What happens when you “borrow” some of the DNA of a Land Rover Defender, and maybe mix in a little Cybertruck styling to boot? The result is this boxy and tough-looking Hyundai Santa Fe, which further looks the part in optional matte gray paint.
This one is the high-end Calligraphy edition, in hybrid form.
Potentially polarizing exterior styling aside, there’s nothing but things to love in the interior. It has a definite Scandinavian vibe, featuring rough wood accents to go with light gray leather and colored ambient lighting strips.
And get this: There are not one but two wireless phone chargers. Why hasn’t everyone thought of that? No more sharing with your passenger is necessary. There’s even a dash compartment that sanitizes your phone. It also has Hyundai’s brilliant blind spot viewing feature, which shows a camera image of your blind spot on the dash screen when you activate the turn signal.
The gear selector is interesting. It’s a stalk that comes out of the steering column, and you shift into reverse and drive as if you’re turning a key.
This does have a third row, but it’s tight and most of your cargo space goes away with it up. There’s no spare tire.
While I happened to love the looks both inside and out, the available hybrid power train in this one is not a real performer. Still, it sipped gas gingerly, which I guess is the whole idea.
When it comes to reliability, Hyundai ranks below the study average in the latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, and Consumer Reports puts Hyundai’s predicted reliability as No. 10 out of 22 brands, though it does have that long standard warranty, if you’re concerned.
In crash testing, the Santa Fe got a “marginal” rating in an updated frontal crash from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is not great.
The grand total for this Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy AWD is $51,675, after shipping. That includes $1,000 for the optional matte paint.
Its fraternal twin, the three-row Land Rover Defender, starts at $71,325 after shipping.
Once again with Hyundai, it’s a very compelling value proposition.
