2024 Toyota Grand Highlander vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, offering a range of options from all-gas to hybrid-powered models. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry, distinguishing itself from the body-on-frame Sequoia. With a length of 5,115 millimetres and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm, it was larger than competitors like the Kia Telluride, providing a spacious interior. Its ground clearance of 20.3 centimetres made it suitable for dirt roads, though it wasn't designed for off-road adventures. The Grand Highlander's styling was inspired by rugged vehicles, featuring a conservative yet blocky design reminiscent of the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride. Inside, it offered three trims—XLE, Limited, and Platinum—with varying levels of luxury, including Softex synthetic leather and real leather options. The interior boasted features like a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, heated front seats, and a large centre console, making it a comfortable and well-built road-trip vehicle.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, on the other hand, presented a radical departure from its predecessors, embracing a boxy design that prioritized storage capacity. This new aesthetic was a significant shift from Hyundai's previous sleek and futuristic designs, aligning with the brand's focus on forward-looking technology and efficiency. The Santa Fe's design chief, SangYup Lee, emphasized the challenge of making the box elegant and premium-looking. Despite its boxy appearance, the Santa Fe was more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor and turned heads with its upscale look. It featured a sophisticated palette of exterior colours, including matte options, and anodized-finish badging. Inside, the Santa Fe offered premium styling, with trims like the XRT and Ultimate Calligraphy showcasing a mix of hard and soft materials. The interior was designed to be soothing and cocooning, with features like a fabric-covered headliner adding a touch of luxury.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options, starting with a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. At the top of the range, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max powertrain combined a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine with 362 horsepower and 400 combined net pound-feet of torque. In Canada, all powertrains came with all-wheel drive. The Hybrid Max provided impressive acceleration with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander was known for its size, which made it less maneuverable than the smaller Highlander. While it didn't exhibit excessive body roll, the steering felt somewhat numb. However, the brakes were solid, and the acceleration was adequate. The Grand Highlander offered three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional off-road modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe in Canada featured a hybrid powertrain as the entry-level option, with a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine producing an estimated 231 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Unlike most hybrids, it used a six-speed automatic transmission. Other models came with a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, delivering 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive was standard across the lineup. The Santa Fe offered Normal, Sport, and Snow driving modes, with Sport mode enhancing throttle response and steering. The XRT trim added off-road modes and settings. Fuel economy for the Santa Fe Hybrid was rated at 6.8 L/100 km city, 6.9 highway, and 6.9 combined, while the gas powertrain consumed 12.1 L/100 km city, 8.8 highway, and 10.6 combined. The XRT trim had slightly higher fuel consumption due to its extra ground clearance and all-terrain tires. The Santa Fe's driving dynamics were smooth and stable, with notable body roll through turns. The XRT trim demonstrated off-road capability comparable to competitors like the Kia Telluride X-Pro and Subaru Forester Wilderness.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its primary rivals, including the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, and Kia Telluride. With a length of over 5 metres and a 2,950 mm wheelbase, it offered ample storage space, with a total cargo capacity of 2,761 litres. Behind the second-row seats, it provided 1,640 litres, and with all three rows up, there were still 583 litres available. The Grand Highlander was not only spacious but also comfortable, with good outward visibility and plenty of headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row. Even the third row could accommodate a six-foot adult comfortably.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, inspired by the concept of "chabak," featured a wheelbase about five centimetres longer than its predecessor, with a body that was five centimetres longer and taller. The extra space was primarily dedicated to the cargo area, designed for car camping and tailgating. The Santa Fe's design included an extra-wide tailgate and ample storage to prevent clutter. While the third row was snug, the first and second rows were spacious and welcoming. The Santa Fe was about 15 centimetres shorter and 7.5 centimetres narrower than the Palisade, making it a great choice for those who didn't need a fully functional third row. Depending on the trim, it offered a choice of bench or reclining captain's chairs, with upholstery options ranging from stain-resistant cloth to plush quilted Nappa leather. The cargo area provided 413 litres of space, expanding to 1,148 and 2,267 litres with the third and second rows folded, respectively. The Santa Fe also featured a UV sanitization compartment in the glovebox, a new addition for 2024.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a significant improvement over previous models. An intelligent assistant, activated by saying "Hey Toyota," was available through a connected-services subscription, allowing voice commands for tasks like adjusting the temperature or changing radio stations. The subscription also included cloud-based navigation and 24/7 live agent assistance. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Limited and Platinum trims featured an 11-speaker JBL stereo, providing a balanced audio experience. Streaming audio integration and Sirius XM satellite radio were available, though a subscription was required after a three-month trial.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe boasted a curved panoramic display that elegantly flowed above the centre console, making trims above the base model feel luxurious. Hyundai claimed it was the first of its kind in the segment. The touchscreen display was intuitive, with easy access to controls and crisp graphics. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across the lineup, along with a 12-speaker Bose stereo, dynamic voice recognition, and six USB ports. The Preferred trim featured a simpler 12.3-inch touchscreen display with four USB ports. Wireless charging was available on all but the base model, with the Ultimate Calligraphy and NHL Edition offering two wireless chargers. Hyundai's BlueLink system provided vehicle access and information, with upgraded functionality on all but the base model, allowing access without a physical key fob.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, but it came with an impressive list of standard advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) under Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. This suite included automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The updated lane-departure alert could identify three-dimensional objects, reducing false warnings. Traffic jam assist and a head-up display were exclusive to the Platinum grade. Adaptive cruise control was standard, with four following-distance settings.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe had not been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, but Hyundai's vehicles typically performed well in these evaluations. The base Preferred trim included a reversing camera, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, forward collision-avoidance assist, intersection assist, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic emergency braking, safe-exit assist, lane-keep assist, lane-following assist, driver-attention monitoring, and a rear-occupant reminder system. Higher trims added features like an upgraded rear-occupant reminder system, forward-attention warning, side-view mirrors with turn signals, a 360-degree camera system, blind-spot view monitor, rain-sensing windshield wipers, parking sensors, reverse parking collision assist, and remote automatic parking. The Ultimate Calligraphy and NHL Edition included a widescreen head-up display and upgraded safety systems. The Santa Fe was the first Hyundai vehicle with driver monitoring, using an infrared camera and capacitive sensors to track alertness and detect hands on the wheel.