Contributed by Dan Rose, a Senior Local Business Guide Specializing in Auto Leasing Services in New York City

Short answer: seven seats, 35 MPG and all-wheel drive in one SUV. The 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid SEL AWD is built for the way Rockaway families drive: lots of short trips along the peninsula, a bridge and a traffic jam every time you leave it, and a trunk full of beach gear all summer. Dan Rose reviews it in the video above, and here is how it fits life between the bay and the ocean.

Why does a hybrid make sense in Rockaway?

Because most Rockaway driving is stop and go. Cross Bay Boulevard in summer, Beach Channel Drive at rush hour and the approach to the Marine Parkway bridge are all slow, and that is where a hybrid’s electric motor does the most work. Its window sticker shows 35 MPG combined (35 city, 34 highway), while the gas-only SEL gets 23. Drive 10,000 miles a year and the hybrid burns roughly 150 fewer gallons.

Does it handle winter on the peninsula?

The SEL AWD has Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive standard, which helps when a nor’easter buries the cars along Shore Front Parkway and you need to pull out of a plowed-in spot. Heated front seats make the early drive over the bridge more bearable on a February morning, and the 1.6-liter turbo hybrid’s 231 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque give it enough pull to merge onto the Belt Parkway with a full car.

How much beach gear fits in a Santa Fe Hybrid?

Plenty. With the third row folded there are 40.5 cubic feet of cargo space, enough for chairs, umbrellas, a cooler and a folding beach wagon. Fold the second row too and you get 79.6 cubic feet. The power liftgate opens extra wide, so loading wet, sandy gear at Beach 97th Street is quicker. The roof has side rails; add crossbars and a rack and a surfboard rides on top.

Can it carry the whole family and their friends?

Yes, it seats seven in three rows. Even with all seven seats up, there is 14.6 cubic feet of room left in the back. Every row has USB charging ports, and the second and third rows get their own air vents, which counts for a lot in a parked car on a July afternoon. It is rated to tow 2,000 pounds, plenty for a small trailer with a couple of kayaks.

Is it too big for Rockaway parking?

No. It measures 190.2 inches bumper to bumper, compact for a vehicle with a third row, and fits the tight curbside spots on the beach blocks and the narrow driveways of Belle Harbor and Neponsit.

Where is the nearest Hyundai dealership to Rockaway?

There is no Hyundai dealership on the peninsula. The closest are over the bridges, such as Plaza Hyundai on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn and Empire Hyundai of Jamaica on Hillside Avenue in Queens. Take a test drive, get a written price there and forward it to VIP Auto Lease, which will match or beat it with Zero Down. Or skip the trip: the full 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid review from VIP’s Hyundai lease dealership covers every detail.

What will a Santa Fe Hybrid lease cost a Rockaway driver?

Because Hyundai’s incentives change every month, VIP prices each Santa Fe Hybrid to your own term and mileage. The lowest Hyundai payment at VIP right now is $255 per month with Zero Down; see the current list on VIP Hyundai Lease Dealership’s 2027 Deals. Rockaway is part of Queens, so the city’s 8.875 percent sales tax applies, usually folded into the monthly payment on a Zero Down lease. Zero Down means nothing goes toward a down payment; at signing you still pay the first month’s payment plus the bank and DMV fees.

Hyundai backs it for five years or 60,000 miles, and for a decade or 100,000 miles on the powertrain and hybrid parts, longer than any three-year lease as long as you keep within your mileage.

Can the car be delivered to the peninsula?

Yes. VIP Auto Lease handles the whole lease online: choose the color, sign everything electronically, and the Santa Fe arrives at your door in Rockaway, typically a day or two after it is ready.

Prices reflect VIP Auto Lease’s listed Hyundai payments as of 3 November 2026, before tax, and move with manufacturer incentives. MPG figures come from the window sticker.

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