Hyundai Debuts Next-Gen Santa Fe Again; More Details Emerge

We recently covered the unveiling of Hyundai’s fifth-gen Santa Fe midsize utility, making a second virtual appearance in even greater detail.

Hyundai describes the all-new Santa Fe as an enhancement to the nameplate’s “city-friendly, adventure-ready” appeal. While still slotting into the midsize utility segment, it now rides on a longer wheelbase allowing for more second- and third-row living space.

There isn’t too much to discuss regarding the exterior design, as nothing has really changed since our previous coverage. The TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) is that it’s a bit boxier, uses H-shaped patterns and shaping throughout, and has an almost EV-esque appearance. The 110.8-inch wheelbase supports the vehicle, now measuring 190.2-inches in overall length. This growth spurt, in turn, provides the aforementioned increase to interior volume.

Specifically speaking, second-row legroom has increased by nearly 1.4-inches, with third-row legroom increasing by just over 0.5-inches, bringing their totals to 42.3- and 30-inches respectively. The hybrid model (yes, we’ll get to powertrains soon) sees a little less second-row legroom, increased by 0.8-inches to a total of 41.5-inches. Third-row headroom is also up by nearly 3.0-inches, and those rearmost seats can recline up to 10-degrees.

The cabin is built with eco-friendly materials, used to construct various panels and soft surfaces. The screen, while similar to those found in other Hyundai products, is all-new for the Santa Fe. The Panoramic Curved Display consists of two 12.3-inch screens, constituting the digital cluster and infotainment screen. HVAC settings are viewed on a 6.6-inch touch display, shown at the lower portion of the center stack. But the real “first of its kind” piece of tech here is the UV-C Sterilization Tray. Situated at the top of the passenger glove compartment, this tray uses ultraviolet light to sterilize some of the small items we typically have our hands on– smartphones and wallets, for example.

Under the hood, North American customers will find one of two powertrains, both quite similar to what we’ve driven before. The 2.5-liter turbocharged engine making 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft, paired to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic, is slated to return, joined by the turbo 1.6-liter hybrid mated to a 6-speed automatic. The non-turbo variant of the 2.5-liter has been axed, and the plug-in hybrid Santa Fe, while available in Europe, will not be available stateside. Well, for now, anyway.This all-new model is expected to go on sale in North America during the first half of 2024, so we’ll be expecting some seat time in the very near future. And you can ride shotgun by staying tuned to MotorWeek!