The Adventurous 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, sealed front-wheel drive in Phantom Black Metallic over black and black, gets a refresh. It's nearly 2 inches longer, with a standard turbocharge, standard third row, and more towing capabilities. We’re going to go over some pros and cons, the competition, and the problem we have with the new Santa Fe.

The Exterior Look

All trims are going to receive standard H-styled LED headlights, daytime running lights, and a light bar that integrates into the grill. There's 7 inches of clearance, but the XRT increases to 8.3 inches of clearance with satin aluminum that boasts in the middle, front, and rear parking sensors. When you go up the trim, like the Limited, you will be able to option the 360-degree reverse camera. This year, the XRT will be able to tow up to 4,500 pounds.

Eighteen-inch wheels are standard; the XRT will get dark black wheels with off-road tires, and the Limited trim will get a 20-inch wheel, which will also change out the fenders, making it the same color as the body. Here, you're going to have matte black that's going to surround the whole lower, and going to that XRT, they have another little treat - raised roof rails with a little hidden handle to make it easy to access the roof rails because they're raised. You can now use tie-downs similar to a Subaru.

Standard LED H-styled tail lights, front and rear parking sensors, and a reverse camera - 360-degree reverse camera will be standard on the Limited trim. Power liftgate, this is standard on all trims because we got an increase in length that also gives us an increase in cargo capacity, and it's an easy entrance the way it is set up. Underneath the floor, get some storage, 12-volt tucked right here, and it's going to be 14.6 cubic feet at this level.

You can increase the cargo to 40.5 cubic feet, which is an increase of 4.1 cubic feet. And for the second row, simply push the buttons, The max the cargo go to is 79.6 cubic feet, which is an increase of 7.5 cubic feet from the prior gen.

Power And Performance

The little Land Rover Defender-style Santa Fe is now starting to conquer more than most of its competition in its class. Underneath the hood, we're getting 86 horsepower more, 34 pounds of torque more, because it's the standard turbocharge. It's a 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder turbocharged, producing 277 horsepower and 311 pounds of torque, paired to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, achieving 20 miles per gallon for the city, 29 miles per gallon for the highway. 

We will be receiving a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder with a 44.2-kilowatt battery, which is going to be the hybrid trim, 231 horsepower, and 271 pounds of torque, paired with the six-speed automatic transmission. Towing will decrease to 2,000 pounds, but when you're going hybrid trim, that's pretty much the least of your worries. Going against competition like Honda and Toyota, this is going to have more capabilities and towing capacity, better payload, and more clearance.

This will be longer than the RAV4 but shorter than the Highlander, and a little bit longer than the CR-V, but when you're thinking about the Pilot, you're almost able to conquer everything that vehicle can do at a fraction of the price.

The Feature-Loaded Cabin

Ten-way power seat adjustment starts on the SE. If you want the 12-way, you have to go to the Limited. These are heated seats, starting on this six-way manual seat adjustment standard, which will be a six-way manual seat adjustment for the front with cloth seats. Headroom and legroom - the refresh has increased interior space as well, and you have more storage. So you have storage right here on top of the glove box, open up this glove box, you got more storage. 

This does not have the UV sanitizer that's on the Limited trim and the ambient lighting as well. It does not have an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Moonroof starts on the XRT; the Pano will go into the Limited trim. Twelve-point three informational display is going to be standard; navigation starts on the XRT.

Wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Sirius XM, AM/FM streaming, Bluetooth audio - reverse camera is standard, and you can expand that out for the whole screen, 360 on the Limited. Voice recognition starts on the XRT. Dual climate control settings for the front, and this is a touchpad here, and to go for the rear, You'll just click for the third climate control, which allows you to toggle through driving modes. 

This is a standard 4.3-inch information display for the gauge cluster; the 12.3-inch display starts on the Limited trim. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is standard on all trims, and heated seats come standard on the Limited trim with paddle shifts.

We appreciate that we still have physical buttons, so you can click into maps if you have navigation or use your wireless connectivity to do so. Clicking the home button simplifies things, and having actual buttons to turn on and off the sound system is a plus. 

The gear lever is now on the steering column; you just flip it back for reverse and forward for drive. His and her wireless charging is only available on the Calligraphy trim; otherwise, a wireless charging pad is standard. USB ports and no 12-volt outlet start on the Limited trim. Cup holders are more sporty; this opens up to reveal a storage bin. You can pick it up, but the little centerpiece might fall out since it's an adjustment, so I'll just slide it out of the way. It goes all the way down, and you can fold it out to reveal more storage capacity.

The nice thing about this is that it's similar to Infinity, which you'll see in the second row since it opens up from the back. There's a pass-through with a 12-volt outlet and the door panel and dashboard integrate together, boasting satin aluminum on the top part. One-touch up and down for the front windows has a medium-sized storage pocket and a beverage holder carved out. Headroom and legroom storage are behind both front seats. 

USB ports and a home plug start on the XRT; slide this open to reveal a storage bin. Open this, and that's what we were talking about in the front - you can open it from back to front, making it easy for anyone sitting in the middle. Cup holders with armrests and sunshades start on the Limited trim, and you'll have the same materials found in the front. 
 

A large grab handle, two cup or bottle holders on the top, and another in the bottom slide into the center. The floor isn't completely flat, but you won't be sharing foot space much. Legroom, shoulder space - you sit up a bit higher, and since there's no panel and moonroof, headroom isn't an issue for someone who's 6'3".

Enter the third row, push the button, and it slides forward to reveal the opening to sit two more in the back, with the third climate control only on the passenger side. USB ports come into play when you go to the Limited trim; air vents start on this trim, and both get cup holders on each side.

Sliding this back reveals leg space, which is adjusted just a touch. The rails are pushed back, but you'll be expecting a little hump, so you'll share foot space, though not much since there are only two occupants sitting back here. Headroom is actually really good for this size vehicle.

The Engine Dynamics

The refreshed Hyundai Santa Fe has 277 horsepower; we're starting with a turn radius of about two lanes. Let's rock and roll with 311 lb-ft of torque; it's motivated enough. We like that they have a non-turbo and a hybrid variant - a 1.6L 4-cylinder with a 44.2 kW battery that tows less, maxing at 2,000 lb. You can option a front or all-wheel drive system with 231 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque, still having a good amount of power. Typically, when you go hybrid, people get concerned, but we like that Hyundai is offering two powertrain variants and styling that looks like a Land Rover for a fraction of the price.

The Comparison And Final Thoughts

This takes me to some pros and cons. Starting with the pros: it's longer, has a standard third row, nearly 80 cubic feet of storage (7.5 cubic feet more than the prior gen), and increased towing capacity to 4,500 lb. When you go to the XRT, you get 8.3 inches of clearance and more tech, soft materials, and a higher seating position.

The cons start with the climate control touchpad, which leaves fingerprints and can leave scuffs when wiping it off. The same issue is with the infotainment screen. They've increased the price by about $5,000, which puts it near the Palisade's base price. This creates a problem since the Palisade has more capabilities, but this has more tech. It's difficult to decide which tier to choose.

Another con is that you need to go up trims to get features, some of which we wish were standard, like manual sunshades in the second row. You need to go to the Limited trim, which is nearly $50,000, to get USB.

The USB ports are also only available on the Limited trim, and the third climate control is located in the third row, but it's only on the passenger side, making it less accessible for all passengers in the back. There are a few things that Hyundai could improve on. However, when comparing it to the competition, the Santa Fe stands out on a different level. 

Unlike the RAV4 and CRV, which are not third-row variants, the Santa Fe offers more capabilities, better payload, and increased interior space for cargo. Additionally, when compared to the Pilot and Highlander, which are longer than the Santa Fe, they can only tow 500 pounds more, making Hyundai's improvements significant in creating a sweet spot for this vehicle. When you opt for the SE, you get a few more features than the standard, but the XRT is the sweet spot for the Santa Fe.