Family Car Camping Companion: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT Review

If you take a classic two-box SUV design and style it in a modern way for mass appeal, you get the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. This new compact three-row SUV stands out from the sea of SUVs on the road today with its styling, but its value is why it will likely sell quite well.

I got behind the wheel of a few versions of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe in the rolling hills around Franklin, Tenn., but the XRT is the one I’m going to specifically review for you here, as it’s the most rugged and adventure-ready.

In short: If you’re looking for a vehicle that can haul your outdoor gear, family, and friends safely, comfortably, and for a price below the average new vehicle today, then the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT is a great option. You will have to sacrifice some performance and efficiency to get that impressive combination of positive attributes, however.

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT Review

The Hyundai Motor Group (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis) was third in the world in new car sales in 2023. It’s a vehicle manufacturer that isn’t going anywhere but up, and it continues to invest in U.S. production and vehicles for the U.S. market. While much of the company’s marketing has been focused on EVs, they only made up about 7% of Hyundai’s sales in 2023.

Compact SUVs are Hyundai’s third largest segment, making up 15% of 2023 sales volume, and the Santa Fe is one of the key vehicles in this category. The Santa Fe debuted all the way back in 2000, and the 2024 is the fourth generation. The last generation came out a decade ago, so the Santa Fe was due for a real update.

The new Santa Fe is manufactured in Alabama. It will come standard with three rows and be available in 10 paint options, four interior options, two powertrain options, and five trim levels. Trims on offer are the SE (ICE only), SEL, XRT (AWD ICE only), Limited, and Calligraphy.

Exterior Design

While Hyundai hasn’t historically been known for bold designs, recent years have changed that. Cars like the Ioniq 5, Kona, and others have shown that the brand can deliver unique designs that stand out from the crowd, while also conveying a distinctive Hyundai design language. The new Santa Fe continues this momentum.

The Senior Design Manager of Interiors and Head of Department of Hyundai Design North America, Kevin Kang, told me that the 2024 Santa Fe’s design started at the rear of the vehicle. This is characterized by a super-wide and nearly flat tailgate — the rear bumper barely protrudes. This concept of starting at the back includes the interior, where the cargo area is nearly flat when all three rows are folded.

Kang also stated that his design team “wanted to create the best looking box ever.” This applies to the exterior and interior designs alike. In the rear, there is also a hidden rear wiper, which helps continue the clean box design language.

Somehow this boxy design also produces a drag coefficient of only 0.29 Cd. That is very impressive! For comparison, a 2023 Toyota Prius only has a slightly better 0.27 Cd.

The new Santa Fe has a 2-inch-longer wheelbase than the outgoing model, is 1.4 inches taller, and is 1.7 inches longer overall. It really is a much bigger vehicle in all ways.

Hyundai decided to brand the new Santa Fe by adding “H” graphics everywhere. There are supposedly over 50 H designs incorporated into the vehicle. The most prominent are found in the exterior and interior lighting design.

Interior Design

The first thing you’ll probably notice as you slide into the driver’s seat of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is the great visibility over the tall hood. You’ll likely also notice that it feels quite spacious, with quality head, leg, and shoulder room in all three rows.

Second-row seating tilts back to a very comfortable lounging position and offers loads of knee room. It can be slid forward and back to create more cargo room or access and leg room for third-row passengers.

The third row has room for my size 13 feet and plenty of headroom for my tall torso (I’m 6’3″ with a 32″ inseam), but the low seat, of course, forces my knees up. Adults can use the third row for around town, but not long trips.

Both the second and third rows fold down flat. They provide a very flat floor across both rows and the rear cargo area, but most of it is angled at about 6 degrees or so (I did a rough measurement with a phone app). This huge, flat floor is perfect for setting up a bed in the vehicle — more on that later.

The gear selector was moved off the center console and to the column in this fourth-generation Santa Fe. That allows for much more storage and a double phone charger pad in the console. I’m not a fan, however, of the bulky and odd rectangle shape of the drive selector stalk.

That extra room does mean you get a large center console that can be opened in both directions, allowing access for both first- and second-row passengers. The console also features a rear pull-out drawer for even more storage.

Chabak/Car Camping

Hyundai promotes the new Santa Fe XRT as a great car camping vehicle, and rightfully so. It doesn’t push the overland angle, which it shouldn’t — and I appreciate it. This vehicle is properly capable on a forest service road or snowy backroad, but it isn’t a proper off-roader. It would no doubt suffer greatly, in both fuel economy and performance if you put a rooftop tent on it.

Luckily, you get a pretty solid 1,191 pounds of load capacity and a ton of interior cargo room — 79.6 cubic feet, which is up 18 cubic feet over the outgoing model. That’s so much room that you can super-comfortably sleep inside and leave the roof available for your bulky adventure gear — instead of an RTT — like kayaks, SUPs, bikes, and the like. The roof rails can hold up to 220 pounds, which is a lot of outdoor adventure toys.

One big focus for the new Santa Fe’s design is the rear hatch opening. It is now a massive 32 inches tall and 50.2 inches wide. That’s almost 6 inches wider and 2 inches taller than the outgoing model, and just generally big for any compact or mid-sized SUV. It should make loading gear into the back that much easier, fit larger gear, and be much more spacious for in-vehicle sleeping.

On that front, yes, I tested out the ability to lie down in the back for car camping. There is plenty of width for two people and even at 6’3″ tall, I fit just fine lengthwise. I’d say a 6-foot-tall person could lay dead flat with the tailgate closed and not have their head hanging over the end of the folded second-row seats.

And, your fun vocab lesson for the day: Chabak is Korean for car camping: ”cha” for car and “bak” for stay. The 2024 Santa Fe is built for chabak.

2024 Santa Fe Powertrains

There are two engine options on offer in the 2024 Santa Fe. First production units and all XRT models will get a 2.5L Turbo backed by an eight-speed DCT. This engine puts out 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque.

Coming in just a few months will be a 1.6L Turbo Hybrid electric (HEV) backed by a six-speed automatic transmission. This hybrid engine puts out 178 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Hyundai expects a 35-40% take rate on the hybrid powertrain.

While there are no fuel economy numbers out just yet for the hybrid powertrain, we do know the ICE 2.5L numbers. The best numbers that a 2.5L FWD 2024 Santa Fe can get are 20/29/24 mpg (city/highway/combined).

The XRT comes standard with AWD, will not be offered with the HEV powertrain, and gets 19/26/22 mpg. The other models with AWD get 20/29/23 mpg. None of these numbers are particularly great, but it is impressive that the extra height, front air vents, and more aggressive A/T tires on the XRT model only lose you 1 mpg in the combined testing.

I asked Hyundai executives why there is no plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Santa Fe. The answer was that the Tucson is the higher seller and gets the PHEV. Hyundai also didn’t rule out the possibility of a PHEV Santa Fe in the future, however.

XRT Is What You’ll Want

The XRT is the 2024 Santa Fe model you’ll likely want to buy if you’re into outdoor adventures. It’s the ruggedized version that gets you standard AWD, more ground clearance, smaller wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, and better entry, break over, and departure angles.

You’ll get 8.3 inches of ground clearance — 1.3 inches over other models. That extra height is a combo of a slightly taller tire and a small suspension lift (almost an inch). There is one wheel option, and it’s an 18-inch alloy wrapped with a 30-inch A/T tire.

The Traction Control (TC) has also been recalibrated in the XRT model. While the 4×4 Lock button changes the TC settings on all AWD models, it is also specially calibrated for more aggressive off-road capability in the XRT.

In the looks department, the XRT also gets some other mods besides the wheels and tires. It gets dark anodized badging, gloss black side mirrors, more exterior cladding, black roof rails, and XRT engraved front seats. It is available in all 10 paint options and four interior options, like every model in the 2024 Santa Fe lineup. A sunroof is also standard on the XRT.

One of the most unique features on the XRT — and Calligraphy — is a flush-mounted, lockable C-pillar assist handle. You push a little flap in on the C-pillar to reveal a handle that helps you step up and onto the tire, gaining easier access to the roof. This is a genius little feature for people who regularly load roof boxes and big gear onto the roof.

You also get upgraded towing capacity on the XRT trim. More front air vents and a high-wattage fan provide better cooling to achieve a 4,500-pound tow rating — up from 3,500 pounds on the other trims. While the SUV doesn’t come from the factory with a hitch, it is a dealer-installed option, featuring a 450-pound tongue weight capacity.

2024 Santa Fe Tech

The latest Santa Fe also gets a ton of tech included as standard equipment. You get one big curved display, featuring two screens, to handle the activation and monitoring of all the tech equipment.

Hyundai’s Smartsense Safety suite is standard, as is Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. You even get the Bluelink+ app included with no expiration, which can remote start and preheat/cool your Santa Fe and even take snapshots around the vehicle remotely — so you can check on it or its surroundings at any time.

SEL and above get the Digital Key 2 system, which is a fully passive vehicle entry system. All you do is walk up to the vehicle with your app-enabled phone or smartwatch, and it unlocks automatically.

If you want a Wi-Fi hotspot in your vehicle, it’s a $20-per-month fee. It also includes music streaming with Amazon Music.

One of the latest things Hyundai is rolling out with the Santa Fe is Hyundai Pay for gas stations. While this has been integrated for EV charging and parking meters in the past, its new “fueling” integration with Phillips, Conoco, and 76 stations adds a whole new level of convenience.

The payment system is built right into the infotainment system. Think of it as cloud-based pay at the pump, so you don’t have to pull out any payment method when you get out of your Santa Fe to pump gas.

Also on offer are Remote Smart Parking Assist — basically app-based, remote-controlled parking — and a driver monitoring system (DMS) — a first for Hyundai. There is also a new fingerprint scanner on the dash, which allows you to secure your Bluelink profile, get a full report of vehicle activity after it’s been used in valet mode, and for key-fob-free driving.

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT: Pricing & Availability

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe started to hit dealerships in January, so you can find some on dealership lots right now.

The starting price on the XRT model is $40,600. The vehicle I drove most had one option, carpeted floor mats ($210). Add that and the freight/handling charge ($1,395), and you have a $42,205 vehicle.

While that is a really good value (considering the average new car price these days is very close to $50,000), it probably isn’t what you’ll pay at your local Hyundai dealer — at least for some time. A quick internet search revealed that my local Portland, Ore., dealership had a 2024 Santa Fe XRT in stock and listed with a $7,200 markup. Yep, that’s the crazy new car sales world we live in today!

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT: First Drive Impressions

Let’s dive into a bit more of the nitty gritty, and sum this thing up.

If you go slow, the all-wheel-drive system is very smart in relatively technical terrain. But, as soon as you try to pick up the pace, it just cuts the power on you as the tires start spinning. One sort of workaround is left-foot braking, which doesn’t freak the computer out as much as it does in other similar vehicles. And it will help you tackle harder terrain with less wheel spin.

The suspension has good damping, especially on the road, but also allows plenty of body roll and a bit more head toss than I’d like. It’s also well suited for gravel roads and mellow two-track, even at higher speeds.

In the cabin, it is very quiet for this level of vehicle. Impressively, the more rugged A/T-style tires on the XRT didn’t add much wind or tire noise.

I’m not a fan of how the DCT transmission shifts. This is especially true in Sport driving mode, as when you come off the throttle, it hangs a bit. But, the engine has plenty of power for this vehicle and overall, the powertrain feels pretty smooth.

Getting in and out of the front seats could be easier, especially for older and limited-mobility drivers. The door sill sticks up a good inch-plus from the floor of the vehicle. This is something you have to get your feet up and over when getting in and out of the vehicle. A little thing for sure, but not an insignificant one for some buyers.

I was having a rough bad back day — I broke it years ago throwing a trick of a massive ramp in a freestyle kayak — during the press drive, so I can attest that this will be an issue for some.

Sadly, the Calligraphy trim is the only 2024 Santa Fe to get captain chairs. They make second-row comfort even more impressive, although you do lose the ability to carry seven passengers. And, you don’t have a second-row middle seat to most safely transport young children. I would have still liked to see the option on the XRT, but they would also make a less ideal platform for sleeping in the vehicle.

Hyundai expects the Santa Fe to be directly cross-shopped with the Nissan Passport and Subaru Outback, as well as larger vehicles like the Toyota Highlander and even the Hyundai Palisade.

To sum it all up, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT is a quality vehicle that should have mass appeal. Its distinctive styling gets your attention, and its many quality features and impressive price point make it hard to ignore.

Virtually build out your own 2024 Santa Fe and find a dealer near you.