Trims and Mechanical Basics

The 2026 Santa Fe seats six or seven (depending on whether the middle row has captain’s chairs or a bench seat) and has a range of five trim packages: SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy. The powertrain unites a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (output: 277 horsepower and 311 lb.-ft. of torque)with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Every trim except the XRT comes with front-wheel drive but can be upgraded with HTRAC all-wheel drive; the XRT gets standard AWD.

Drive Mode Select allows drivers to choose from modes called Mud, Snow, and Sand for enhanced traction in those conditions. As the most rugged Santa Fe trim, the XRT gets a fourth mode, labeled Terrain. A properly equipped Santa Fe is able to tow as much as 3,500 pounds, although the primed-for-adventure XRT is strong enough to pull 4,500 lb. The XRT has been rated by the EPA to achieve fuel economy of 19 mpg around town and 25 mpg on the highway. With FWD, the remaining trims return an EPA-estimated 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway; with AWD they’ll return 20 city/28 highway.

Standard Equipment by Trim Level

The SE is nicely set up with LED exterior lighting (headlights, daytime running lights, and taillights), proximity keyless entry, heated side-view mirrors, a hands-free liftgate, Y stain-resistant fabric upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a flat-folding middle-row bench with a 60/40-split, a 50/50-split folding third-row seat, a center armrest with dual-level storage, push-button ignition, rear-seat quiet mode, four fast-charging USB ports, a pair of 12V outlets, an underfloor storage compartment (cargo area), and 18-inch alloy wheels. The SEL is upgraded with heated front seats, two zones of automatic climate control, H-Tex leatherette upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, third-row AC vents and USB ports, Digital Key 2, wireless phone charging, and turn indicators (LED) on the exterior mirrors and roof rails.

Outdoorsy types are drawn to the XRT for its added capability and extra-rugged details. It shows off exclusive black exterior cladding, all-terrain tires on 18-inch alloy wheels with a dark finish, and the aforementioned Terrain drive mode for better performance off the pavement. It also adds a sunroof, an assist handle on the C-pillar, a 115V outlet, and dual wireless phone charging. The Limited is for those who appreciate luxurious touches, such as leather upholstery, heated/ventilated front seats, heated second-row captain’s chairs (limiting seating capacity to six), a dual-pane sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, and a heated steering wheel. It also gets a power-adjustable passenger’s seat, driver’s-side memory, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, power-folding exterior mirrors, rear sunshades (manually operated), a mélange headliner, ambient interior lighting, and 20-inch wheels.

The Calligraphy goes even further into plushness with Nappa leather seats, a frameless digital rearview mirror, leg-cushion extension for the driver, a 12-inch head-up display, an eco-suede microfiber headliner, express up/down rear windows, and 21-inch wheels with a special design. Like the XRT, it has black exterior accents and a C-pillar assist handle.

Safety Technology

Hyundai SmartSense is a critical feature found in every ’26 Santa Fe trim. This suite of sophisticated driver-assist technologies is made up of forward collision-avoidance assist (with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction turning detection), adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, front and rear parking sensors, rear occupant alert, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning, safe exit assist, and lane following assist. Advanced rear occupant alert and forward attention warning are found on all but the base trim.

The XRT and higher are improved with Highway Driving Assist and navigation-based adaptive cruise control with curve management. The top two trims get a surround-view monitor, side parking sensors, Remote Smart Parking Assist, and a live-feed blind-spot view monitor. The Calligraphy gets further upgrades with Highway Driving Assist 2, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, and advanced forward collision-avoidance assist with evasive steering and lane change assist.

Staying Connected and Entertained

All Santa Fe trims have a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It brings together Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio streaming, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM satellite radio, and HD Radio. Dynamic voice recognition is added to the XRT and above. The three lowest trims have a high-quality sound system with six speakers, while the two highest get upgraded to a Bose unit with 12 speakers.