This week I test drove the 2021 Hyundai Sante Fe in Calligraphy trim with Portofino Gray exterior and Black on Black interior. The Calligraphy trim is the high end of luxury for the Sante Fe and I really enjoyed my week with this adventurous family SUV.
The highlights for me are the interior cabin design, mood lighting and technology aspects , driving experience and the turn signal blindspot cameras. For many years Hyundai flew under my radar but this car manufacturer is one of the best around, especially when you consider value vs. price and their warranty.
Exterior
The exterior of the 2021 Hyundai Sante Fe has a lot of appeal. The hood is elongated and smoothes into the grille. The grille really gives it a mascualine stance and the headlights and turn signals are separated slightly by the body of the car which gives it a unique flow. Just enough chrome to accent everything, especially with the Portofino Gray color. The windows have a futuristic shape and the rear looks great with the taillights. The Sante Fe has great clearance too and with 19in alloy wheels this SUV is ready for any adventure.
Interior
The interior of the Sante Fe Calligraphy is roomy and stylish. The black on black premium Nappa leather seating and quilted leather door panels look great, especially at night with the mood lighting. It takes some getting used to but the push button shifter is right in the center console and everything is right at your fingertips. The one thing with push button automatic gears versus an actual shifter is that there can be some delay or if you don’t press the shift button hard enough then it will not engage. It is something that I got used to after a few drives.
Hyundai has thought of everything when it comes to interior design. You may need to adjust the steering wheel to take advantage, but there are actual blindspot cameras that allow you to see the complete picture of the side of your vehicle when you hit the turn signal. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster not only looks great but also has great functionality. The 10.25-inch touchscreen navigation and top it all off with a Harman Kardon® Premium Audio with Clari-Fi™ Music Restoration Technology and QuantumLogic® Surround audio system.
Engine / Powertrain
2021 Hyundai Sante Fe in Calligraphy trim comes with the smart stream 2.5L Turbo Charged engine and HTRAC AWD. There are some options with the Sante Fe so make sure to see what trim is best for you. I really liked the performance aspects of this engine. It was quick and the acceleration was steady and smooth. I would not hesitate to take this vehicle off road or across the country. The engine generates 280HP @ 5800 RPMS, the torque is 311@ 4000. The gas mileage is solid at 21 city MPG 28 Highway MPG and 24 Combined MPG.
Special Options / Package
The Calligraphy Trim offers the following options as standard: 2.5L Turbocharged GDI/MPI 4-cylinder engine, Premium finish grille, HTRAC All Wheel Drive, Heads-up Display (HUD) and Quilted premium Nappa leather seating surfaces.
Safety
There are quite a few safety features and even some associated with towing that are worth exploring. Some of the notable are Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Parking Distance Warning – Forward and Reverse, Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) w/ Pedestrian, Cyclist, and Junction Turning Detection, Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop & Go, Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), and Blind-Spot View Monitor amongst a host of other features. The cameras work really well and you get a complete view of the vehicle.
Conclusion
The 2021 Sante Fe is an awesome family sized SUV. This vehicle packs a lot of features and options for the price. Hyundai is a serious competitor in the SUV market. This is worth some research and a test drive if you are in the market for a mid-sized SUV. I would consider one of the upper trim levels as they really do know how to make it worth your while. Basic maintenance is free for 3 years or 36,000 miles and the warranty is one of the best around.
Although the MSRP for the Sante Fe starts at a modest $27,000. The MSRP for Calligraphy trim begins at $40,750 and the version I tested MSRP is $42,255.
Get the official info and all things Hyundai Santa Fe here
