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At Munro & Associates, we pride ourselves on evaluating vehicles with a discerning eye. Especially when it comes to innovation, functionality, and cost-efficiency. Recently, we had the chance to review the interior of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy edition—a $50,000 three-row SUV that not only surprised us but even challenged some of our long-held assumptions.
Due to space constraints at the shop and the confidentiality of our customer work, we were tucked into a small corner for this review. But despite the humble setup, the Santa Fe’s interior gave us plenty to talk about.
First Impressions Matter: The Hyundai Santa Fe
The 2025 Santa Fe makes a solid visual impression right off the bat. Though boxy, its design isn’t without appeal. The matte exterior finish stands out nicely. But what really caught our attention was the interior—specifically the light cream upholstery. Lighter interiors showcase detail better and photograph beautifully, making them an ideal choice for design analysis.
The Calligraphy trim name might sound fancy, though it’s still somewhat ambiguous in terms of what it actually adds. But one thing is clear: this is not your average SUV interior.
Santa Fe Surprises
One of the more surprising design elements was the color palette. The upper trim on the doors and dashboard isn’t black as one might expect—it’s a deep army green, paired with cream. It’s an unexpected but aesthetically pleasing choice, and from a manufacturing standpoint, it’s a bold one.
This choice hints at multiple injection molding colors being used for interior components. But changing colors in injection molding isn’t cheap or easy. Purging a machine to switch from black to green resin can waste significant material—up to 200 pounds of resin in some cases. That’s the equivalent of discarding enough material to make 100 parts, just to change a color.
Manufacturers mitigate this by batch building—producing all of one color before switching. But that brings storage and logistics challenges, especially if a vehicle only uses five to ten units of a given color per day. It’s a fascinating trade-off between offering variety and maintaining cost control.
Details That Matter
Hyundai didn’t stop at just bold color choices. The in-molded decorative films used on trim pieces in the 2025 Santa Fe allow for attractive and customizable finishes without the high costs of surface machining or chrome painting. This approach keeps the base mold the same while changing the film for different looks—a smart, cost-effective strategy that allows variety without significant retooling.
Another interesting touch we found in our review is that buttons and trim around the power features have been color-matched to the cream interior instead of defaulting to black. This enhances the visual appeal but does add cost by increasing the variety of components.
The center console features a storage compartment that’s accessible from both the front and rear seats. It’s clever and convenient—especially for kids or backseat passengers wanting to charge devices. However, it does raise concerns. As a driver, the idea of someone in the rear opening the armrest you’re using while driving is less than ideal.
Ergonomics & Usability
The glove box in the Hyundai Santa Fe offers a design twist—it opens toward the user rather than down in the traditional sense. While visually appealing and unique, this design could result in the door slamming down if the contents are heavy, since you can’t support the door’s descent the way you can with upward-lifting handles.
On a more positive note, Hyundai’s interior seating in the Santa Fe was unexpectedly comfortable. Initially, the seats appeared stiff and unsupportive. But after spending some time sitting in them, the comfort level was impressive. As anyone who has been part of seating development processes can tell you—this matters a lot. You spend thousands of hours in your car seat over the vehicle’s life. If that seat isn’t right, it turns every drive into a chore.
From a practical standpoint, the second-row captain’s chairs aren’t as plush as the front seats. They’re necessary for third-row access and flexibility but tend to be stiffer and more upright. This seating style, while functional, can lead to discomfort on long trips—especially for taller passengers—due to the upright posture and increased likelihood of motion sickness.
Storage in the second row includes door pockets that can hold not just one but up to three drinks per door—two cup holders and a bottle holder per passenger. That’s ten cup holders just in the rear seating area alone. If your family values hydration, Hyundai has you covered.
Third-Row Realities
Third-row seats are one of those features that sound better on paper than they work in daily use. In most families, these seats are only used occasionally—for transporting grandparents or kids’ friends. The rest of the time, that space is pure cargo.
Hyundai designed the Santa Fe’s cargo area with that in mind. Fold the third-row seats down, and you get generous space. And since the second-row seats aren’t a bench, there’s even more room—but that also means your cargo isn’t blocked from flying forward if you stop suddenly. That’s a trade-off found in nearly all three-row SUVs without a cargo divider.
Still, the Hyundai Santa Fe interior adds thoughtful touches, like third-row AC controls—something not always present in competitors. And better yet, you can fold the second-row seats down remotely from the cargo area using power switches—a small but meaningful convenience.
Santa Fe Interior: Final Thoughts
The Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy demonstrates styling, quality, and comfort that rivals or exceeds what some traditional North American OEMs are delivering today—especially for $50,000. This vehicle earns respect. And, more than anything, the Santa Fe isn’t just a well-made SUV. It’s a reminder that times have changed, and the competition is fierce.
We’ve got more deep dives on the horizon—stick with Munro Live for more in-depth insights!