines were available for these different trim levels, which does equate to your trailer weight rating because the engine you had equipped was the main determining factor on how much you could pull with your vehicle.If we look at the image below, we can see that the first three columns are dedicated to the three different sport models that are listed and the last two columns are reserved for the standard models. I do want to note that the last column has two different trim levels listed in that single column (SE Ultimate and Limited Ultimate) and would count for two separate trim levels, not one.
According to the information in the image, we know that there were three different sport trim levels to choose from, along with three different trim levels for the standard models.
How About The GVWR, GCWR and GAWR Figures...
GVWR & GAWRs: The gross vehicle weight rating and gross axle weight ratings we're not actually listening owner's manual or the brochure and this information is found on the vehicle itself.
Open up your driver side door and look on the column or the door itself for a label that looks like the one shown in the image above and this is the certification label that will have the gross vehicle weight rating and both of the gross axle weight rating listed towards the top of the label.
GCWR: At this time, I was not able to find any information on the gross combined weight rating, but I will continue looking and when I do find the information I will update this post to keep it updated.
Trailer Package vs No Package...
If we look back to the charts, we can see that there were two different trailer weight ratings listed for "braked" trailers and these weight ratings were listed as "with" and "without" the trailer package, which was an option for these vehicles.
I do want to mention that you can look in the brochure that I have linked to at the bottom of this article, as there was some information on what trim levels could have the option of having one of these packages installed, but the information is a little bit confusing.
I wanted to include information on what was included in these packages, but could not find anything. If you're wondering if you have one of these equipped on your vehicle, then your best bet would be to take it into a dealership to see if they can verify for you.
Typically, these trailer packages include a hitch and all of the wiring needed for a trailer, along with other accessories like an ATF cooler or a more heavy-duty radiator, etc.
Additional Notes Worth Mentioning:
I was also able to find other small bits of information in the owner's manual that I thought were worth mentioning and decided to post them via screenshots below. These talk about different things like driving speeds, when certain conditions are met, break-in procedures for your vehicle and using a sway control device with your vehicle, for your trailer.
Some Helpful Links:
There were three main resources I used when gathering the information for this particular article, which I linked to below, for those of you out there that want a quick way to check them out for yourself.
Most of the information in the article came directly from the owner's manuals themselves and is where a majority of the images I grabbed came from, but the brochure also came in handy when it came to the trim levels of the vehicles and what options were available for the different trim levels.