I drove Hyundai's all-new $40,000 Santa Fe SUV. These are my 19 favorite features.

The mid-tier SRT trim level is all-new for 2024 and is geared toward families who enjoy spending time outdoors, similar to the Subaru's Wilderness and Nissan's Rock Creek editions.

Aesthetically, the XRT trim is differentiated by blacked-out lettering, wheels, exterior accents, and front grille. To back up the looks, Hyundai gave the Santa Fe XRT standard all-wheel drive, 18-inch all-terrain tires instead of regular road tires, and a bump in ground clearance to a solid 8.3 inches.

H-shaped LED running lights dominate the Santa Fe's front fascia. The H theme runs throughout the vehicle, from interior accents to the Santa Fe's taillights. It's a not-so-subtle reminder that this cool SUV is Hyundai.

The Santa Fe's front bumper is equipped with a pair of active air flaps that open and close automatically based on driving conditions. The SUV's computers position the airflaps to maximize engine cooling and aerodynamic efficiency.

The Santa Fe XRT is powered by a gutsy 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

The engine itself is terrific. It's smooth and quiet and produces a stout 277 horsepower along with 311 lb.-ft. of torque.

My only complaint is that Hyundai's cumbersome automatic start-stop system and sluggish throttle programming let down the engine, dampening Santa Fe's low-end acceleration. However, once underway, the engine power becomes plentiful, and the Santa Fe delivers strong acceleration up to highway speeds.

The centerpiece of the Santa Fe's front dash is a single-piece panoramic curved display that houses a pair of 12.3-inch high-definition screens.

Unlike previous generations of the Santa Fe, it now comes standard with a third row of seats.

As with most other offerings in this segment, the third row should be reserved for children, small adults, or short trips around town. With only 30 inches of legroom, roughly what you have in coach on some airlines, the Santa Fe offers a couple of inches more space than the Toyota Highlander but falls about an inch and a half short of the larger Palisade.

The Santa Fe's second-row seats slide forward with the push of a button, allowing for somewhat easy access to the third row.

As a mid-tier model geared toward the outdoorsy types, the XRT isn't equipped with all the luxury bells and whistles of the top-spec Calligraphy trim like a head-up display or quilted Nappa leather seats.

Instead, functionality reigns supreme.

The cabin is roomy and well-designed, with good material quality. It also boasts a wide array of useful storage nooks for the whole family.

The Santa Fe offers more second-row legroom than the Subaru Ascent, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander, all of which traditionally compete against the larger Palisade.

Unlike the Palisade and Tucson, the Santa Fe boasts a newer version of the Hyundai user interface. The system looks fresh and modern, is easy to navigate, and comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Santa Fe boasts a weird but intuitive shifter on the right side of the steering column where the ignition key lived once upon a time.

To shift into drive, twist the silver part forward. Twist it backward to shift into reverse, and press the "P" button at the end of the stalk to put the Santa Fe into park.

This design's biggest benefit is that it frees up space on the center console for storage, cupholders, and charging ports.

The Santa Fe comes standard with blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, park distance warning, ultrasonic rear occupant sensor, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, driver monitoring, highway driving assist, and lane following assist.

The Santa Fe's center console is massive, with giant cup holders and space for two smartphones lying side-by-side. The smartphone spot closest to the driver offers wireless charging, and another phone can be plugged into one of the nearby USB-C sockets.

The Santa Fe's infotainment system is equipped with a feature called Sounds of Nature that plays a variety of calming soundtracks for when the commute becomes too stressful.

The armrest between the Santa Fe's front seats is designed to open both forward and backward, allowing occupants in the front and back of the vehicle to access its contents. A useful storage drawer also slides out from under the armrest.

The Santa Fe is equipped with a built-in vehicle diagnostic system. You can access the feature manually through the infotainment screen to check the vehicle's condition periodically.

Behind the rear doors are a pair of concealed grab handles, which are very handy when you need to reach items stored on the roof rack. When not in use, these handles can be flipped closed and physically locked.

It's a cool and useful feature not commonly found on family SUVs.

The Santa Fe is equipped with USB-C charging plugs on the inside edge of its front seatback. It's a thoughtful design that allows both front and rear-seat passengers access to the charging plugs.

The Santa Fe boasts a maximum of 79.6 cubic feet of cargo room with second and third-row seats folded down. Even though it falls short of the Palisade by seven cubic feet, the Santa Fe's boxy shape makes the shape compatible with large loads.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is equipped with two glove compartments. The upper glove compartment on pricier Limited and Calligraphy trim models are equipped with ultra violet sanitizing lights.

The Santa Fe's spare tire is underneath the cargo area. Spare tires are becoming increasingly rare features on modern cars and they can be essential in the case of a flat tire.

The spare tire is standard on all ICE variants of the Santa Fe but not available on the Hybrid.