2024 Lincoln Nautilus vs 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus in Canada was exclusively available in the Reserve trim, showcasing a sophisticated and streamlined exterior design. Its grille, reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz's bifurcated design, featured LED lighting that extended through the grille, illuminating the Lincoln star logo. The rear mirrored this horizontal aesthetic with a full-width animated LED light bar and dual exhaust ports. The interior was a standout, with a full-width screen as its crown jewel, complemented by high-quality materials like open-pore wood and fine leather. The Jet Appearance Package offered additional customization with two-tone paint, black exterior trim, and 22-inch wheels.

In contrast, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, available in three trims—XRT, Luxury, and Ultimate Calligraphy—maintained its chunky, boxy design from its fifth-generation debut in 2024. The SUV featured a long wheelbase, flat hood, and snub nose, with pixelated H-shaped LED headlamps. While the front design was cohesive, the rear suffered from mismatched proportions, with taillights positioned lower than ideal. Each trim had specific wheel sizes, and the off-road-focused XRT trim added chrome and black trim, along with black roof rails. Inside, the Santa Fe offered seating for seven, except in the Ultimate Calligraphy trim, which featured captain's chairs in the second row.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus came standard with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. For an additional $3,500, buyers could opt for a hybrid setup, boosting power to 310 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, with a fuel efficiency of 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. The hybrid also offered a range of over 950 kilometres. All Nautilus models featured all-wheel drive and five drive modes, with the hybrid equipped with a CVT that avoided typical droning issues.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a standard 2.5-litre turbocharged engine with 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Santa Fe Hybrid, a separate model, combined a 1.6-litre engine with an electric motor for a total of 231 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque. The Santa Fe felt stable in corners, though it experienced noticeable turbo lag and occasional transmission delays. The XRT trim offered enhanced off-road capabilities with 30-inch all-terrain tires and increased ground clearance, but it wasn't designed for rugged rock crawling.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus offered power-adjustable, heated, and cooled front seats, with the option for 24-way Perfect Position front seats, renowned for their comfort and massage function. Rear seats provided 1,095 millimetres of legroom, accommodating taller passengers comfortably. The Rejuvenate feature combined massage, lighting, and screen images to create different moods. Cargo space was ample, with 997 litres behind the second row and 1,947 litres with seats folded down, though the Nautilus only seated five.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in interior space, offering the most third-row legroom in its class. The second-row seats had adjustable cushion angles, and both the second and third rows could be folded for increased cargo space. With the third row folded, the Santa Fe provided 1,148 litres of space, expanding to 2,267 litres with the second row down. The rear opening was widened to 127.5 cm, facilitating easier loading of large items. Most trims could tow up to 1,587 kilograms, with the XRT trim capable of towing 2,040 kilograms.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus featured a massive 48-inch curved display, with a digital dash for the driver and customizable sections for various information. An 11.1-inch touchscreen handled basic infotainment duties, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The system included Google Maps, Alexa Built-in, and over-the-air updates. However, the lack of physical buttons for some controls was a distraction.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment and a digital gauge cluster, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim included navigation, a digital rearview mirror, and a head-up display. The Bluelink app provided remote connectivity features, and over-the-air updates ensured the latest software. The digital key feature allowed unlocking and starting the car with a smartphone or Apple Watch.

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus came equipped with the Lincoln CoPilot 360 suite of ADAS features, including lane-keeping assist, park assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and emergency braking. The Blue Cruise 1.2 technology offered hands-free driving on pre-mapped highways, with features like automatic lane-change assist. The 2023 Nautilus received high safety ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS, though the 2024 model had not yet been rated.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe included a comprehensive suite of safety features, such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and forward collision avoidance assist. The Highway Drive Assist feature combined adaptive cruise control and lane following assist, though it occasionally exhibited inconsistent behaviour in traffic. The top trims offered additional features like blind spot avoidance and Blind View Monitor. The Santa Fe received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and high ratings from the IIHS, except in the headlight and LATCH categories.