2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy 2.5T AWD - Review by David Colman

Dazzling redo, dazing sticker price

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

One look at the all-new 2024 Santa Fe Calligraphy will tell you the handwriting is on the wall at Hyundai, and it's not graffiti. Because the Santa Fe script has drastically changed for this previously rather innocuous SUV. Until now, the Santa Fe was a modestly styled, two-row SUV weighing in at just under two tons, with a price range that started at $27,200 and topped out at $45,510. Well you can forget all that, because the boxy new Santa Fe, which looks deceptively similar to Land Rover's slab sided Defender, now offers three rows of seating, weighs 815 pounds more than before, and costs $38,345 for the entry-level SE. The top line Calligraphy we tested carries a base price of $48,300, and an as-delivered tariff of $49,905. If you're in the market for a mid-size three-row SUV, you'll want to give the Santa Fe Calligraphy a good hard look, because it's a beautifully constructed, handsomely appointed alternative to the much pricier ($56,000-$118,800) Defender. And it also carries a bullet-proof 5-year, 60,000 mile New Vehicle Warranty.

From the get-go we noticed features about the Santa Fe that distinguish it from most SUVs in this price range. For example, Hyundai has fitted the hood with pneumatic struts (rather than a spindly manual prop rod) to ease your inspection of the orderly looking engine compartment. Although a hybrid version of the Santa Fe is expected, our test model utilized a 2.5 liter turbocharged four-cylinder motor good for 277hp and 311lb.-ft. of torque. This well endowed engine drives all four wheels through an 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. You can access those closely spaced gears through a set of paddles affixed to the steering wheel, or you can just place the gear change in Drive and let the unit take care of business, which it does with alacrity, posting a standing start quarter mile time of 14.8 seconds at 96mph, and a 0-60mph sprint of 6.3 seconds.

Hyundai equips Santa Fe with the same gear change mechanism it recently debuted on its EV models. This small paddle, affixed to the steering column, twists in one direction for Drive, in the opposite direction for Reverse, and requires just a tap on its tip for Park. Once you familiarize yourself with this ingenious system, it works way better than all the confusing, space-hogging alternatives I've recently sampled. As an added benefit, this design frees up the flat topped center console for two beverage holders, dual wireless phone chargers, plus a deep-lidded storage locker. In fact, the dash and control facade of the Calligraphy is brilliantly conceived, and wonderfully understated. Finished in various tones of black and charcoal, the Santa Fe offers easily grasped buttons for common tasks like radio volume and tuning, small paddles for AC/Heat modulation, and enough duplicative controls on the steering wheel spokes to allow the driver to concentrate on driving without the need to resort to an I-Phone video extravaganza.

In addition to its layout logic, the interior of the Calligraphy model is handsomely understated, with expensive looking and feeling "Eco-Suede" headliner, beautifully tailored Nappa Leather seats, heated first and second-row seats, accessible AC controls for second and third-row occupants, and really soothing interior highlights that glow purple across the lower dash and doors. Subtlety is the keynote here, with embossed black-on-black "Santa Fe" lettered door jamb plates, and similarly identified exterior vent ports. About the only questionable dash item is the disconcerting tachometer which is calibrated to read "1.5" for 1500rpm,"2.0" for 2000rpm, and so on. Hopefully it can be reprogrammed.

Hyundai equips the Calligraphy with a pair of leather-covered second-row "Power Folding Captain's Chairs" which each offer a multiple of electronic control switches. These allow you to instantly slide and fold the seat backs to allow entry to the third-row seats. Further electric controls allow second-row passengers to tilt their chair backs and incline their cushions. A large slide-out storage bin is also useful for row 2 occupants. Finally, a pair of electric switches inside the tailgate is provided to fold the second-row chair backs flat. Doing so provides a whopping 81 cubic feet of flat floor storage space. By the way, the owner's manual is woefully deficient in explaining how all these gizmos work.

Don't expect any great shakes in the handling department with this rig. It's not only heavy, but cumbersome, with a set of all-weather Pirelli Scorpion MS radials (245/45R21) geared to provide a comfortable ride and long wear (TW 500) rather than handling prowess. But pinpoint placement control isn't why you're in the 3-row SUV market, is it?

2024 HYUNDAI SANTA FE CALLIGRAPHY 2.5T AWD

• ENGINE: 2.5 liter inline-4 turbocharged and intercooled DOHC, 16-valve, aluminum block and head direct fuel injection
• HORSEPOWER: 277@5800rpm
• TORQUE: 311lb.-ft.@1700rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 20MPG City/28MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $49,905

HYPES: Dazzling Redo, Sumptuous Cabin

GRIPES: Mediocre Handling

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman