2023 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe had a conservative exterior design compared to some of Hyundai's more recent models. While it was an attractive SUV, it didn't stand out as much as other vehicles in the brand's lineup. The 2023 model continued with the same look and feel as the 2022 version, available in five trim levels: SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy. Our test vehicle, a top-of-the-line Calligraphy AWD trim, featured Stormy Sea paint and a black-on-black interior, with a total MSRP of $45,845. The Santa Fe's wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights were its most distinctive exterior elements. Inside, the black leather seats and high-quality materials provided a premium feel, though the dark, monotone interior could benefit from a lighter color option for visual contrast. The Nappa leather seats in the Calligraphy trim were particularly comfortable and attractive, with standard heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, on the other hand, introduced a radically different design, moving away from the sleek, futuristic look of models like the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. The new Santa Fe embraced a boxy shape, which Hyundai's design chief SangYup Lee described as optimal for storage capacity while aiming to make it look elegant and premium. The new design was more aerodynamically efficient and upscale, turning heads even in rural Tennessee. The exterior featured sophisticated colors, including matte options, and anodized-finish badging. The XRT trim added dark chrome and black cladding, with standard 18-inch alloy wheels on most trims and larger wheels on higher trims. Inside, the Santa Fe offered premium styling with a focus on comfort and functionality. The Calligraphy trim featured luxurious materials like a soothing fabric headliner, while the XRT trim was designed for all-terrain use.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged version of the same engine delivering 281 hp and 311 pound-feet. The naturally aspirated engine was paired with a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission, while the turbocharged engine used an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available as an option. The Santa Fe featured a drive-mode selector with Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart modes. The turbocharged engine provided a significant performance boost, with immediate acceleration and no discernible turbo lag. Handling was smooth, with minimal body lean during cornering. The turbocharged Santa Fe could tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the non-turbo version had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe came standard with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive optional, except for the XRT trim, which had AWD as standard. The Santa Fe offered Normal, Sport, and Snow driving modes, with the XRT trim adding off-road modes. Later in the model year, a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine would be available, producing 231 hp and 271 pound-feet of torque. The base FWD Santa Fe had an EPA rating of 20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined, while the AWD version rated slightly lower. The XRT trim had lower fuel economy due to its extra ground clearance and all-terrain tires but gained an additional 1,000 pounds of towing capacity. On the road, the Santa Fe Calligraphy offered smooth and stable performance, with notable body roll through turns. The XRT trim demonstrated off-road capability comparable to other rugged SUVs, thanks to its ground clearance and robust tires.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe benefited from not having a cramped third row, resulting in more rear-seat legroom and additional cargo space. The rear-seat legroom measured 41.7 inches, and the cargo space behind the second row was 36.4 cubic feet, expanding to 72.1 cubic feet with the second row folded. The SEL and higher trims featured an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats, with additional comfort and convenience features in higher trims. The Calligraphy trim included a head-up display, premium door and seat accent trim, a microfiber headliner, and ambient lighting. The panoramic sunroof was a highlight, though the wide center console could limit driver leg and hip space.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a longer wheelbase and body, with most of the extra space dedicated to the cargo area. The design was inspired by "chabak," a concept of car camping and tailgating, with an extra-wide tailgate and plenty of storage. The first and second rows were spacious, with the third row being snug. The Santa Fe was available with a bench or reclining captain's chairs in the second row, depending on the trim. The cargo area offered 14.6 cubic feet of space, expanding to 40.5 and 79.6 cubic feet with the third and second rows folded, respectively. The Limited and Calligraphy trims introduced a UV sanitization compartment in the glovebox, a feature conceived during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, with a standard 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display in lower trims and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in higher trims. The base SE trim featured an 8-inch display audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher trims had a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio, voice recognition, wireless device charging, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The infotainment system was user-friendly, though the voice-recognition capabilities had mixed results.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a curved panoramic display in XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy trims, with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display in lower trims. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12-speaker Bose stereo, dynamic voice recognition, and a Wi-Fi hot spot. The SE and SEL trims had a simpler 12.3-inch touchscreen display, while higher trims offered additional features like wireless charging and Hyundai Pay. The Santa Fe also introduced a biometric fingerprint scanner for valet mode control.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, driver monitoring, a safe-exit system, and a rear-seat reminder system. The SEL and higher trims included Highway Driving Assist. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe had not yet been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, but it included a wide range of standard safety features. The base SE trim offered adaptive cruise control, forward collision-avoidance assist, intersection assist, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, safe-exit assist, lane-keep assist, lane-following assist, driver-attention monitoring, and a rear-occupant reminder system. Higher trims added features like a 360-degree camera system, blind-spot view monitor, rain-sensing windshield wipers, parking sensors, reverse parking collision assist, remote automatic parking, and a sanitizing compartment in the glovebox. The Calligraphy trim included a widescreen head-up display and upgraded collision avoidance systems.