At first, it seems that the new generation of the family crossover Hyundai Santa Fe 2024 has lost its authenticity, but after a close look, it becomes clear that the crossover has simply changed direction and positioning. All this has made Santa Fe more majestic and adult in many ways.
I don’t know what exactly Hyundai’s designers are «smoking», but each new model they come up with is completely different. Of course, they share some common features, but each of them is unique. And the family crossover is shocking at first glance. How did it happen that a cubic monster appeared next to the sophisticated «Sonata» and «Elantra»? It seems to be the brand’s slogan now: «Impress and Conquer». I’m just kidding, because it’s impossible to guess the direction of their thoughts.
The reality is that there will definitely be a line of people who want to change the old generation of the crossover to the new one. Wherever I drove it, I was followed by dozens of eyes, and Hyundai drivers chased me to see the car from all sides. And while I was filming it, people came up to me, looking at me and asking questions. No one could have expected such a dramatic change in appearance.
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In fact, this elegant «brick» was created during the quarantine, which may be why they departed from the usual image offered to sedans or electric cars. The team of Kevin Kang, the design chief of Hyundai’s North American division, worked on the special architecture. And the midsize SUV was designed under the guidance of SangYup Lee, Head of Global Design for Hyundai and Genesis.
As far as I remember, it was the Santa Fe that the manufacturer trusted with the most innovative features. It was like a pioneer who paved a new path to safety and brought family values to a higher level. This time, they followed this path, understanding the needs of consumers and offering them not just a comfortable city crossover, but a car that will provoke long journeys.
Indeed, it was rewarded with a straightforward shape to increase the space in the cabin, more comfortable seating arrangement, increase the space in the luggage compartment, and also for convenient placement of a tent on the roof. For this purpose, they even made an additional handle in the body that needs to be unlocked with a key (this was done so that the lid does not loosen on the road and under the influence of the wind).
However, not only the design has changed, but also the dimensions and much more. The Hyundai Santa Fe first appeared in the early 2000s and gradually conquered more and more consumers and grew in size, along with the ambitions of the Korean manufacturer itself. It has grown so much that it no longer fits into the dimensions of class D (although they have already been so blurred that no market representative can accurately classify them).
The new body measures 4,830 mm in length, 1,720 mm in height, and 1,900 mm in width, while the wheelbase remains the same at 2,815 mm. The dimensions have increased by a few centimeters, and the new body shape has reduced overhangs, making the car look more off-road.
Still, the crossover has branded features that are also found in other updated models: a large panel with screens in the cabin, matte body plates. Only the Santa Fe has even more of these elements. Here, the daytime running lights and taillights glow in the form of a clear H.
Personally, I am really scared of this trend of using glossy plastic on the body. Although it makes the car look unusual, reflects the light and shines in the rain, small stones scratch it. I am interested to see these cars after 100 thousand kilometers. And the optional matte paint in brown and white looks incredibly stylish, but it gets dusty quickly, and after the rain, specks of dust appear, which spoils the overall appearance. You’ll need to wash this car often and wipe it dry.
The situation in the cabin is much better in terms of practicality and materials. It looks rich and expensive. Most of the panels are soft, the architecture is stylish and thought out to the smallest detail. Touching different details in the interior is a special pleasure. For example, the roof is lined with soft velvet velor, similar to suede, and the chairs are upholstered in NAPPA leather. Just remember that this is the prerogative of the Calligraphy package.
At first glance, such a large central tonneau is surprising, but it turns out to be very convenient during use. The designers made wireless chargers with a rubber lining right in the center, realizing that people are so attached to their phones that they will constantly touch them, and this way everything is visible at once. The charger has an indication of operation and makes sure that the smartphone does not overheat. The connection via Type-C port can be switched to either charging or connecting to the system.
Below them is a large niche for small items, where even a woman’s handbag fits. There are cupholders nearby, and a separate touchscreen panel above for controlling the climate in the cabin. It’s more convenient than constantly climbing into the depths of multimedia. The sensors work adequately and respond without unnecessary jumps or oversensitivity.
