SEOUL — South Korea is many issues; a driver’s paradise is just not considered one of them. The roads are principally flat and straight, and their stage of pace regulation is borderline draconian – like, to the purpose the place a multi-hour drive on a freeway turns into a neverending slog to appease what seems like a billion pace cameras. On high of that, visitors is at all times congested. All the time. Hoot and a half, let me inform ya.
However behind the wheel of a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, none of these things issues. Hyundai’s redesigned midsize SUV is a quiet, comfy and surprisingly luxurious steed that makes freeway crawls a non-issue. It’s not half dangerous on a backroad, too.
The brand new Santa Fe’s fundamental guidelines hasn’t modified for this newest era – seating for seven, all-wheel drive, a great deal of tech, optionally available hybrid energy – however its total form is kind of completely different. Hyundai actually butched this one up, to the purpose the place Land Rover comparisons will not be unwarranted. Significantly, it seems to be extra like a Land Rover Discovery than the precise Land Rover Discovery.
By the tape measure, the 2024 Santa Fe isn’t that a lot bigger than its predecessor, solely rising 1.8 inches in size and 1.4 inches in peak (their widths are equivalent). However goodness, does the brand new Santa Fe have a complete lot extra curb attraction. You undoubtedly want the bigger 21-inch wheels to actually fill out these beneficiant wells, as the usual 18s can look somewhat puny.
Don’t fear, U.S.-spec Santa Fes may have tinted rear home windows, not like the Korean-market tester pictured right here – one other improve that not solely improves issues cosmetically however helps to maintain the cabin cool. As soon as inside, you’ll discover beneficiant lodging for first- and second-row passengers, with that boxy design lending itself to mega headroom. Stepping into the third row is sort of a problem, for the reason that seats don’t slide ahead sufficient, however when you handle to wedge your self again there, the quantity of area out there appears corresponding to what you’d discover within the significantly bigger Palisade (196.7 inches lengthy versus the Santa Fe at 190.2). The remaining cargo area behind it’s one other story – it’s tiny with all seats raised, very like the mechanically associated Kia Sorento that has comparable exterior dimensions. If that is an issue, loading further stuff on the raised roof rails is uniquely aided by seize handles within the C pillars that allow you to hoist your self up whereas standing on the rear tire.
Should you thought the Santa Fe’s exterior seemed somewhat Defender-y, the cockpit will provide you with the identical impression. The steering wheel seems to be prefer it was ripped proper out of a Land Rover, as do the squared-off air vents and angled local weather management display flanked by temperature dials for the driving force and passenger. The big middle console space has two devoted wi-fi charging pads for a pair of smartphones (a rarity), and the cubby beneath the armrest opens from both the entrance or again, which sounds cool and useful, however you need to give the lid an excellent onerous pull to get it to unlatch. This isn’t a bizarre pre-production quirk, both.
A curved show homes a pair of 12.3-inch screens, one for the gauges and one other for the Hyundai Group’s newest multimedia system that will get wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto amongst different upgrades and updates. To the precise, there are two gloveboxes: a high one behind the sprint panel and a extra conventional one by the passenger’s knees. That is along with deep door pockets that’ll maintain large water bottles and space for storing beneath the middle console, as nicely.
Whereas international markets shall be handled to an array of powertrain choices, together with a diesel and a plug-in hybrid, we’ll solely get two decisions in North America. First up is the two.5-liter turbocharged inline-four and eight-speed dual-clutch automated combo that’s used within the Santa Cruz pickup as an improve, making 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. Should you’re in search of one thing extra environment friendly, Hyundai will provide a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.6-liter turbo-four engine, small electrical motor and six-speed automated, placing out 232 hp and 271 lb-ft. That’s 6 hp and 13 lb-ft greater than the in any other case comparable powertrain discovered within the one-size-down Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. Official gas financial system numbers gained’t be out there till nearer to the Santa Fe’s on-sale date in March 2024, and no, Hyundai isn’t planning to interchange the present Santa Fe PHEV for america.
Slumming it in Seoul visitors, each engine choices provide clean energy supply and sufficient oomph to get the Santa Fe out of its personal method. However at greater speeds – or for those who discover a winding side-road – the less-powerful hybrid setup can sometimes really feel anemic, particularly throughout mid-range acceleration. The extra {powerful} 2.5-liter turbo setup actually seems like the most suitable choice, capable of transfer the big Santa Fe with larger confidence. It doesn’t sound half-bad, both.
Hyundai will provide front- and all-wheel-drive Santa Fe fashions in America. And whereas the SUV’s rugged beauty may provide the impression that this factor can off-road like a Land Rover, don’t be fooled. Certain, there’ll be a rugged-ish Santa Fe XRT variant that will get 30-inch all-terrain tires and a further 1.4 inches of floor clearance (the full quantity has not been launched, oddly). That’s much more than different Hyundai XRTs, that are glorified look packages, however this unibody crossover nonetheless gained’t have any sort of correct rock-crawling or mud-slinging chops. The Santa Fe has hill-descent management, however that’s it.
On paved roads, the Santa Fe is lots good to drive, with respectable steering and managed physique manners. You sit excessive behind the steering wheel and there’s a commanding view down the lengthy, flat hood that – yep – sort of has a Land Rover vibe. Fitted with 21-inch wheels, the Santa Fe interprets each little bump and blemish by to the cabin, however the smaller 18-inch wheels and higher-sidewall tires clean issues out superbly. This clearly presents a quandary provided that complete “seems to be higher on 21s” factor. I didn’t get to drive the XRT, both, so we’ll have to attend and see how a lot its all-terrain tires degrade the trip and dealing with.
Lengthy stints of hella-dull Korean freeway cruising imply Hyundai’s Good Cruise Management 2 system has loads of time to shine, although this tech isn’t good. The lane-centering system tends to ping-pong the SUV between both aspect of the chosen lane, and the lane-change help isn’t proactive, like with Common Motors’ Tremendous Cruise. You continue to should sign to have interaction an auto lane change.
Small nitpicks apart, the brand new Santa Fe is a rattling positive SUV for every day driving, and comes with all of the expertise and creature comforts consumers on this section anticipate. Hyundai gained’t launch ultimate pricing figures for just a few extra months, however the brand new Santa Fe’s MSRP shouldn’t stray too removed from the present mannequin’s vary, beginning round $30,000 and reaching as much as $45,000 for a totally loaded Calligraphy.
Past its inherent good graces and aggressive pricing, nevertheless, the only largest factor that’ll assist the brand new Santa Fe stand out is its styling. Huge and boxy are all the fad as soon as once more, and this elevated concentrate on visible punch undoubtedly turns heads on the streets of Korea. I absolutely anticipate it to have the identical impact in SUV-hungry America.
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