In the last few years, I’ve had plenty of time to spend with a Hyundai Santa Fe. Starting in 2016 with a 2017 model up through the 2022 plugin hybrid, I’ve grown quite accustomed to the nicely appointed, comfortable, affordable SUV. It’s sort of became a pair of well-worn comfortable shoes; easy to slip on and wear, always sitting by the door ready to go.
But when I was delivered a 2024 Santa Fe for a recent week, I took one look, okay maybe two and thought ‘what the hell is this?’
You see, Hyundai gave a bit of a facelift to the Santa Fe. Okay, maybe more like an entire overhaul from the ground up. From the outside the 2024 model looks nothing like the Santa Fe of old.
The new design is like a teenager who’s just discovered eyeliner – bold, dramatic, and impossible to ignore. Hyundai seems to have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at this thing. From its oversized grille that looks like it could swallow a lesser SUVs whole, to the intricate LED headlights that seem to be trying a bit too hard to make a statement. This thing looks like it was designed by a team of caffeinated artists who had one too many espressos. Yet, the outcome is a rugged sort of profile that seems ready to take on the entire world.
By the way, the wheelbase has been extended, the front overhang decreased, and now it has three rows of seating. It’s a six- or seven-passenger SUV, depending on configuration, and can be had in five main trim levels: SE, SEL, XRT, Limited and Calligraphy. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional.
My 2024 tester was the Calligraphy the top-of-the-line variant that in a way feels as though Hyundai’s designers said, ‘hey Mercedes, my dad can beat up your dad.’
Inside there’s an interior that’s dripping in luxury. Soft-touch materials, quilted leather seats, ambient lighting – it’s all here. The dashboard is dominated by a massive touchscreen infotainment system that’s as responsive as it is visually impressive. There’s also touches like dual wireless phone chargers, and a germ-killing, sterilizing UV light in the glovebox for grime-prone items like phones, wallets, and headphones.
Indeed, they’ve crammed a lot into the top of the line including power-folding and power-adjustable second-row captain’s chairs, upgraded ambient interior lighting, a digital rearview camera along with a heads-up display. There’s still Hyundai’s lane keeping system, one of the best on the market and an upgraded Highway Driving Assist the combines adaptive cruise control, lane centering and automated lane change making the Santa Fe as close to autonomous driving as you can get without actually getting there.
By the way in the back the rear tailgate opens giving you a back porch on the world. And with the captain’s seats and that interior luxury up front It’s like sitting in your living room, only with a much better view.
Under the hood the entire line up is powered by a turbocharged 277-hp 2.5-liter inline-four with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. On the road the power is decent, the handling competent, but it’s no sports car. In essence, the Santa Fe is more about style than substance when it comes to performance.
This 2024 Santa Fe is to conventional SUVs what a rock concert is to a tea party.
So, is it a bold statement that pushes the boundaries of automotive design, or is it just plain bonkers?
Well, it’s a bit of both if I’m honest.
On one hand, you have to admire Hyundai for taking a risk and creating an SUV that’s unlike anything else on the road. It’s daring, it’s distinctive, and it’s guaranteed to turn heads wherever it goes.
On the other hand, there’s a fine line between being innovative and being excessive. And while the Santa Fe certainly isn’t lacking in the innovation department, it does teeter dangerously close to the edge of excess.
In the end, whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit one thing – the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is anything but boring. And in a world filled with bland, cookie-cutter SUVs, that’s something to be celebrated.
I needed a new pair of shoes anyway.
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy
MSRP: $48,300
MSRP (as tested): $50,905
Engine: 2.5 liter inline 4-cylinder, 277 hp @ 5,800 rpm, 311 lb-ft torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automated manual
Fuel Mileage (EPA): 20 city, 28 highway, 23 combined
Fuel Mileage (as tested mixed conditions): 26 mpg
Exterior Dimensions
Length:190.2 in.
Overall width without mirrors: 74.8 in.
Height: 69.7 in.
Wheelbase: 110.8 in.
Ground clearance: 7.0 in.
Max Towing Capacity 3,500 lbs.
Interior Dimensions
Front head room: 40.2 in.
Front leg room: 44.4 in.
Front shoulder room: 59.5 in.
Front hip room: 56.5 in.
Rear head room: 39.6 in.
Rear leg room: 42.3 in.
Rear shoulder room: 58.1 in.
Rear hip room: 54.9 in.
EPA interior volume: 166.6 cu.ft.
Cargo capacity, all seats in place: 14.6 cu.ft.
Maximum cargo capacity: 79.6 cu.ft.
Warranty
Basic: 5 yr./ 60,000 mi.
Drivetrain: 10 yr./ 100,000 mi.
Rust: 7 yr./ unlimited mi.
Roadside assistance: 5 yr./ unlimited mi.
Free maintenance: 3 yr./ 36,000 mi.
Greg has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.