Santa Fe's proportions are nicely balanced. The friendly front end blends smoothly into gentle flanks that suggest sufficient robustness for off-road capability, a capability that few owners will ever explore or even expect. Large wheel arches reinforce this robustness. The glasshouse is adequately sized. As on many smaller SUVs, the rear-door side windows leave about four inches of glass showing when rolled all the way down.

The Santa Fe's rear liftgate avoids the mistake made by the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, whose tail doors swing to the right, blocking curbside access. Hinging the hatch at the top provides a universal solution, and Hyundai's nifty, pistol-grip latch handle makes opening the gas-strutted liftgate a one-handed cinch. The inside-mounted pull-down grip makes closing it just as easy. When open, the liftgate easily clears six-foot foreheads.