All-New 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Review

It is hard to get a WOW out of me when I get a new review vehicle each Monday, but this all-new 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe did it.  It’s rare to have a new version of a long-time existing vehicle that has zero resemblance to the models before, but Hyundai did it.  Was Hyundai trying to produce a Range Rover knockoff?  I’m not sure, but intentional or not, they did it and they did for less than half the price and with more cool features.

The new Santa Fe comes in five unique trims.  You start with the base model the SE, move up to the SEL, next the sporty off-roader XRT, then the Limited, and finally the one I have for review, the top-of-the-line Calligraphy.

Powertrain

Under the hood, Santa Fe is equipped with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that delivers 277-Horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The power and acceleration feel strong. The engine is mated to a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic shift-by-wire transmission with paddle shifters, which serve this SUV well. It’s also equipped with all-wheel drive with downhill brake control. You’ll notice stop-start, but it can be turned off.  There is also a hybrid version available which puts out 232-horses but gets an astounding 36-miles per gallon city and 31 on the highway.  My tester is all-wheel drive.

Exterior  

Let’s start by looking at the exterior.  Admittedly, matte finishes are not my jam, but this one has certainly grown on me.  Hyundai calls it Earthy Brass Matte, and the reaction from folks has been largely favorable.  I think many of us want something different, and for those who do, this would trip your trigger.

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The front fascia is bold, and you’ll see a theme of Hs throughout the Santa Fe, starting with the LED headlights.  The honeycomb grill is very nice above and below the color-keyed center bar, and just under that are louvers which open and close for better air intake to the engine.  From the side view, the boxy look continues and features fender flares with glossy black outlines and beautiful 21-inch wheels that are unique to Calligraphy models.

The rear view may lose some of you.  It’s different to say the least and features a good sized spoiler with the rear wiper tucked under it (YEA!) and very low LED taillights that continue the H theme.  A single exhaust pipe with a chrome tip is to the right.  I’d have made it with dual exhaust, but that’s just me.  Hyundai says the designed the rear end so they could have a very wide tailgate opening and they succeeded.  I measured the opening at a full 4-feet wide.  A walk around the new Santa Fe will show you just how good the visibility is from inside, and that’s a good tradeoff for the funky rear end.

Interior

The magic continues when you open the door to see the exceptional interior.  It is luxurious and inviting.  The steering wheel was the first thing that hit me.  It matches the interior and so does the big horn button.  The center console looks oversized and is not cluttered with a gear shifter, which is located on a stalk on the steering wheel.  It twists to go to reverse and drive, a button on the end puts you in park.  It is unusual, but I like it.  Aluminum and a very light-colored faux wood runs from the door panels all the way across the dash.  On a side note, it’s refreshing to see a light beige interior, I am sick of black, but I digress.

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The Nappa leather seats are just beautiful and really comfortable. The front seats are heated and cooled but you’ll have to go to the Palisade to get them to massage.  There are multiple power adjustments, including power lumbar controls.  The driver has a relaxation seat that only works when you are stopped.  Essentially, you hit a button and the seat tilts back, reclines, and a power footrest pops up.  What a blessing for those times you want to grab a quick power nap.

There is a 12.3” digital gauge cluster that is easy to see and read and gives you a lot of pertinent information.  It is configurable from the steering wheel.  The speedometer is to the left and the tachometer is to the right.  In a neat Hyundai feature, when you turn on your left blinker the speedometer is replaced by a wide angle view to the left of the SUV. The same when you turn on the right blinker, the camera eliminates any blind spots by showing you the right side view where the tachometer is.  Sign recognition is on the gauge cluster and through the windshield you have a 12” head-up display.

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To the right of the gauge screen is another 12.3” screen for your infotainment system.  The two screens together appear to be one, but that is not the case.  You operate the Bose Premium audio system including HD radio, Sirius XM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a terrific navigation system, and one of the best 360-degree cameras I have ever seen.  You can change views and one of them is a 3D picture of the entire vehicle from above.  This is great for making sure you are parked straight or when backing out of tight spots.  Also included is wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.  In something I’ve never seen before, you can control the 2^nd row seats from the screen and you can turn on several choices that play the soothing sounds of nature.

