2021 Jeep Renegade vs 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2021 Jeep Renegade, introduced in 2015 and refreshed in 2019, continued to carry over its rugged design inspired by the iconic Wrangler SUV. It featured a boxy profile, circular headlights, and an upright seven-slat grille. Inside, the Renegade offered a modern, functional cabin with an upright center stack, making controls easily accessible. The Renegade came in various trims, including Sport, Jeepster, Latitude, Upland, 80th Anniversary, Islander, Limited, and Trailhawk, each offering unique features and equipment.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe, on the other hand, impressed with its upscale look and feel. The Santa Fe featured a redesigned front end with new running lights, a reworked grille, and a new bumper. Inside, it boasted new colors, patterns, and textures, along with a bridge-style center console and a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel. The Calligraphy trim, in particular, exuded quality with premium leather, a panoramic sunroof, and a refined interior that made it feel like a luxury vehicle.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered two engine options: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder with 177 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and available in front-wheel drive (FWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). While neither engine was particularly spirited, the turbocharged option provided better torque and refinement. The Renegade's ride quality was solid, with good maneuverability and impressive visibility, making it a great city car. The Trailhawk trim, with its off-road capabilities, stood out for its terrain management system and 8.7 inches of ground clearance.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe offered three new powertrains. The SE and SEL trims came with a 191-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid models featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, a starter/generator, an electric drive motor, and a six-speed automatic transmission, producing a total of 226 horsepower. The Limited and Calligraphy trims had a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed wet-plate dual-clutch transmission. The Santa Fe's driving modes included Normal, Sport, and Smart, with the latter focusing on fuel efficiency. The Santa Fe offered a smooth, refined ride with impressive body control and athletic handling.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade provided 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 18.5 cubic feet with the rear seats in use. Its tall, boxy design offered plenty of headroom in both rows, with great legroom in the front seats and adequate space for adults in the rear. The Renegade featured various storage solutions, including small cubbies and trays, and the front passenger seat could fold forward for added space.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe, designed for those who didn't need a third-row seat, offered ample passenger room and comfort. All trims included dual-zone automatic climate control, with leather seats available in the SEL trim and standard in the Limited. The Calligraphy trim featured premium Nappa leather and a suede-like headliner. The Santa Fe's rear seat was spacious and comfortable, with air-conditioning vents, quick-charge USB ports, and rear side-window sunshades. The cargo space measured 36.4 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 72.1 cubic feet with the seats folded down, providing ample room for a family road trip.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with an optional 8.4-inch screen on mid-tier trims and standard on higher trims. Both screens ran the intuitive Uconnect system, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Kenwood premium audio system was available.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy was loaded with technology, including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a surround-view camera system, and an 8.5-inch color head-up display (HUD). The basic 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the 10.25-inch screen offered wired versions, upgraded voice-recognition technology, and enhanced Blue Link connected services. The Santa Fe also featured a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system and Hyundai's Digital Key and Remote Smart Parking Assist technologies.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade made several previously optional safety features standard, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection. Adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and front and rear parking sensors were available as options. The Renegade received a four-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe offered an impressive list of safety features, especially in the Calligraphy trim. These included forward-collision warning with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction turning assistance, Safe Exit Assist, rear-occupant alert, Blind-Spot View Monitor, and Highway Driving Assist. The Santa Fe earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) when equipped with LED projector headlights.