Hyundai Santa Fe History
Hyundai's first SUV and long-running mid-size crossover — sized from compact to three-row over its life.
Photo: “2024 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.5 GLS AWD in Creamy Pearl White, front left, 05-18-2024.jpg” by Ethan Llamas / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
History
The Santa Fe arrived for 2001 as Hyundai's very first SUV, an immediate sales success that helped the brand pivot toward crossovers.
Over five generations it grew and changed format — including a larger three-row Santa Fe and split 'Sport'/'XL' variants in the 2010s — before the boxy, design-led 2024 redesign.
Generations
First generation (SM) · SM
Hyundai's first SUV — a curvy compact crossover that launched the nameplate (US 2001–2006).
Fifth generation (MX5) · MX5
Photo: “2024 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.5 GLS AWD in Creamy Pearl White, front left, 05-18-2024.jpg” by Ethan Llamas / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
A boxy, design-led redesign with a roomy three-row interior (US from 2024).
2024 Photo: “2024 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.5 GLS AWD in Creamy Pearl White, front left, 05-18-2024.jpg” by Ethan Llamas / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Body styles
- 4-door SUV
Notable special editions & performance variants
Santa Fe Sport / XL
A period when the Santa Fe split into a two-row 'Sport' (2013–2018) and a three-row 'XL' (the renamed long-wheelbase car, 2019).
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Hyundai Santa Fe
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.