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Below that are your sound system controls with more knobs to adjust sound and tune the radio, and below that is another digital screen for your automatic temperature controlled air conditioning. Round knobs let you adjust the temperature on both sides, and operation of the seats happen there, too.  One more row of buttons handle the Auto Hold, changing of the drive modes (sport is where I stay) the 4-wheel drive lock, start/stop off button, hill descent control, you can activate the camera system, and the parking assist self-parking system.

Below all that are USB and USB-C ports for your devices and get this-dual cell phone chargers, one for the driver and one for the passenger, but wait!  There’s more!  There is also a UV-C button.  Open what appears to be a glove box in front of the passenger, and this ingenious feature sterilizes your cell phone, gloves, keys, wallet, or whatever may be carrying germs in just 10 minutes.  There is a large regular glove box under the sterilization compartment.  Watch this short video on how the UV-C works:

One other note on the console itself.  It features a large pass-through area underneath for even more storage and there are power outlets there.  There is a huge center glove box for storing things and it opens from the front or the rear, so 2^nd row passengers have access to whatever is in there.

Speaking of the second row, there are heated leather captain chairs with fold down armrests and the chairs are power, something you seldom find especially at this price point.  There are nice map pockets built into the front seats, and also USB-C ports for back seat occupants.  You can raise sunshades over the rear side windows to keep the sun out.  There is tremendous leg and head room.

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Buttons on top of the 2^nd-row seats electrically move the captain chairs forward and down to enter the 3^rd-row seat, or you can walk between the chairs.  The rear passengers will have good headroom, but fairly limited leg room, but two adults would be fine.  Not to be left out, the 3^rd-row passengers can control their own temperature, they have cupholders, and USB-C and power outlets.  In this configuration, six adults would be comfortable in the Santa Fe.

Utility

Cargo area is fairly small, but there is storage underneath for valuables.  3^rd-row seats lay down manually, but it is super easy to get them up and down.  A nice touch is that from the cargo area, you can fold the 2nd-row captain’s chairs down to carry longer loads, and it creates a flat load floor.  As I mentioned before, the wide power tailgate is terrific and can be activated by the key fob, by a button near the driver, and by foot activation.

Standard Equipment

Standard equipment abounds in this Calligraphy edition.  There is a front power moon roof that opens with the push of a button, and a larger fixed glass panel for rear occupants that has a power activated sliding cover, all surrounded by a beautiful suede headliner.  Also, really cool is to the left of the gauges is a fingerprint reader that is standard on XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy models, allowing owners to access their own profile or set speed limits for valet mode.  

You also get a rearview camera mirror, heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, highway driving assist (self-driving technology) and everything that I mentioned above.  In fact, the only options are the $1000 for the matte paint, and $200 for front to rear floor mats.

Safety

On the safety front, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is loaded with features, including a new driver-attention monitor that uses an infrared camera sitting atop the steering column to make sure you always look at the road.  It’s a little grumpy when you look away and will beep at you.  You also get adaptive cruise control, forward collision assist, blind spot monitoring with assist, rear cross traffic alert with assist, lane keeping assist, rear seat alert, and forward, side, and reverse parking sensors.

Ride and Drive   

The Santa Fe is peppy, the ride quality is fantastic, again the visibility is great, and the interior is very quiet, much like a luxury SUV that costs a lot more.  All-in-all, this SUV is a joy to drive.

What You'll Pay

I make no secret on the air that I love what Hyundai has going on, and this 2024 Santa Fe reinforces that.  In fact, it’s hard to believe that they can produce a vehicle with all these features for $50,000 and make money.  I can’t properly express how impressed I am with this amazing vehicle.

Total MSRP with everything you can get on it is $50,905 including transportation.  EPA rating is 20 in town, 28 on the highway and 23 overall.  As always, you get the 10-year/100,000 mile power train warranty, 5-years of roadside assistance, and 3-years of complimentary maintenance.

Verdict

If you need a 3-row SUV, get ahold of one of our Certified Hyundai dealers and look at the 2024 Santa Fe.  I truly expect there will be a waiting list for these when people find out about it.  The difficult decision will be whether to get the Santa Fe or its outstanding big sister, the Palisade.