2021 Hyundai Santa Fe - What's New?

CarBuzz rated the new, refreshed 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV at 8.9 out of 10 - scoring it 10 for 10 in Interior & Cargo, Infotainment & Features, and Safety.

What's new for 2021 in the Hyundai Santa Fe?

The new 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe is sporting some elegant and modern new design and feature updates, but what's even more exciting are the two new gasoline engines and the addition of a new hybrid variant. Built stateside (in Alabama), the 2021 Santa Fe gas version is here now and the new hybrid version will be arriving in Peoria, AZ sometime this spring.

The Refreshed 2021 Santa Fe is bold and elegant

You'll find the updated 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe for sale in Peoria, AZ in four trim levels: SE, SEL, Limited and Calligraphy. New Colors, a wider front grille, and a new headlight configuration give the new 2021 Santa Fe a fresh new face. Inside, the Santa Fe has taken a page from big-brother Palisade's design book, seen in the new center stack that flows into the center console, with the electronic shifter. Base trims feature a new 8-inch center screen with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The new top trim, Calligraphy, offers quilted Nappa leather seating and other high-end materials and amenities.

This 2021 Santa Fe is built on a new platform for both the gas and hybrids, with the same wheelbase. The new design, however, offers up extra space to accommodate the hybrid battery packs without losing precious passenger and cargo room. This new higher-rigidity platform produces a smoother ride, while thicker glass and matting, combined with new fillers and structural materials will offer up a quieter ride as well.

New Features of Note

Dynamic Voice Recognition allows you to just say what you want and your Santa Fe will obey your commands - such as roll down your windows, open the trunk, or turn on your heated seats, just to name a few  useful chores. The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe is the only car in its class that offers this handy tech feature. Other available features include wireless charging, upgraded driver assistance systems, digital key for Android smartphones, plus a nifty remote parking feature.

2021 Santa Fe Gets 3 New Engines: standard Gas, available Turbo, and a new Hybrid engine.

GAS: 191-horsepower/182 lb-ft of torque, 2.5-liter inline-4 base engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission (Replaces a 2.4-liter engine from previous model year.) Hyundai estimates fuel efficiency on this new engine at 26 mpg combined for FWD.

TURBO: Standard on Limited and Calligraphy trims. 2.5-liter turbo-4, 277 hp/311 lb-ft. torque. This new turbo engine replaces the 2-liter turbo from the previous model year, improving horsepower by 18 percent. It uses an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. Hyundai estimates fuel efficiency on this new engine at 26 mpg combined for FWD.

HYBRID: 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired to a lithium-ion 64-kWh battery, and an electric motor. Combined output comes to an estimated 225 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. A new six-speed automatic transmission is used with an HTRAC all-wheel-drive system which features Normal, Sport, and Smart driving modes.

SAFETY

Hyundai's SmartSense safety suite is standard and includes forward-collision warning, cyclist and junction-turning detection, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, and lane-keeping and lane following assists. Additional safety features include blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, safe exit assist, front and rear parking distance warning, surround-view monitor, and a blind-spot monitor.