Production Models

This Car Review takes a look at the Hyundai Santa Fe, the brand's local flagship model until the arrival of the higher priced Palisade.

Hyundai Motor Philippines has brought in the all-new Santa Fe further strengthening a local lineup comprising stylish and tech-filled SUVs, crossovers and MPVs.

The midsize SUV/crossover Santa Fe sits below the Palisade in the heirarchy of models in Hyundai's local lineup.

The fifth generation Santa Fe, now noticeably bigger than its predecessor, stands out in the Hyundai lineup with its boxy design.

Also quite noticeable is the fascia with the H-Signature headlamp design. One can also see the letter H in the front bumper design as well as in the the rear combination lights .

Thick angular fender flares, straight character lines present a strong solid profile.

The all new Santa Fe is offered in three variants, the 2.5T Calligraphy 8DCT AWD, the 2.5 GLS 8AT AWD, and the 2.5 GLS 8AT 2WD.

It will be hard to tell one variant from the other.

All variants are 4830 millimeters long and 1,900mm wide. The top of line Calligraphy is taller by 10mm at 1780mm, but all clear with ground clearance of 177mm.

They also come with a 2815mm-long wheelbase.

All three variants feature Dual Sunroofs that power tilt and slides, roof rails, a wide powered tailgate, as well as rear spoilers with LED High Mount Stop Lamp.

Other exterior features shared include all-LED Daytime Running Lights, Position Lamps, Rear Fog Lamps and Rear Combination Lamps, as well body-colored outside door handles, heated and power-adjust and fold side mirrors with integrated turn signal light, and rain-sensing wipers.

What differentiates the Calligraphy from its more affordable siblings are not immediately obvious.

The top-of-line Santa Fe features Wide Projection LED headlamps with low beam assist while the GLS variants are equipped with Multi-Faceted Reflector LED headlamps.

A unique feature are the hidden Assist Handles behind the rear doors of the Calligraphy to get easier access to and loading stuff on the roof.

More obvious are the 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped by 245/45R21 tires on the Calligraphy compared to the 20-inch rims wrapped by 255/45R20 tires on the GLS variants.

Hyundai claims the Santa Fe has the roomiest seven-seater SUV/crossover cabin in its class.

Getting into the richly fitted cabin is easy with the Smart Key with Push Button start system.

It also comes with Hyundai's Fingerprint Authentication System to get into the Santa Fe and start the engine. It needs to be set up though with a good number of steps to follow.

The Santa Fe features leather-upholstered seats and trim-the Calligraphy in two-tone Nappa leather.

Driver and front passenger in the Calligraphy are coddled by what Hyundai calls Power Relaxation Seats that are ventilated and heated. The driver's seat comes with memory function so he can adjust it to preferred settings with a push of a button.

The GLS features power-adjusting front seats that are no less comfortable.

The second row seat splits 60:40, slides and reclines and come with remote folding. The seats are also heated in the top-of-line Calligraphy.

The second row seat also features what Hyundai calls a Rear Walk-In Device that makes it easy to get into the third row seat with just a push of a button.

The third row seat splits 50:50 and can be reclined for greater comfort. It also folds to increase space for luggage and other baggage.

The powered tailgate is nearly as wide as the Santa Fe itself which makes it easy to load cargo.

The Santa Fe carries the exterior design cues onto the dash with some H Signature elements thrown, including the air vents.

A Panoramic curved display integrates dual 12.3-inch screens, one for the instrument cluster, the second for the audio system.

The audio system comes with AM/FM Radio, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, Bluetooth with Voice Recognition that plays through six speakers.

The top variant also features a heads-up display which projects all vital info onto the windshield.

All Santa Fe variants feature wireless charger for mobile phones, two in the Calligraphy.

Six USB ports are also available-two in front and four accessible to second and third row passengers.

Unique in the Santa Fe is the Bi-Directional Multi-Console Storage that provides multiple ways of access and function for passengers in the front and second rows.

There are 12 cupholders and four bottle holders.

Also unique in the Calligraphy is the UV-C Sterilization Tray on the top shelf of the glove box for disinfecting such things as cellphones, wallets, and other frequently used small items.

The Santa Fe comes standard with all of the advanced comfort and convenience features expected in premium vehicles-Dual-Zone Automatic Airconditioning, central door locking, power windows, as well as electronic parking brake with auto hold.

Also standard are mood lamp, LED personal lamp, overhead console lamp, rear curtains, sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors, cargo screen and cargo lamp.

The top-of-line Calligraphy is powered by a 2.5-liter gasoline turbocharged to generate 281 ps that peaks at 5,800 rpm and 422 Newton-meters of torque from 1,700 to 4,000 rpm.

The GLS variants are powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter gasoline engine generating 194 ps at 6,100 rpm and 246 Nm of torque at 4,000.

In the Calligraphy, the engine is mated to an 8-speed dual clutch transmission sending power to all four wheels.

The GLS variants are equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission and come with either an all-wheel or two-wheel drivetrains.

The Santa Fe comes with front McPherson struts and rear multi-link suspension system.

On Calligraphy and the GLS 8AT AWD, the suspension also features front High Performance Damper shock absorbers and Self-Leverizer shock absorbers in the rear.

The GLS 2WD comes with shock absorbers with High Performance Dampers on all four wheels.

With a lot more horsepower and torque to tame, the Calligraphy has been fitted with a brake system using 18-inch discs in front and 16-inch discs in the rear.

The other lesser variants are equipped with 17-inch discs in front and 16-inch discs in the rear.

The All New Santa Fe is fully equipped to make driving a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

The leather-clad steering wheel tilts and telescopes and comes with buttons, toggle switches and scroll controls for driver assist, audio and smart phone functions, as well as for adjusting display settings.

The shift lever mounted on the steering column for putting the Santa Fe on drive, reverse or park is very convenient but will take a little getting used to.

The Santa Fe also comes with paddle shifters.

Driver can use the lever on the center console to select drive modes to suit road conditions or need from Normal and Sport and on the AWD variants, Snow.

There is also MyDrive mode where driver can customize driving characteristics that include how heavy or light the steering wheel feels.

The Calligraphy and the GLS AWD comes with HTRAC system that actively and continuously adjusts distribution of power to the front or rear wheels to adapt to road surface conditions.

The Santa Fe also has a 4-wheel lock button that will send power to all four wheels all the time for greater control in slippery conditions but only at speeds below 25 miles per hour.

All three variants of the 2024 Santa Fe now available locally are equipped with Hyundai SmartSense, a suite of advanced driver assist systems that include Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Following Assist, Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Manual Speed Limit Assist, Rear Occupant Alert.

For more convenient parking, the Santa Fe also comes standard with Surround View Monitor, Parking Distance Warning, as well as Reverse Parking Collision Avoidance Assist.

Also standard in the Santa Fe are Anti-Lock Braking System with Multi-Collision Brake, Electronic Stability Control with Trailer Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist Control with Downhill Brake Control, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

Added for safety are Driver, Front Passenger, Side and Curtain Airbags, Child Anchor, Power Child Lock, and Immobilizer.

No longer the flagship model in the local Hyundai lineup, the Santa Fe looks and provides features that make it an aspirational Hyundai model that is more affordable.