2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

The Hyundai Santa Fe has been completely redesigned for the 2024 model year. Behind the radical styling is a roomier cabin offering a third row of seats and room enough for up to seven occupants. Still smaller and priced lower than the excellent Hyundai Palisade 3-row midsize SUV, the Santa Fe lineup is the only one to offer a hybrid powertrain. The non-hybrid new Santa Fe is reviewed separately.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this collection of midsize SUV hybrids.

The Santa Fe lineup is all-new this year.

Looking at possible rivals, the related and revamped-for-2024 Kia Sorento Hybrid starts at $36.7K. The somewhat larger Toyota Highlander Hybrid begins in the $41K region. Before buying a new Santa Fe Hybrid, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Santa Fe resale values have tended to be a bit below average, although the hybrid does a little better than the regular model.

Propelled by 231 horsepower, a minor boost of five horses compared with its predecessor, the 2024 Santa Fe Hybrid should be capable of going from a standstill to 60 mph in about eight seconds. That’s plenty quick for such a vehicle, especially considering the fuel savings. One thing we love about the previous generation of Santa Fe is how comfortable the ride quality is — great for long trips, yet still quite composed on curvier roads.

Fuel Economy

With all-wheel drive, the Santa Fe Hybrid achieves 34 mpg in combined city/highway driving, close enough to an all-wheel-drive Toyota Highlander Hybrid to make little difference. Add two more miles per gallon for front-wheel drive.

Not that we ever thought the outgoing Santa Fe was short on space, but Hyundai has made this new generation even roomier — expanding second-row legroom and the cargo area. One of the big changes this time around is that a third seating row is now fitted (the previous one was a 2-row SUV exclusively). Legroom there measures 30 inches, so not really a place for grown-ups. Second-row captain’s chairs are also available, reducing the maximum occupant count from seven to six.

Everyone gets to enjoy a high-quality cabin, however. It’s tidy and comes with a curved instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen. Other tech on offer includes wireless charging for two phones, a digital key, and the ability for Hyundai to improve the vehicle with over-the-air updates.

The new Santa Fe looks unlike anything else Hyundai has ever produced. But it is part of a growing trend. The Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender follow similar squared-off approaches. And if onlookers mistake it for a new version of the Range Rover, then we doubt if Santa Fe owners would disapprove. One thing that’s quite interesting is that there’s not the usual Hyundai logo in the grille. But the headlights each form a kind of upper-case H.

A couple of inches longer overall than its predecessor, the 2024 Santa Fe Hybrid SUV puts most of that extra length into the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles), which bodes well for ride quality, as well as interior space that already benefits from the angular design.

The new Santa Fe Hybrid pairs a turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engine with an electric motor to create a total of 231 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque. This goes through a 6-speed automatic transmission to either the front wheels in standard form, or an optional all-wheel drive system.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

Hyundai has some of the best warranties in the business. The company’s new-vehicle coverage is for five years or 60,000 miles, whichever happens first. The powertrain warranty lasts 10 years or 100,000 miles. Hyundai also includes free scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is a Top Safety Pick for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It provides an array of advanced safety technology like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keeping assistance.