A Design Revolution: The all-new Hyundai Santa Fe

It’s amazing to see how far the Hyundai Santa Fe has come, design-wise, over the last near quarter century. 

The Philippines missed the first generation Santa Fe, which looked remarkably like its smaller sibling, the Tucson, of that time. Our first-gen Santa Fe (circa 2008) was actually Hyundai’s second-gen model. It was a smooth, good-looking, and impressively refined 7-seater midsize SUV. 

It was succeeded by a sharper-looking and decidedly more upscale all-new model in 2012, which sported Hyundai’s then-new Fluidic Sculpture design language. This third-gen Santa Fe (and its corporate siblings of that time) sparked the brand’s styling renaissance and marked Hyundai as a solid trendsetter in design.   

The yet-bigger fourth-generation 2018 Santa Fe moved the model even further upmarket, with a very European feel with its slim DRL lighting clusters, bumper-mounted headlamps, and assertively large grille.   

This brings us to Hyundai’s all-new fifth-generation Santa Fe, which looks nothing like any of its four predecessors. 

Gone are the curves and sharp creases of the last two generations’ Fluidic Sculpture design language. For the latest Santa Fe, it’s all flat surfaces and right angles. And it looks absolutely brilliant. 

The new Santa Fe is 45mm longer and a substantial 95mm taller than its predecessor, making it seem almost a class above its midsize categorization. It has a shorter overhang allowing the wheelbase to be extended by 50mm (without unduly increasing its overall length) while the tailgate is an impressive 145mm wider for greater ease in loading and unloading even bulky cargo. 

Impressively, the boxy new Santa Fe is more aerodynamic than its curvaceous predecessor, thanks to angled side mirrors, active air flaps on both the top and bottom of the front bumper, skid plates on the front and rear bumpers, and a spoiler at the rear. 

A bridge-type roof rail has also been incorporated alongside the dual sunroof to allow greater versatility in mounting accessories or storage boxes. For easier access to this, and other purposes such as car washing, a C-Pillar Assist Handle has been added. It can withstand up to 200kg and is sized generously so the safety of users getting up and down can be guaranteed. The built-in glass cover is both sleek-looking and functional, as it can be locked when not in use. Seen from the side, is the Santa Fe’s sharply defined wheel arches are coupled with 21-inch black wheels with Continental tires.

H-shaped elements abound in the LED horizontal lamp with DRLs, front bumper garnish, and radiator grille, as well as the taillights. These are carried over to the very upscale interior, specifically the front dashboard’s mood lights and AC vents as well as the stitching on the seats. At the heart of the cabin is the philosophy of a “plus alpha” space experience, which connects outdoor-indoor living with the fully foldable second- and third-row seats, enabling the rear of the Santa Fe to be used as a cargo bed for groceries, home projects, sports and recreation, or for camping trips.

There is a stunning 12.3-inch panoramic curved display for the instrument cluster and infotainment screen. To the left of it is a fingerprint recognition system that is easy to use and enhances security, while also supporting seat memory customization and access to a personalized infotainment system. 

Developed during the pandemic, the new Santa Fe boasts a UV-C sterilization tray on top of the glove box. Below these is a full-touch climate control panel, dual wireless charging pads for charging two smartphones side by side, plus 6 USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket. 

Between the front seats are well-thought out storages. Not only is there a bottom space in between the front seats but also a bi-directional console box with a lower sliding tray. The latter, is a world-first, which enables a variety of uses especially since it can be opened from both ends and has a removable divider.

The new Santa Fe is powered by a 2.5-liter turbo engine, mated to an 8-speed dual clutch transmission – producing 281ps and 422Nm of torque. It employs a column-type shift-by-wire system, similar to the brand’s electric cars, the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6. There are drive and terrain settings that can be adjusted based on user preference on engine power, transmission shifting, stability control and braking. A total of eight modes can be selected, namely, Normal, Eco, Sport, Smart, Auto, Sand, Mud and Snow.

Moreover, it comes with Hyundai Traction (HTRAC) all-wheel drive (AWD) system, as well as a Downhill Brake Control that supports sudden changes in weather or difficult terrains. 

Apart from the standard driver, passenger, side, and curtain airbags is the brand’s suite of safety features called Hyundai SmartSense. Advanced driver assist functions such as the Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Following and Keeping, Blindspot View Monitor, Reverse Parking Collision Avoidance, Parking Distance Warning, Manual Speed Limit, Rear Occupant Alert and Surround View Monitor. 

A hybrid trim will be made available by the second half of the year, for now it comes in the following variants and colors:

Santa Fe GLS 8AT: P2,410,000

Santa Fe GLS 8AT AWD: P2,540,000

Santa Fe Calligraphy 8DCT AWD: P3,100,000 

Exterior colors available for all variants are Abyss Black Pearl, Creamy White Pearl, and Magnetic Gray Metallic, while Calligraphy-exclusive colors are Earthy Brass Matte, Terracotta Orange, and Ocado Green Pearl. Interior colors, meanwhile, are Obsidian Black for the two lower variants, as well as Black Ink and Forest Green for the flagship Calligraphy. The new Santa Fe comes with a 5-year/200,000-km vehicle warranty.