2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Old vs New: Spot the differences

Hyundai Motor Philippines (HMPH) has officially launched the all-new 2024 Santa Fe for the local market. It comes in to replace the previous version which was released back in 2022 along with the brand’s relaunch for the Philippines.

Let's compare the old (left) and the new (right) Hyundai Santa Fe

But how does the new 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe compare against the old Santa Fe? Let’s go over their differences to find out. 

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe old vs new: Exterior

To begin this comparison, let’s talk about their dimensions. For the new model, its top-spec version, the Calligraphy, is 4,830mm long, 1,900mm wide, and 1,780mm in height. Its GLS trim is a bit shorter in height at 1,770mm, and it has a wheelbase length of 2,815mm and a ground clearance of 177mm. 

Compare that to the older model which had a length of 4,785mm, a width of 1,900mm, and a height of 1,710mm. The previous-gen Santa Fe then had a wheelbase length of 2,765mm and a ground clearance of 176mm.

The old Hyundai Santa Fe

According to the figures listed above, the newer Santa Fe is longer and taller compared to the old model. It also has a much longer wheelbase. Their widths are identical, but the length of the newer version might hint at more legroom. 

Appearance-wise, this is where the next-gen version clearly departs from the nameplate’s old styling. 

The old one featured a more traditional-looking front end with a grille, sharp headlamps, a clear crossover-like silhouette, and a conservative-looking rear with a huge diffuser. The new one meanwhile, goes for a retro-futuristic look thanks to a boxy new body with distinct-looking H-pattern lighting elements, a slimmer grille, a more angular side section, as well as a more eccentric-looking rear end. 

The all-new 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

We describe the new model’s rear as eccentric as it does depart quite much from the old Santa Fe and crossover SUV tailgate design in general. This is clear to see from how low the tailgate its taillights are. Plus, it gets a rather thin rear bumper which is uncharacteristic of the busy or chunky look common amongst contemporary crossovers and SUVs. 

For wheels, the new Santa Fe gets a 20 or 21-inch set which are far larger and more impactful compared to the older model’s 19-inch set. Then again, both models come with plenty of exterior amenities such as power-folding side mirrors, roof rails, rain-sensing wipers, and a power tailgate. 

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe old vs new: Interior

Like its predecessor, the new Santa Fe is still a seven-seater. Both also have automatic air-conditioning, and split-folding rear seats. 

The old model's second-row seats

The new one does have a more modern-looking dash with larger screens, as well as a more streamlined air-conditioning control strip. The new model’s steering wheel likewise carries a newer contemporary style as compared to the old model’s traditional three-spoke design. 

Both still have chunky center consoles, but the one on the newer crossover is flatter and has a larger storage box. The 2024 Santa Fe also gets a more ergonomic center elbow rest as well.

New model's second-row seats

For the driver, gear shifting on the new Santa Fe is now done via a steering column stalk instead of the old model’s gear-select buttons. Both the old and new models get power-adjustable front seats, tilt and telescopic steering columns, and a push-to-start button, among other features. 

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe old vs new: Tech & Safety

When it comes to digital displays, the old Santa Fe is equipped with an eight-inch touchscreen display and a digital instrument cluster. The said cluster is separate from the central screen and is nudged deep into the dashboard behind the steering wheel. 

Inside the old Santa Fe

In comparison, the new Santa Fe comes standard with a larger 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch TFT LCD instrument display. Instead of being separate, these are seamlessly linked together to form a widescreen which in turn, offers a more cockpit-like feel for the next-gen model. 

Both the new and old central touchscreen displays get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. Both are likewise linked to a six-piece speaker system, and both also can take voice commands. 

Keeping one’s devices charged up on both the old and new Santa Fe is done easily thanks to a wireless charging pad. On the top-spec next-gen Santa Fe Calligraphy, however, it gets two wireless charging pads. 

The next-gen model gets a sleeker steering wheel and bigger screens

For safety, the new and old Santa Fe both get anti-lock braking, front airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, stability control, ISOFIX child seat anchors, hill-start assist, and a 360-degree view camera. The new model does add a tire-pressure monitor, and a trailer stability assist feature on top of those standard safety bits. 

The old and new models also get blind-spot monitoring, blind-spot collision warning, and parking distance warning. But the new model further reinforces its suite of advanced driver assist technologies with the addition of adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane follow assist, forward collision avoidance, rear occupant alert, manual speed limit assist, and reverse parking collision avoidance. 

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe old vs new: Engine

For what’s under the hood, the old Santa Fe’s sole engine option was a diesel version of the Hyundai Smartstream engine. Specifically, it used a 2.2-liter CRDi that can output 200 horsepower and 440 Nm of torque. Power is sent to its front wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). 

Old Santa Fe from the rear

The new one still uses a Smartstream mill, but it has ditched the old diesel engine for a new 2.5-liter gasoline engine. In its turbocharged form (Calligraphy), it can output 277 horsepower and 422 Nm of torque. The non-turbo version meanwhile (GLS trims) can make 191 hp and 246 Nm of torque. 

For the top-spec Santa Fe Calligraphy, the eight-speed DCT makes a return, but it is now paired with an all-wheel-drive (Calligraphy). A front-wheel-drive and an AWD variant are available for the GLS trims, but the latter uses an eight-speed automatic gearbox which was not offered on the older Philippine-spec Santa Fe. 

New Santa Fe from the rear

To conclude, the new Santa Fe gets a more distinct style, and heaps of more tech. It also has a more modern interior that offers an increased amount of amenities. The Calligraphy trim also gets one-up against the old Santa Fe by having a more powerful turbo, but even the new GLS variants offer more comfort for what you’re paying for compared to the outgoing model. 

Suffice it to say, the next-gen Santa Fe has grown up and is now a vastly different beast compared to its more conservative predecessor. 

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