The Santa Fe has always been a strong seller for Hyundai. While far from exciting or sporty, past models provided incredible value, ample cargo and passenger space, and a handful of powertrain options. There’s a reason why you see these everywhere—and the redesigned 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate Calligraphy aims to continue this success with massive changes inside and out.

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. Yes, the new Santa Fe looks like a Land Rover Defender. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you, but we can’t argue the new design attracts a lot of attention on the road. It’s a big departure from previous Santa Fes that may have been a little too boring and generic. Despite the strong Defender vibes, Hyundai has baked in a number of unique touches to make the look their own, such as the various “H” motifs in the grille and lighting elements. Another cool touch is the grab handle behind the rear doors, allowing for easier access to the roof.

This particular tester was finished in a colour Hyundai calls Earthy Brass. It’s a $1,500 option and worth the money, as long as you are willing to put in the time and money to properly maintain matte paint. It looks particularly sharp, especially against the blacked-out trim, wheels, and badging.

Step into the new Santa Fe and you are treated to one of the best looking interiors in the segment. The Mazda CX-70/90 siblings feels nicer overall, but materials are nonetheless top-notch, the overall design is modern and clean, and Hyundai still uses physical buttons and knobs for most controls. The Santa Fe uses two 12.3-inch displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment, joined under one panel and bezel. Two segment-firsts—dual wireless charging and a UV sterilization tray for your phone, or other small items—are standard on the Ultimate Calligraphy trim. And last but not least, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are finally present.

Despite only growing two inches in overall length compared to the outgoing Santa Fe, the boxy redesign translates to more cargo and passenger space. There’s great headroom and legroom all around, and the new Santa Fe grows long enough to accomodate a third row, though it’s best suited for children or shorter trips. Cargo space ranges from 413 litres with all seats up, 1,148 L with the third row folded, and up to 2,267 L with all seats down.

Some Santa Fe owners upgrading from an older model might be disappointed to learn the V6 is no longer offered. All but the base are now powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-four, producing 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. It’s not all bad news: peak torque arrives at just 1,700 rpm, meaning the new Santa Fe launches off the line with gusto.

This is helped by the new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, shifting quickly when you want it to, and disappearing into the background when it’s time to settle down. But make no mistake, the Santa Fe focuses on comfort through and through. Even rolling on our tester’s 21-inch wheels, it takes a lot to upset the Santa Fe. It absorbs potholes, rough pavement, and most other imperfections quite well, and wind and road noise are both well-muted.

For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, the base Santa Fe uses a hybrid powetrain—though in the U.S., you can get the hybrid throughout the lineup. Still, the 2.5L turbo engine is reasonably efficient for what it is, coming in at 12.2 L/100 km in the city, 9.1 highway, and 10.8 combined. Through my week of usual commuting, I achieved a better-than-expected 10.8 L/100 km, and best of all, the Santa Fe takes regular-grade gas.

Pricing for the 2024 Santa Fe ranges from $40,999 for the base-but-very-well-equipped Preferred trim, to $54,999 as-tested for our fully loaded Ultimate Calligraphy tester with matte paint. In all fairness, it’s loaded up with a number of bells and whistles, such as a digital rear-view mirror, Nappa leather seating, a heads-up display, captain’s chairs for the second row, plus the aforementioned 21-inch wheels, UV sterilization tray, dual wireless chargers, and a lot more. Still, the mid-range XRT or Luxury trims are the sweet spot, coming in below the $50,000 mark before fees, taxes, and destination.

Buyers will have to decide if the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate Calligraphy is enough to meet their needs, especially since there’s a fair bit of overlap with the Palisade, which trades some niceties for a more usable third row and a V6 engine. But options are a good thing to have: if you don’t regularly use the third row, the Santa Fe’s usable-enough interior, stunning looks, and more efficient powertrains may be enough to take sales away from its bigger brother.