Hyundai has released the first pictures and details of its new Santa Fe, which goes on sale in 2024. This large seven-seat SUV has been around for over two decades and five model generations, but the latest version is by far the most sophisticated – and the most strikingly styled.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe: price, specs and release…
- 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe styling and design
- 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe interior design and practicality
- 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe engines and performance
- 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe price and release date
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe styling and design
The new Hyundai Santa Fe looks to pick up the baton the Land Rover Discovery 4 dropped.
It's boxy and proud with a near-horizontal nose garnished with H pattern LEDs – a tribute to the 'H' in Hyundai – and a front light bar that gives more than a hint of modernity.
It's a classic SUV in profile too. Chunky wheel arch extensions look like a quarterback's shoulder pads and house 21-inch alloy wheels that belong on a truck, not a family car. Floating pillars at the back of the car help remove visual weight, and you get the all-important roof bars for easy-fitting roof boxes, bike racks and the like.
The car's rear matches the front in that it is nearly horizontal and has H-pattern LEDs. 'Santa Fe' is scrolled across the boot lid, much like 'Discovery' on a Land Rover, and you get a pair of massive exhausts that could double as cruiseliner's funnels.
Hyundai has yet to put dimensions on paper but has confirmed it'll have a longer wheelbase (crucial to interior space) than the current model.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe interior design and practicality
Hyundai hasn't reinvented the wheel with the new Santa Fe interior design; it's a straightforward design backed up by hi-tech touches. H-shaped air vents mirror the exterior lighting, and the dashboard's straight lines perfectly match the outside's design.
Light materials should make the vast cabin feel particularly airy, and you get wood-like trims backed up by soft-feeling Nappa leather upholstery. The leather-like dashboard trim, headliner and seat backs are made from recycled materials.
In terms of infotainment, you get a curved 12.3-inch digital instrument binnacle that flows seamlessly into an infotainment screen of the same size. Below this you'll find a dual-purpose touchscreen similar to the one found in the Ioniq 5 EV and, below that, there's dual wireless charging pads and more USB-C sockets than you'll know what to do with.
While Hyundai has yet to confirm measurements, the press photos paint the picture of an incredibly practical family car with room for seven spacious seats and generous interior storage. Hyundai's pledge to "maximise cargo capacity" implies that Santa Fe will have ample boot space even with all seven seats occupied.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe engines and performance
Unlike its sister car – the (also boxy) Ioniq 7 – the Hyundai Santa Fe won't be an EV; it's expected to be offered with electrified petrol engines. They'll likely be borrowed from the current Santa Fe, which is available with a mild-hybrid 227bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine (available with or without four-wheel drive) and a 261bhp 1.6-litre plug-in hybrid with four-wheel drive. Expect the latter's 30-mile pure-electric range to increase in the new model.
You can expect the 2024 Santa Fe to get a sophisticated four-wheel-drive system to match its looks, with Snow, Sand and Mud setting and hill descent control.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe price and release date
With its supersized proportions and high-end design, you can expect the new Hyundai Santa Fe to cost much more than the £45,000 entry price of the current model – a starting price of at least £55,000 seems more realistic. Undeniably, that's a lot of money, but Hyundai will undercut rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLE (from £78,000), Land Rover Discovery (£71,000) and Audi Q7 (£64,000) by a considerable margin. The Santa Fe will be revealed in full next month, and you can expect the car to go on sale soon after.