Another move from the designers — gearshift was moved to the lever under the steering wheel, as in the Hyundai Ioniq 5. On the one hand, this facilitates the space in front and freedom of hands, which no longer try to touch the lever once again, and on the other hand — it works according to an algorithm that takes a long time to get used to. Even I managed to confuse reverse with forward several times.
Of course, the branded panel with two large monitors connected to each other attracts the eye. It will be present in any configuration. The cool thing is that it’s matte: the sun doesn’t glare, and prints don’t remain as strongly as on a glossy surface. Another interesting feature of the new Koreans is that on the left side of the extended panel with monitors there is a zone with a magnet that allows you to attach a smartphone in a special case or a family photo on a magnetic basis. It’s a small thing, but it creates coziness.
The central multimedia monitor is touch-sensitive and hides all the settings for the car. Connecting a smartphone via AppleCar Play and Android Auto is wireless, the main thing is to configure the entire system and it will work smoothly. However, some settings get lost, and you have to constantly repeat the action, for example, how not to turn on the music immediately when the car sees the smartphone. And yes, there is a special atmosphere here, which is created by soft lighting also in the shape of the letter H, stretched across the front dashboard. It changes color in accordance with the car’s behavior and the chosen style in the audio system, which offers various instrumental accompaniment of the sounds of nature, forest, rain, winter mood and much more.
The whole system has Ukrainian language, and the navigation works perfectly even without a smartphone. Only the search is not very correct and does not always find the required address, in most cases it works in concert with the system, notifying you of the need to find a gas station when the fuel level drops to a balance of 70 km. It suggests the nearest stations for refueling, as if an electric car — charging stations.
Voice control of the car here is done through an assistant on your smartphone, so it won’t open the windows on your command. It can read messages, dial the required number, and so on. Everything is within the capabilities of the smartphone.
You can control the music from the steering wheel, but there are separate buttons under the 12-inch touchscreen monitor that provide access to the most popular functions, and for volume or station search, we added the usual spinners — everything for people. Although outdated, it is convenient and functional. There are also keys for switching the necessary settings on the walkman, and the temperature controls are physical, which is good news.
A special feature of Hyundai and Santa Fe Calligraphy is the availability of a phone disinfection system. Yes, a mysterious key next to wireless charging enables this function. You just need to first put the smartphone itself in a niche above the lockable glove compartment.
Another feature in the Santa Fe — is a deep armrest that opens from both opposite sides: from the driver’s side or from the rear passenger side. It has a platform-like lintel that can be pulled out to create a very deep storage area. Only in reality, it is a distributed storage area. The lower part can be separately pulled out from the rear sofa side and is easily accessible.
In general, we can talk about the interior details for a long time because there are many useful things here. For example, hooks, outlets for charging gadgets in the backs of rear passenger seats, and so on. To do this, you should come to the showroom and see everything in person. I will focus only on the important points, such as the seat adjustment, which has electronic adjustment of the front seats in many directions. You can adjust the backrest, cushion, lumbar support, distance, height, as well as an additional footrest that extends and turns your ride into a complete relaxation.
The driver’s seat has a memory for two drivers. The seat always moves away when the door is opened and returns to its place when the driver gets in. Only sometimes the car forgets who exactly was driving, so you have to remind it by pressing the corresponding memory key. The passenger is generally favored here: many seat settings, a convenient separate niche above the glove compartment for small items, and more.
The main advantage of the new design is the space in the cabin. Everything here is clearly designed for transformation and the possibility of living right in the car. The rear sofa offers a lot of legroom and headroom. The seat is quite wide, and the backrests have several reclining positions. The seats can also be moved back and forth. They are divided in the usual two-to-one ratio.
To change the angle of inclination or fold the backrest of the rear sofa, you will have to pull the lever on the side of the door to unfold it as well. And then there is an almost flat floor with a luggage compartment, possibly more than two meters long, which will allow you to put a mattress and sleep easily for two adults.
