- The Hyundai Santa Fe takes the brand’s exterior styling in a premium direction without demanding the requisite price tag
- Pricing starts at $35,365, including the destination fee | Price it your way
- On sale now | See Hyundai Santa Fe models for sale near you
With a slew of new SUVs, electrified vehicles, and impressive design, Hyundai is in the midst of a shift from middle of the pack to market leader. The latest evidence of that transition? The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe.
It’s more than stylish and spacious; it’s part of a shift in the look of midsize SUVs. The new offering remains an affordable option-filled vehicle offering the safety and convenience technologies buyers want. Regarding the powertrain, Hyundai makes it simple: you get a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). This combination puts out 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque.
The exception is the Santa Fe hybrid, powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gas-electric combo developing 231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque.
The new SUV offers big exterior style and a spacious cabin at a competitive price in the midsize SUV market. The new SE model starts at $35,365. There are five trim levels total, including the off-road-focused XRT at $42,015 and the top-of-the-line luxury Calligraphy model at $47,915. All prices include the $1,150 handling fee.
Featuring a large cabin and plenty of technology on the interior, let’s check out what the Hyundai Santa Fe offers inside.
Passenger Room and Comfort
The 3-row Santa Fe can carry up to seven people. If you opt for the second-row captain’s chairs, the seating capacity drops to six. Designed to feel cavernous and comfortable, front-seat passengers enjoy plenty of room.
However, Hyundai’s team didn’t scrimp on the second-row space, where passengers enjoy 42.3 inches of legroom. No one wants to be stuffed into the third row, but if you are, you have at least a modicum of legroom at 30 inches.
Features and Tech
The new look brings new features, starting with the panoramic curved display housing the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and infotainment system. A dual wireless charging pad for smartphones. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on most trims.
The front row of any place is almost always the best spot, and the Santa Fe is no different. Buyers wanting a first-class experience each time they drive should opt for the Relaxation Comfort seat with leg rest, which allows occupants to relax in a comfortable position that helps simulate a weightless experience. Passengers in the Santa Fe are looked after as well.
Santa Fe’s second-row power fold-and-dive seats also add a cushion-angle adjustment, a world’s first for that type of seat. It also offers another first: a bilateral, multi-console storage space that front or rear passengers can open.
Those things are supplemented by a Bose 12-speaker sound system and all of the requisite advanced driver assistance technologies. And, just to ensure no germs are being passed around, there is an optional UV-C sterilization compartment for the top of the Santa Fe’s glove compartment. It provides ultraviolet light-based sterilization of frequently used items, such as cell phones, wallets, glasses, and similarly sized items.
Materials and Design
The Santa Fe’s exterior is a dramatic departure from the rest of the lineup. However, the interior retains that sense of spaciousness and modernity. An H-shaped design motif is applied to the upper instrument panel and air vents, enhancing the cabin’s openness and highlighting its cohesive design balance.
That balance also includes easy access to a massive 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and infotainment system. Hyundai pushed to make the interior an eco-friendly place using environmentally conscious materials where it made sense, including the headliner and seatbacks. That effort also extends to the exterior, where the paint on the glossy black exterior trim panels uses recycled carbon materials.
Cargo Room and Flexibility
The big, boxy Santa Fe offers plenty of interior cargo space. It provides 14.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row, accessed through a large rear hatch featuring a power option. Fold down that third row, and you get a respectable 40.5 cubic feet. The total available cargo space grows to 80.3 cubic feet when the second and third rows are folded flat.
Build and price your version of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe to see this week’s Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price, or check out Hyundai Santa Fe models for sale near you.
