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What you need to tow 1,500 lb with a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

Every published configuration of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe is rated for 1,500 lb. At 1,500 lb you are at 33% of this vehicle's 4,500 lb ceiling. The hardware is sized to the trailer: Class 1 in a 1-1/4 in receiver, a ball mount rated past your 150–225 lb tongue weight, lighting wiring.

Which Santa Fe configurations are rated for 1,500 lb

4 configurations share the lowest rating that still clears 1,500 lb (3,500 lb). Anything rated below that will not do it. Closest-margin configurations first — the last column is how much headroom is left over.

GradeMax trailer (lb)Headroom
SE3,5002,000 lb
SEL3,5002,000 lb
Limited3,5002,000 lb
Calligraphy3,5002,000 lb
XRT4,5003,000 lb

Source: 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe manufacturer trailering chart · last verified 2026-09-02

Your kit for 1,500 lb behind a Santa Fe

In the order you should buy it. Every requirement comes from a published manufacturer guide or standard — the full reasoning for each item is on the 1,500 lb kit page.

One number still has to come from you: payload. Addition of trailer hitch weight cannot cause vehicle weights to exceed Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (RGAWR) or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). These ratings can be found on the certification label located on the driver door or doorframe. Your 150–225 lb of tongue weight comes out of that payload, not out of the tow rating — which is why a truck rated for 4,500 lb can still be overloaded at 1,500 lb once four passengers and a full bed are in it.

Common questions

Can a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe tow 1,500 lb?

Yes — every published configuration of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe is rated for 1,500 lb or more. That is a ceiling for a properly equipped vehicle that is otherwise unloaded — your passengers, cargo and tongue weight all come off it, and your payload is on your own door-jamb label.

What hitch do I need to tow 1,500 lb with a Santa Fe?

Class 1 hardware with a 1-1/4 in receiver, rated to 2,000 lb. The hitch is sized to the trailer, not to the truck — a 1,500 lb trailer needs the same Class 1 hitch behind any vehicle. Ratings are set per part number, so check the sticker on the hitch itself.

What is the tongue weight for 1,500 lb behind a Santa Fe?

150–225 lb — 10 to 15% of the loaded trailer. No manufacturer publishes a tongue-weight figure per trailer, because it depends entirely on how the trailer is loaded.

Do I need trailer brakes to tow 1,500 lb with a Santa Fe?

Not on weight alone — 1,500 lb is under the 1,500 lb threshold GM's trailering guide publishes for this class of vehicle; check your Hyundai owner's manual for its own figure. State law varies and some set it lower, so check your state.

Other weights behind a Santa Fe

Other vehicles at 1,500 lb