HYUNDAI Santa Fe 2024

“Is that a Santa Fe? I thought it was a Land Rover!” We heard this comment a lot during our week-long test drive. It drove home the fifth-gen Hyundai Santa Fe’s dramatic departure from the previous iteration. A highly modernized cabin that now features a third row of seats sits inside that sculpted new bodywork.

Mechanical changes are subtler, outside of Hyundai dropping the former base engine and plug-in hybrid powertrain. We’re left with the classic hybrid engine (now standard) and a four-cylinder turbo in the upper three trim levels, including the rugged-looking new XRT.

These powertrains are both carryovers from 2023 but have changed places in the lineup. Result: price points have shot up. The most affordable model is still the Preferred, at $43,598 (including freight, preparation and dealer fees). That’s $3,000 more than the least expensive 2023 Santa Fe. However, you had to pay at least $48,000 for the hybrid engine that you now get in the base model.

The new XRT variant gets you into the 2.5-litre turbo. At $49,598, it’s $4,800 more than the Urban, which sat in the same spot in last year’s lineup. The price increase over 2023 is about the same for the Ultimate Calligraphy.

The addition of third-row seating makes the comparison between the Sante Fe and its corporate cousin, the Kia Sorento, more apropos than ever. Kia still offers the base Sorento with a non-turbo engine, which helps keep its starting price lower than the Santa Fe. The plug-in hybrid model is also still available from Kia, though it is nearly unobtainable at Canadian dealerships.

Whichever one you choose, you will most likely drive an SUV built in the United States, although some units still come from South Korea.

The Santa Fe stands apart, and not just because of its looks. Its cabin is full of practical touches and it delivers a quiet, remarkably comfortable drive. However, there are tradeoffs to each powertrain. The hybrid offers limited power and towing capacity, while the gas-only engine consumes as much as a V6 while the transmission delivers uneven performance. Try them both on for size.

Watch our complete video review (in French with English subtitles)

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and emergency brake assist
• Stability and traction control
• Hill-start assist
• Front airbags
• Driver knee airbag
• Front and rear side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Front and rear seat belts with pretensioners
• Six or seven adjustable headrests (those in front are designed to reduce whiplash in a rear impact)
• Rear occupant alert
• Backup camera
• Tire pressure monitor
• Forward collision warning
• Forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction-turning detection
• Lane departure alert with automatic steering assist
• Active lane control
• Auto high beam
• Blind spot monitoring (with automatic steering assist in NHL Edition and Ultimate Calligraphy models)
• Rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking
• Adaptive cruise control
• Rear safe exit warning
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Side parking assist sensors and surround camera system (standard in NHL, Luxury and Ultimate Calligraphy models, not available in Preferred or XRT)
• Rear automatic emergency braking (standard in NHL and Ultimate Calligraphy, not available in Preferred, XRT or Luxury)

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety