2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

2021 facelift Santa Fe's standard Smartstream 2.5L I4 makes 191 hp; scoring the volume (2.5L) trim per instructions.

Peak torque of the volume 2.5L engine; turbo option nearly doubles it.

Instrumented testing of the naturally aspirated base engine is notably slow for the segment; the turbo option is far quicker but is not the volume trim.

The base 2.5L four-cylinder is adequate but unremarkable — reviewers noted it feels strained under hard acceleration and highway passing, with the 2.5T Turbo offering markedly smoother, stronger delivery; the 8-speed automatic pairs cleanly with either engine.

The 2021 facelift replaced the prior 6-speed with a conventional 8-speed automatic (shift-by-wire) across both engines; reviewers found it smooth and decisive with no CVT drone, a step up from the outgoing gearbox.

Maximum towing figure across the lineup per instructions, achieved on the turbo trims; the volume 2.5L trims are rated lower.

HTRAC AWD is an optional upgrade across every trim (SE through Calligraphy) rather than standard, with basic on-demand torque distribution and no low-range or terrain-select hardware.

Pavement-oriented crossover with 7.2–8.2 in of ground clearance depending on trim/wheels, no low-range transfer case, skid plates, or off-road-focused trim.

2021 was a landmark year for the nameplate's powertrain range: standard 2.5L gas, optional 2.5T turbo gas, and — new for MY2021 — a Hybrid (launched Q1 2021) with a Plug-in Hybrid following later the same model year, giving four distinct electrified-and-gas choices.

EPA combined rating for the gas 2.5L AWD configuration, scored as the gas powertrain class per the run's SCORED POWERTRAIN CLASS.

EPA city rating for the 2.5L AWD configuration.

EPA highway rating for the 2.5L AWD configuration.

Computed from EPA combined MPG and the 18.8-gallon fuel tank for the gas AWD configuration.

EPA standard-assumption annual fuel cost for the gas AWD configuration.

Both the naturally aspirated 2.5L and the 2.5T turbo run on regular 87-octane unleaded — Hyundai's owner's manual specifies regular fuel for the turbo engine as well, so there is no premium-fuel penalty across the gas lineup.

NHTSA's full test battery rates the 2021 Santa Fe at the top of the scale, with only the rollover sub-score below 5.

All six IIHS crashworthiness tests came back Good, and the front crash prevention system earned Superior ratings for both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian scenarios, but the 2021 TOP SAFETY PICK award (not TSP+) is conditional on the LED projector headlights fitted only to Limited/Calligraphy built after December 2020 — the SE/SEL volume trims don't qualify for the award.

The base SE trim carries Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian/cyclist/junction-turning detection, Lane Keeping Assist and Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go standard, but Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist — plus Highway Driving Assist — don't appear until the SEL trim, so the volume-selling SE misses two of the five core systems.

IIHS front crash prevention testing rated the system Superior for both vehicle-to-vehicle scenarios (12 and 25 mph) and daytime pedestrian scenarios; IIHS's nighttime pedestrian AEB test wasn't yet part of the program for this test cycle.

Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist are available from the SEL trim up with active braking intervention (not alert-only), but the base SE trim ships without either.

Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist are standard even on the base SE trim, giving functional centering across the lineup, though full Highway Driving Assist-integrated centering is reserved for SEL and up.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go is standard on the base SE trim and covers the full speed range, but it cannot be disabled in favor of conventional cruise control and the more integrated Highway Driving Assist (combined lane-centering + speed-limit awareness) is limited to SEL and above.

The 2021 Santa Fe's Highway Driving Assist is a hands-on lane-centering and adaptive-cruise system; no hands-free highway driving option (BlueCruise/Super Cruise-class system) was offered on this generation.

IIHS rated the LED projector headlights on Limited/Calligraphy (built after Dec 2020) Good, but the SE/SEL LED reflector headlights — the ones on the volume-selling trims — scored Marginal (pre-March 2021 build) or Poor (March 2021 and later builds).

Reviewers describe good outward sightlines to the front and sides and a decent-size rear window with minimal headrest obstruction, typical of the boxy three-row-adjacent Santa Fe greenhouse.

IIHS rates the LATCH system Acceptable (second-highest tier) — both rear outboard positions have complete lower anchors plus a top tether, but the lower anchors sit too deep in the seat bight for quick, easy clipping.

The TM-generation Santa Fe is a strict 2-row, 5-passenger mid-size crossover for every trim in 2021; Hyundai's 3-row mid-size slot is filled by the separate Palisade nameplate.

Consistent figure carried from the 2019-2023 TM generation's interior dimensions across multiple spec aggregators.

Consistent across spec aggregators for the TM-generation Santa Fe interior.

Consistent figure across spec aggregators for the 2021 Santa Fe second row.

Consistent figure across spec aggregators for the 2021 Santa Fe second row; among the roomier rear seats in the mid-size 2-row class.

The 2021 Santa Fe offers no third row on any trim — it is a strict 2-row, 5-seat crossover for this generation, with Hyundai's 3-row mid-size duty handled entirely by the separate Palisade model.

Behind-second-row cargo figure for the TM-generation Santa Fe, consistent across dealer and enthusiast-forum cargo breakdowns.

Maximum cargo figure with the 60/40 second row folded flat, consistent across spec aggregators for the 2021 model year.

A reasonably deep console bin, door pockets and a shelf-style center console are competitive for the segment, but nothing rises to a standout storage feature like a giga-console or onboard household power.

Front seats are widely praised for broad adjustment range with available heating/ventilation and good lateral/lower-back support on upper trims; rear seats offer generous recline and are comfortable for most, with only minor door-armrest padding criticism.

A revised front subframe for the 2021 facelift helps dissipate sharp impacts, but multiple outlets (Consumer Reports, Car and Driver) describe the ride as overly firm with a jittery character on rough pavement, though composed on smoother roads.

Reviewers consistently single out the 2021 Santa Fe's noise isolation as a strength — dual-pane front windows and extensive sound deadening keep wind and road noise very much in check, with only mild engine noise penetrating the cabin.

Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel step in at the SEL/SEL Plus level with ventilated seats and rear climate vents further up the range, but the base SE volume trim ships with manual climate control and no seat heating.

Entry SE trim with front-wheel drive plus destination charge is the cheapest way into a 2021 Santa Fe.

SEL is the volume trim; AWD is the common configuration for the segment's snow-belt-heavy buyer base.

Industry estimate places the Santa Fe well below the mid-size SUV norm for early-ownership upkeep costs.

Measured directly against the 2021 model year's original pricing rather than a fleet-wide average, since the model is now 5 years old.

Hyundai's standard basic warranty, unchanged for the 2021 model year.

Hyundai's segment-leading powertrain warranty, a consistent brand pillar across model years.

Complimentary maintenance is real but modest in length, and roadside assistance is the standard warranty-period benefit rather than an extended perk.

$31,525 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (53.3% retained, or about $16,803) leaves about $14,722 in depreciation. Add the projected $2,773 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $17,495 in total.

2021 is the first model year of the facelifted (N3-platform) Santa Fe with the new Smartstream 2.5L GDI engine as the volume powertrain; Consumer Reports rates the 2021 Santa Fe as less reliable than other cars from the same model year, and the specific engine family carries documented launch-year defects.

Hyundai's brand dependability was mid-pack at the time this model year launched but improved sharply the following year and has stayed strong since, a clear positive trend rather than a settled top-tier standing.

This model year carries an unusually heavy recall load for a mainstream nameplate, including a fire-risk fuel-leak recall and a powertrain fail-safe recall, though remedies were inspection/repair rather than a fundamental redesign.

The volume-trim 2.5L Smartstream GDI engine is a newly introduced family for this model year with documented, non-isolated defects rather than an unproven-but-clean design, which places it in the known-problem tier rather than merely 'new with no red flags.'

Reviewers describe a handsome, mostly high-quality cabin with soft-touch surfaces in primary touchpoints and hard plastics confined to low-touch zones, competitive with or ahead of segment norms for the price.

Initial-quality data for this generation is strong even in the same window the powertrain defects surfaced, indicating assembly consistency is not where the model's reliability problems originate.

Hyundai runs one of the largest mainstream dealer networks in the US with adequate nationwide coverage, but service-satisfaction scores sit at the industry midpoint rather than leading it.

The Santa Fe is cheaper to maintain and repair than both its segment and the average vehicle, with fewer unscheduled shop visits, reflecting wide parts availability and low labor/parts costs typical of a high-volume mainstream nameplate.

The volume SE/SEL trims carry the 8-inch touchscreen; the larger 10.25-inch unit is an upper-trim option/standard feature.

Hyundai's native infotainment layout is generally praised as logical and quick to learn, retaining physical volume/tune knobs and climate buttons alongside the touchscreen, though the base 8-inch system feels dated next to the widescreen 10.25-inch unit.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard with the base 8-inch touchscreen across every trim, but the optional/standard 10.25-inch premium display requires a wired connection — an inconsistency that costs the higher trims the wireless convenience.

Embedded navigation with junction-view guidance is only available with the optional/standard 10.25-inch system on SEL-and-up trims; the volume SE/SEL 8-inch system has no built-in nav and a basic voice assistant, so most owners lean on phone-projected maps.

An optional Harman Kardon 12-speaker, 11-channel, 630-watt premium system with Clari-Fi restoration and Quantum Logic surround is available on upper trims, well above segment norms, while the base system is adequate for daily use.

A fully configurable 12.3-inch digital cluster — described by Hyundai as the segment's largest at the time — is available on upper trims, but the base SE/SEL volume trims retain a semi-digital 'Supervision' cluster with a small central display rather than the full digital unit.

In model-year 2021 Hyundai's Bluelink platform predates the later connected-car architecture that brought whole-vehicle OTA updates; the Santa Fe of this era received at most map-data refreshes rather than feature-adding software updates.

The Bluelink app covers the core remote set — start/stop, climate preconditioning, lock/unlock, vehicle locate, diagnostics — and adds a Digital Key on upper trims, though full functionality requires an ongoing subscription after the initial trial.

Dual front USB-A ports are standard with an optional wireless charging pad on higher trims, but this generation predates USB-C adoption and rear-seat USB provisioning is modest.

Proximity keyless entry with push-button start is standard, and Hyundai marketed a segment-exclusive hands-free smart liftgate along with a Digital Key phone-as-key feature on upper trims.

A rearview camera is standard fleet-wide, with a 4-camera Surround View Monitor and rear parking distance sensors available on higher trims — solid coverage but the 360-degree view isn't standard on the volume SE/SEL trims.

The head-up display is exclusive to the range-topping Calligraphy trim, new for 2021 — it is absent from SE, SEL, SEL Plus, and Limited, making it a niche feature rather than a broadly available one.

Wide rear door openings, 41.7 in of rear legroom and an Acceptable IIHS LATCH rating (complete lower anchors plus top tether, though anchors sit deep in the seat bight) make everyday car-seat installs and loading manageable without being class-leading.

IIHS rated all six crashworthiness tests Good with a Superior front crash prevention rating, but the base SE trim that families are most likely to buy lacks Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, which only arrive at the SEL trim.

An unusually quiet cabin and comfortable, well-reclining rear seats support multi-hour family trips, but with only 5 seats and no rear-seat entertainment or climate vents on lower trims, amenities thin out versus larger 3-row competitors.

Composed low-speed manners, a smooth 8-speed automatic, and a refined general demeanor make the Santa Fe an easy daily driver, tempered slightly by numb steering feel and an occasionally jittery ride on rough pavement.

The volume 2.5L FWD trims post EPA-rated 25/28/26 mpg city/highway/combined — average for a gas mid-size 2-row crossover, well behind the segment's turbo-hybrid and 4-cylinder-turbo competitors on running cost.

At 188.4 in long with a roughly 37.6 ft turning-circle diameter, the Santa Fe is typically sized for a mid-size crossover; a standard rearview camera and optional surround-view monitor help offset its footprint in tight parking.

The volume 2.5L engine tows just 2,000 lbs with trailer brakes (1,650 lbs without) — well short of a real work tool, and there is no bed or dedicated cargo-work equipment since this is a crossover, not a truck.

The Santa Fe is a mainstream family crossover with no fleet/commercial duty cycle track record or work-oriented durability claims; it should hold up to normal use but isn't positioned or proven for hard work duty.

No household power outlet, no bed or tie-down provisions, and no upfit/rack ecosystem beyond generic roof rails — the Santa Fe offers essentially no jobsite-specific features.

Excellent noise isolation, comfortable seating, and available Highway Driving Assist (SEL and up) support relaxed highway stints, and the 26-mpg-combined 2.5L gives roughly 400+ miles of range on its ~17.7-gal tank, though the ride firms up on rough surfaces over long hauls.

HTRAC AWD is available (optional, not standard) across trims with roughly 7.2-8.2 in of ground clearance depending on wheel package, but there's no low-range gearing, terrain modes, or off-road-focused hardware — fine for light gravel and trailheads, not true off-roading.

A 60/40-split folding rear seat, standard roof rails, and a useful 36.4/72.1 cu ft cargo range (seats up/folded) cover normal gear-hauling needs, though there's no underfloor storage or particularly innovative fold-flat mechanism to stand out.

Reviewers describe secure, composed handling with well-controlled body roll and a nicely tuned stability-control system through avoidance maneuvers, though the Santa Fe feels ordinary and unremarkable through normal cornering — competent rather than engaging.

Multiple reviews flag the steering as vague and numb in everyday driving, precise enough to place the car confidently but offering little genuine road feedback.

No instrumented stopping-distance figures for the 2021 Santa Fe surfaced in research; reviewer commentary on avoidance-maneuver braking behavior is favorable but general pedal-feel commentary is limited, so this is scored to segment-typical adequate performance.

The 2021 facelift's new 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly and decisively with shift-by-wire selection, but the naturally aspirated 2.5L four feels strained and unhurried under hard acceleration and highway passing.

Consumer Reports notes only mild engine noise penetrates an otherwise very quiet cabin, indicating good powertrain isolation even though the base engine itself isn't especially refined under load.

Derived by doubling the commonly cited turning radius figure for the gas-engine 2021 Santa Fe; no single manufacturer spec sheet line item for diameter was located.

A raised command seating position, wide adjustment range, and a control layout that retains physical climate and volume knobs alongside the touchscreen make for comfortable, low-fatigue ergonomics for a range of driver sizes.

The Santa Fe is a comfort- and refinement-oriented family crossover rather than an engaging one — Car and Driver calls its demeanor 'refined and almost engaging' but numb steering and a middling base engine keep it well short of genuinely fun.

Even the base SE ships with an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, LED running lights and a full forward-collision/lane-keep safety suite — content rivals often reserve for a step-up trim.

Solid content-per-dollar against Sorento, CR-V and Explorer rivals thanks to the standard safety suite and available turbo powertrain, without being a clear standout bargain.

Four well-spaced trims (SE/SEL/Limited/Calligraphy) with FWD/AWD choices and a naturally aspirated or turbo four-cylinder cover a reasonable spread, but the lineup is two-row only with no three-row or diesel option.

A steady, respectable seller — third best-selling Hyundai model in 2021 behind Tucson and Elantra — but not a segment volume leader against Highlander, CR-V or Explorer.

Hyundai's brand image was on an upward trajectory in 2021 on strength of warranty and design reputation, but it remained a value-mainstream brand rather than an aspirational one.

Hyundai routinely offered competitive financing and cash incentives on Santa Fe during 2021, typical of the mainstream segment rather than premium at-MSRP pricing power.

2021 is a substantial mid-cycle facelift of the generation that began in 2019 (new N3 platform, restyled front/rear, added hybrid) — current and tech-refreshed, but riding a platform that will be fully redesigned for 2024.

Well-reviewed and award-recognized (IIHS Top Safety Pick on LED-headlight trims, KBB Best Buy Award, Autotrader Best New Car) but not a consistent comparison-test winner, and Consumer Reports flagged below-average reliability for the model year.