2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Review

The Hyundai Santa Fe occupies an odd space between the compact and midsize SUV classes. It lands squarely between both segments in terms of price, size and feature availability. Essentially, it offers a bit more room than most compact crossovers, but it sits at a price point that makes it a little more palatable than buying a larger SUV. This gives the Santa Fe a strong value proposition, and the significantly updated 2021 model is even more enticing than its predecessor.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe is heavily refreshed, starting with a new rectangular grille that is pinched on the outside and accented with vertically oriented LEDs. There's also a new T-shaped taillight design, with a horizontal light bar that connects the two taillights. Rounding out the list of interior improvements are a larger touchscreen and the move to transmission selector buttons, rather than a shifter.

The Santa Fe is all-new under the hood. The slightly larger 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produces 191 horsepower and 182 lb-ft of torque, a mild increase of 6 hp and 4 lb-ft compared to last year's 2.4-liter mill. Fuel economy is up slightly as well. The EPA estimates a front-wheel-drive 2021 Santa Fe with this engine will get 26 mpg in combined driving, compared to 25 mpg last year.

The upgraded Santa Fe engine is now a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 277 hp and 311 lb-ft — a significant bump from the previous turbo-four and its 235 hp and 260 lb-ft. Hyundai says it's also more efficient; indeed, the EPA says to expect 25 mpg combined with FWD, just 1 mpg less than the base engine with FWD. This engine comes standard on the new range-topping Calligraphy trim, which counts quilted leather upholstery and a head-up display among its many additions.

Also new for 2021 is a hybrid model. It has a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine and a hybrid system to produce 225 combined horsepower. Power is routed to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. Unfortunately, there are no official fuel economy estimates as of our review's publication time. Our hope is that it will get around 35-40 mpg combined.

The Hyundai Santa Fe offers more room and features than a traditional compact SUV, but it doesn't cost as much as a midsize crossover. A significant refresh for the 2021 Santa Fe should only add to its appeal.