2023 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2024 Land Rover Defender

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe had a more conservative exterior design compared to some of Hyundai's other models. Despite its understated look, it remained an attractive SUV with a wide upper and lower grille and thin LED headlights that gave it a distinctive front-end appearance. The Calligraphy AWD trim we tested featured a Stormy Sea paint job and a black-on-black interior, priced at $45,845 including destination charges. The interior, while high-quality, was dark and monotone, making the beige or gray interior options more visually appealing. The Nappa leather seats were comfortable and attractive, with heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats.

In contrast, the 2024 Land Rover Defender combined a classic, boxy profile with modern features like angular headlights. The interior was more rugged and adventure-ready compared to other Land Rover models, featuring soft-touch materials and practical elements like grip handles and rubberized floors. The Defender was available in three body styles: the two-door 90, the four-door 110, and the extended-wheelbase four-door 130, each with multiple trims. Our test vehicle, the Defender 110 S, came with the County visual package, which included white wheels and vintage graphics. Standard features included 19-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, and a panoramic glass roof.

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 delivering 281 hp and 311 pound-feet. The turbocharged engine, available in the Limited and Calligraphy trims, provided immediate acceleration with no discernible turbo lag, making it a joy to drive. The Santa Fe also featured a drive-mode selector with Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart modes, and the turbocharged version could tow up to 3,500 pounds with trailer brakes.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered several powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, producing 296 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque. Our P400 test model featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, delivering 395 hp and 406 pound-feet. The Defender also had two supercharged 5.0-liter V8 options, with the P500 making 493 hp and the P525 producing 518 hp. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time active four-wheel drive. The Defender's towing capacity ranged from 5,500 pounds for the four-cylinder to 7,716 pounds for the six- and eight-cylinder models. The Defender excelled in off-road capabilities, especially with features like adaptive air suspension and Terrain Response 2.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe's two-row configuration provided ample rear-seat legroom at 41.7 inches and competitive cargo space with 36.4 cubic feet behind the second row and 72.1 cubic feet with the seats folded. The SEL and higher trims featured an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats, while the Limited and Calligraphy trims added ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a hands-free smart liftgate. The Calligraphy trim also included a head-up display and a panoramic sunroof. However, the wide center console limited driver leg and hip space, and raising the driver's seat to its maximum height pushed the driver closer to the steering wheel.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered seating for five to eight passengers, depending on the configuration. The Defender 110 had an optional third row, while the Defender 130 could seat up to eight but with limited space. Cargo capacity varied by model, with the Defender 130 offering up to 76.1 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The Defender 110 provided 78.8 cubic feet in the two-row version and 69 cubic feet in the three-row configuration. The two-door Defender 90 had up to 58.3 cubic feet of cargo space. The interior featured hard plastic surfaces for easy cleaning and numerous cargo compartments for practicality.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, offering a 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display in lower trims and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in the Limited and Calligraphy trims. The base SE trim had an 8-inch display audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher trims featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The voice-recognition system had mixed results, performing well for navigation commands but struggling with music requests and climate control adjustments.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen, which, while smaller than some competitors, was refreshingly simple and suited the Defender's utilitarian persona. The system included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, satellite radio, HD radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo system. The straightforward setup and home buttons on the touchscreen made it easy to navigate features like Apple CarPlay.

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. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS for 2022.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender also offered an extensive list of standard driver assistance features, such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional safety tech included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 360-degree parking camera system. However, the lane-departure and lane-keeping assist systems were overly sensitive and could be deactivated if needed. As of this writing, the Defender had not been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA.