One of the latest design trends is “retro-futurism,” and no one has embraced it more than Hyundai. While the trend is technically defined more along the lines of depictions of how people saw the future back in the day, it’s also been used to describe designs with a science/geeky slant. Wait, maybe this is just “retro,” hell if I know I just review cars. Anyway, the latest Santa Fe embraces fun and geekiness with little details like a steering wheel featuring the Morse code version of its logo, an H represented by four dots. I got to spend a week with the latest 2024 Santa Fe Calligraphy, so let’s find out if it’s just a fun design exercise or a three-row SUV you might actually want to own.

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Overview

This is actually the fifth generation of Hyundai’s Santa Fe SUV. The first generation, “SM,” came out nearly 24 years ago, and the latest (model code “MX5”) just came out for the 2024 model year. Like most vehicles that have been around for several generations, the Santa Fe has gotten consistently larger each model year. The new one is longer than the last iteration by 2.2 inches and fully embraces the boxy design that reminds me a bit of the Ford Flex. It’s likely not what they were going for, but hey. More on the design angle in a bit.

Pricing starts at just under $34,000 for the base SE and runs up to $46,500 for the top-spec Calligraphy trim that we got as a tester. All models get the same 2.5L four-cylinder engine making a healthy 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. Even the base SE is pretty well-equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, Android Auto (wired) and Apple CarPlay (wireless), a hands-free liftgate, and a host of driver aides. If you want a bit more comfort and convenience features, the SEL delivers some great stuff, while the XRT comes with all-terrain tires and a rugged look. Naturally, Limited is the start of the premium range and Calligraphy has it all.

With the Calligraphy, Hyundai does a good job of giving you pretty much everything available if you opt for the top trim. The only real options are paint color. Hampton Gray didn’t add to the bottom line of this Santa Fe, but you can spend $1,000 for a couple of different matte colors if you like.

Our tester just has some upgraded floor mats for $210, bringing the total to just under $50,000 out the door. Let’s get into some details to see what it’s like to live with as a daily driver and a road tripper.

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Inside & Out

The box is back, baby! Bucking the trend of having every vehicle’s rear roofline slope downward, the Santa Fe embraces the straight line. I mean, it just makes sense from a practical perspective. Let’s give owners the most interior space possible. What a concept. It also looks fabulous—mostly. More on that in a second. I love the little details, from the blocky H-pattern in the headlights to the blocky wheel arches; it’s all very square and lovely.

However, those rear taillights were likely done to be different, and they certainly are. They do have an interesting integration into the side profile, coming in under the top of the rear wheel arch. However, from behind, it looks like someone else who hadn’t seen the rest of the vehicle finished the design. I’ve seen some photoshops of the brake light bar moved up to where you would expect it to be (I probably made one), and it looks much better.

Still, overall, it’s a great-looking SUV that doesn’t blend into the sea of jellybean-shaped competitors.

The good news continues on the inside. The blocky exterior shape makes for a light and airy interior with lots of space. The upholstery color, while maybe not little-kid-approved from a mess perspective, adds to the vibe. It’s all very well laid out upfront; the SEL trim and above get a cool panoramic curved display that makes the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and touchscreen look like they’re all a contiguous space. The Calligraphy also gets dual wireless charging pads for your phone, a first in a vehicle that I’ve tested.

I was able to pair my phone pretty quickly and get Apple CarPlay to work without issue. However, the dual wireless charging areas receive a lot of direct sunlight through the windshield, which can be an issue. My devices already get pretty warm due to the wireless charging; this definitely didn’t help. Also, since the pads are large, you must have your phone in just the right position. Luckily, the rubber surface keeps them relatively in place once they are there.

The seats, also featuring the blocky H patterns, are well bolstered and comfortable during a long drive. We took the Santa Fe for a quick trip to the beach and to visit family, and it held two adults, two kids (one adult-sized), and our stuff quite well. We really liked how there were a bunch of small cubbies and storage areas for smaller items, and there were even two glove boxes!

The middle row captain’s chairs gave the rear passengers plenty of space to spread out, and the gap in between was great for smaller bags and snacks. The (standard) third row is tight, but at 6 feet, 200 (ish) pounds, I was still able to squeeze back there to test it out. The 2nd row has a nice power function that you can activate from the back to help with egress.

With all the seats in place, there is 14.6 cubic feet of space, which is OK for a quick trip to the grocery store, but we needed to drop the third row to get meaningful storage space for our trek. There is a total of 79.6 cubes with all seats folded, and the hatch opens nice and wide to load larger objects.

Out on the road, the Santa Fe has plenty of power in most driving situations I threw at it. It quickly gets up to speed on the highway and will cruise at whatever speed you are comfortable with. Just like with the new Lexus GX that I just tested, the driver attention warning system notified me that it was inactive every time I had my hand in the wrong position on the wheel (12:00). Yet again, it is ironic that I have to look down and get distracted by a system that is trying to monitor whether I am being distracted or not. 

Still, the Santa Fe did great on our road trip, from highway cruising to stop and go traffic, it was smooth and comfortable.

Summary

It’s not an ’80s car, but it has ’80s elements, which are pretty hot right now. Retro 1980s vibes are everywhere in ads and pop culture. I have a friend and colleague who purchased one recently, and she loved the geeky features. Whether that all ages well is to be determined, but the 2024 Santa Fe is a great three-row SUV with tons of great features and exterior looks that don’t blend into the crowd. I would have no problem adding it to my default recommendation list for folks looking for a family-mobile but can’t quite pull the cord on a minivan.