Sneak Peek: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The all-new 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe looks to stand out from the crossover crowd with jaw-dropping good looks and a more rugged attitude.

A Visual Feast

Hyundai/Kia have a lot going for them. Take recent hits like the Palisade/Telluride twins, the emergence of Genesis as a serious luxury contender, or their line of new EVs including the Ioniq 6. Most noticeable however, is Hyundai and Kia’s next-level designs. In an era of homogeneous rectilinear crossovers, Hyundai and Kia have been able to make their offerings not just stand out but really pop. From the abovementioned Palisade and Telluride to the digitally inspired looks of the Ioniq EVs and the raddest of all, the N Vision 74 concept, Hyundai/Kia vehicles offer some of the sharpest looks available today.

The all-new, fifth-generation 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe provides yet another sumptuous visual feast, making it clear this mid-size SUV is done standing in the shadow of its showy big brother the Palisade. Both inside and out, the new Santa Fe combines compelling designs with additional levels of functionality for a revamp that’s more than skin deep.

Bold First Impression

The Hyundai Santa Fe’s new fifth-generation design is headline worthy. The overall look skews toward the same digital language as the Ioniq EVs, with pixelated headlights and lots of sharp right angles. From numerous vantages, one cannot help seeing more than a little bit of the Land Rover Defender in the new Santa Fe, but in what feels more like an homage than outright cribbing. The Santa Fe features a unique leitmotif of Hs throughout from the head and taillights to the seat embossments to the four dot morse code in the center of the steering wheel. Length for the Santa Fe grows by two inches, almost all of that devoted to lengthening the wheelbase.

Speaking of those taillights, they might look oddly low in their position on the tailgate, but there is a good reason for where they are placed. One of the goals with new Santa Fe was to offer a more functional, outdoorsy vehicle (something clear from the woodsy promotional materials). To that end, engineers wanted a large cargo opening and to facilitate that, they positioned the tailgate’s longer struts further out with their bottom linkage lower. This meant shifting the taillights downward.

Other outdoorsy modifications include the new set of sturdy-looking roof rails and a C-pillar grab handle to make accessing roof cargo easier. The Santa Fe’s blacked-out lower paneling gives it a tall and rugged look, though they are body panels and not plastic cladding.

Interior Form and Function

As impressive as the new Santa Fe’s exterior is, its interior is where Hyundai really wows. The Santa Fe’s interior design is gorgeous and refreshingly original, putting many luxury car interiors to shame. The pair of 12.3-inch screens, one for the gauges the other for infotainment, share a single pane curving slightly toward the driver. Where many comparably sized screens feel like they dominate an interior, the Santa Fe’s feel perfectly integrated.

The Santa Fe’s interior is not just attractive, it adds novel functionalities as well. Take the dual wireless chargers for instance, or the pair of glove boxes, the top one housing a UV sanitizing tray. What feels innovative even though it should not be is the placement of the gear selector, right there on the steering column (retrofuturism indeed!).

Santa Fe’s Know Unknowns

There is still a lot that we do not yet know about the upcoming next-gen Hyundai Santa Fe. Foremost among them is the exact powertrain set up. The pair of 1.6L hybrid and 2.5L turbo four-cylinder engines will carry over, but exact output numbers and fuel efficiency are yet to be confirmed. Likewise, pricing, trims, and seating options (second row bench, or no?) are yet unknown. Hyundai did tease a new XRT trim, a rugged concept version set to compete with the likes of the Outback Wilderness and complete with a jerry can, furthering those Land Rover vibes.

More will be revealed when the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe makes its official debut at the LA Auto Show in November.