In the luggage compartment, a 220V socket was installed just for such cases. So you can even watch a movie or work here. On the other hand, there is a regular cigarette lighter. And it’s worth mentioning that the car has a Wi-Fi function. There are several compartments under the floor: for tools and niches for things.
The volume of the luggage compartment is a separate advantage of the Hyundai Santa Fe. According to the data, the five-seater version offers 725 liters, and the maximum can be increased to 1275 liters.
For an additional fee (45,700 UAH), you can order a seven-seat version with two additional seats in the back, along with air outlets and ports for charging gadgets. They will still fold flat, so the ability to rest in a horizontal position will be preserved.
Even in the basic configuration, and we are offered three of them, there will be a fairly rich list of assistants and security systems. Hyundai Santa Fe offers almost autopilot with lane keeping, collision avoidance, and distance keeping. It will monitor driver fatigue and issue warnings if it notices slow action.
By default, the crossover has LED lighting everywhere, including the interior. Of course, there is also adaptive light, which automatically adjusts the switching between high and low beams. Only the Dynamic starting package will not have projector headlights, but only reflex headlights, and there will be no interior lighting.
And only the maximum TOP configuration will provide the full version of the benefits, including 360-degree cameras, blind spot monitoring with duplicate monitors on the dashboard, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. And the optional Calligraphy package adds to all this the output of the image on the interior mirror from the rearview camera.
Yes, the mirror turns into a monitor with a flip of a key below it. This works great especially at night when the lighting is poor, and it’s hard to see anything behind you. In this case, the camera allows you to see much more and better. During the day, it still cuts the angle and provides less accurate information, so it’s worth switching.
Hyundai Santa Fe has had quite a few assistants and auxiliary systems before, but in the new generation they all have more advanced functions and work more smoothly, accurately, and without unnecessary notifications. The car is able to drive on autopilot on the highway for quite a while until it reminds you that you still need to hold the steering wheel in your hands, not your hands on the wheel.
It’s nice that there is a projection on the windshield, which displays the speed, the work of the assistants, speed limit signs and navigation tips if it is a standard system. The same can be seen on the digital instrument panel. Here, the central display shows the information of the on-board computer, which is controlled on the steering wheel under the left hand. There are not so many settings, but it is enough.
You can change the appearance of the devices in the settings. It will be more digital or analog. Changing driving modes will also change the mood on the dashboard.
A complete change in the exterior does not require the same change in the interior. So the design of this Hyundai MX5 remains almost unchanged. The same platform means that the chassis hasn’t changed much either. It has a load-bearing body and independent all-round suspension. The offer includes front and all-wheel drive with automatic transmission, so don’t think that this is a full-fledged SUV, as it seems at first glance.
Changes in the design only affected the body parts, where the share of high-strength steel was increased, and an aluminum beam was used in the front to lighten the weight. The chassis features new frequency-adaptive shock absorbers and more resilient and stronger subframe mounts. They also did a good job with noise insulation, so you can’t hear the humming in the cabin, nor the wind howling. It’s even surprising, given the cubic body. Only with aerodynamics, it seems that the designers worked together with engineers, so even the wind resistance coefficient is not as high as you might expect (0.294 Cd).
This generation offered more powerful engines for the Santa Fe: a 194 hp 2.5 GDI gasoline four paired with an eight-speed automatic or a turbocharged 2.5 Turbo GDI (G4K III) with 281 hp and working with an eight-speed robotic transmission with two DCT wet clutches.
In general, driving such a monster does not require any extra effort. However, to move this giant, you will have to confidently and firmly press the accelerator, the sensitivity at the start is a little lacking, as well as the brakes during braking. So you should stop the monster in advance.
Thanks to the 2.5-turbo engine, the 2024 Santa Fe provides enough power for a quick start. The Santa Fe takes off from a standstill with vigor, the transmission shifts smoothly and quickly. Torque has a wide enough range to have enough reserve for overtaking on the highway. So it picks up even at speeds above 100 km/h. The engine is audible in the cabin when it picks up speed, but it’s a pleasant sensation and doesn’t spoil the overall impression.
The steering is effortless, and the force on the steering wheel itself can be adjusted in the settings. In general, it is convenient to choose the My Drive mode, which allows you to select the sensitivity of individual systems. If you suddenly need full power at once, it’s better to just turn on the sport mode using the button on the center tunnel. Just be prepared to feed Santa quite often. Dynamic driving raises fuel consumption to a level closer to 20 liters per 100 km. But the calm mode of mixed formats will allow you to consume only 10 liters on average. On the highway at economical speeds, you can reduce the consumption to 8.8 liters.
But maneuvering on such a giant is not so easy. Of course, it does not provoke such behavior because the dimensions require careful handling. The main thing is to calculate with a margin of safety when making a turn because it is quite easy to hit a curb with good rims. In this case, the side cameras that turn on when you turn on the turn are very helpful. So don’t forget to turn them on — in Hyundai, it’s a special treat.
With 360-degree cameras, parking will not be a problem either, and our Calligraphy even has a parking assistant function that can be activated by holding down the camera power button. So you can even get out of the car and park it with the key.
At speed, however, you should be very careful when cornering because the roll is directly proportional to the impressive body design. Rolls are not critical, but they are present, and you can easily lose things lying on the surfaces. passengers will be rocked quite decently. And this is despite the fact that the feeling of the road itself is quite sensitive. Therefore, the chassis is tuned closer to violent behavior. Small potholes will be felt somewhere distantly, but larger irregularities will cause slight discomfort. This is not to say that the suspension is punchy because it swallows everything well, but it is only noticeable in the cabin.
As for all-wheel drive, it’s worth saying that in the Hyundai Santa Fe — it’s more of an auxiliary function, working more for safety on slippery surfaces, in bad weather or in winter. The automation works well and transfers torque between the axles and even between the wheels. And you can see it on the dashboard — when the system engages the rear wheels.
The 170 mm ground clearance doesn’t add to off-road confidence either. And although there are separate off-road modes (mud, sand, gravel), I still didn’t fully trust them. This is not a Toyota Land Cruiser or LR Defender with a hard differential lock and lower gears. It’s a regular family crossover that can easily drive on dirt roads.
The first look at the Santa Fe already tells you about the competition for the family crossover. Everyone compares it to the Defender, which was the first to embody historical values in a modern design. But now this trend is becoming more common. Just look at the new generation Prado. But despite all the distant similarities, there is much more uniqueness here.
We are offered a family crossover in three configurations: Dynamic, Elegance and Top. The price starts from 43,968 USD and goes up to 57,780 USD. Our test car had additional equipment in the form of the Calligraphy package and panoramic windows, so the price increased to a maximum of 64,952 USD.
And in general, these SUVs have slightly different formats. Therefore, the main rivals for Hyundai Santa Fe can be considered rather Toyota Highlander or Mazda CX-90. And each of them has its personality, so the consumer will choose to his or her liking. Only the new Korean has not only a good reputation for reliability, but also modern technologies along with a decent level of quality, rich equipment and a very impressive appearance.
PROS: spectacular design, power, comfort, space, safety, assistants.
CONS: poor off-road abilities, fuel consumption, expensive in the full and most interesting configuration.
| Body, type | SUV |
| Dimensions (LxWxH), mm | 4830/1900/1720 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2815 |
| Declared ground clearance, mm | 170 |
| Trunk volume, liters. | 7251250 |
| Curb weight, kg | – |
| Engine | 2.5 T-GDI |
| Power, hp. | 281 |
| Torque, Nm | 421 |
| Type of drive | fullAWD |
| Pendant | Macpherson/independent |
| Transmission | 8DCT |
| Dynamics 0-100, s | — |
| Maximum speed, km/h | — |
| Fuel consumption, l (mixed) | 10 |
| Cost, UAH | from 1 807 000 |
| The cost of the test car, UAH | 2 669 400 |
| Competitors | Toyota Highlander |
| Mazda CX-90 |