The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is a completely redesigned midsize SUV that stands out from the crowd with its boxy and bold exterior design, spacious and luxurious interior, and advanced technology features. The new Santa Fe also offers a hybrid powertrain option for the first time, along with a standard turbocharged engine and available all-wheel drive.
Exterior Design: Boxy and Bold
The new Hyundai Santa Fe has a strikingly different look from its predecessor, which had a more curvy and conventional appearance. The new model has a boxy profile with straight lines and sharp angles, giving it a rugged and modern look. The front end features a wide grille with horizontal bars and integrated LED headlights that form an H pattern. The rear end has a similar H pattern in the LED taillights, along with a large tailgate that opens to reveal a spacious cargo area. The body-colored trim around the rear window adds a touch of style, while the roof rails and wheel arch cladding emphasize the off-road capability of the SUV.
The new Santa Fe is also larger than before, with a longer wheelbase that provides more legroom for passengers and more stability on the road. The new model measures 192.9 inches in length, 75.8 inches in width, and 66.9 inches in height, with a wheelbase of 110.8 inches. The cargo capacity behind the second row is 39.3 cubic feet, which can be expanded to 76.6 cubic feet by folding down the seats.
Interior Design: Spacious and Luxurious
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe interior is just as impressive as the exterior, with a streamlined dashboard, upgraded infotainment system, and advanced climate control system. The cabin is spacious and comfortable, with high-quality materials and soft-touch surfaces. The seats are upholstered in Nappa leather, with heating and ventilation functions for the front seats and heating for the rear seats. The second row also slides and reclines for optimal comfort.
The new Santa Fe comes with a standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that displays various information such as speed, fuel level, navigation directions, and driver assistance alerts. The center console houses another 12.3-inch touchscreen that controls the infotainment system, which supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wireless charging, and Harman Kardon premium sound system. The climate control system has dual-zone automatic temperature control, rear air vents, and ionizer air purification.
The new Hyundai Santa Fe also offers a third row of seats as an option, which can accommodate two more passengers or fold flat into the floor when not needed. The third row has its own cup holders, USB ports, and air vents.
Technology Features: Cutting-Edge and Convenient
The new Hyundai Santa Fe is equipped with a host of technology features that make driving easier and safer. The SUV comes with a standard heads-up display that projects key information such as speed limit, navigation directions, blind spot warning, and lane keeping assist onto the windshield. The SUV also has a 360-degree camera system that provides a bird’s eye view of the surroundings on the touchscreen when parking or maneuvering in tight spaces.
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe also has several driver assistance features that help prevent or mitigate collisions. These include forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, lane following assist, blind spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, smart cruise control with stop and go function, driver attention warning, highway driving assist, parking collision avoidance assist rear, safe exit assist, rear occupant alert, and remote smart parking assist.
Performance: Powerful and Efficient
The new Hyundai Santa Fe offers two engine options: a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque; or a hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor that delivers a combined output of 226 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that provides smooth and responsive shifting.
The turbocharged engine has an estimated fuel economy of 23 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway for front-wheel drive models, or 22 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway for all-wheel drive models. The hybrid powertrain has an estimated fuel economy of 33 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway for front-wheel drive models, or 32 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway for all-wheel drive models.
The new Santa Fe also has a selectable drive mode system that allows the driver to choose from four modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, and Smart. Each mode adjusts the engine, transmission, steering, and suspension settings to suit different driving conditions and preferences. The all-wheel drive models also have a terrain mode system that adds three more modes: Snow, Mud, and Sand.
Pricing and Availability: Competitive and Affordable
The new Hyundai Santa Fe is expected to go on sale in the U.S. later this year, with more details to be revealed next month. The pricing has not been announced yet, but we expect it to be competitive with other midsize SUVs in the market, such as the Honda Passport, Ford Edge, and Nissan Murano. The current Hyundai Santa Fe starts at $30,085 for the base SE trim level and goes up to $43,285 for the top-of-the-line Calligraphy trim level. The hybrid powertrain is only available on the SEL and Limited trim levels, which start at $35,685 and $40,685, respectively.
The new Santa Fe is a compelling choice for a midsize SUV with a boxy and bold exterior design, a spacious and luxurious interior, a hybrid powertrain option, and advanced technology features. The new 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is a true marvel of automotive engineering that combines style, space, performance, and efficiency in one package.
