2025 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe presented a bold departure from its predecessors, embracing a boxy design that contrasted sharply with the sleek, futuristic aesthetics of the Ioniq series. This new look was not only about style but also function, as Hyundai's design chief, SangYup Lee, emphasized the practicality of a box shape for storage capacity. Despite its angular form, the Santa Fe managed to maintain an upscale appearance, drawing attention with its sophisticated color palette and anodized-finish badging. The interior of the Santa Fe was equally impressive, offering premium styling with a focus on comfort and elegance. The XRT and Calligraphy trims, in particular, showcased a blend of soft and decadent materials, creating a luxurious atmosphere for passengers.

In contrast, the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan underwent a complete redesign, adopting a more modern and sleek appearance inspired by VW's electric vehicle lineup. The front end featured narrower headlights and a larger grille, while the rear sported a single bar taillight design. The Tiguan's interior also saw significant updates, with a minimalist dashboard and a digital instrument panel standard across all trims. The removal of the third row allowed for increased second-row legroom, enhancing passenger comfort. The center console was reimagined to provide more storage space, and the overall design aimed to offer a more streamlined and spacious feel. Despite these changes, the Tiguan maintained a balance between modernity and practicality, ensuring it remained a competitive option in the compact SUV segment.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a robust performance with its base 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain was paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, with front-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive optional, except for the XRT trim, which came with AWD as standard. The Santa Fe featured Normal, Sport, and Snow driving modes, with the XRT trim adding off-road capabilities. Fuel economy for the FWD base versions was rated at 20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined, while the AWD and XRT models had slightly lower ratings. The Santa Fe Hybrid, available later in the model year, promised improved efficiency with an estimated 36 mpg combined for FWD models. The Santa Fe excelled in towing capacity, with the XRT trim capable of towing up to 4,500 pounds. On the road, the Santa Fe delivered a smooth and stable ride, with the Calligraphy trim offering a luxurious driving experience. The XRT trim demonstrated impressive off-road capabilities, making it a versatile choice for adventurous drivers.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 201 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with front-wheel drive standard and Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive available on all models. The Tiguan's performance was characterized by smooth and linear power delivery, with an expected 0-60 mph time of around 8.5 seconds. The suspension was tuned for comfort, providing a smooth ride over various road surfaces while maintaining composure through corners. The Tiguan's cabin was notably quiet, with minimal tire and wind noise at highway speeds. While not particularly sporty, the Tiguan offered a balanced mix of performance and comfort, appealing to a wide range of drivers. Volkswagen also teased a more powerful Turbo variant for 2026, promising increased output for those seeking a more spirited driving experience.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe's design focused on maximizing cargo space, with a wheelbase and body that were both two inches longer than the previous generation. This extra space was primarily dedicated to the cargo area, making it ideal for car camping and tailgating. The Santa Fe's interior offered a spacious and welcoming environment, with the first and second rows providing ample room for passengers. Depending on the trim, the Santa Fe featured a choice of bench or captain's chairs in the second row, with various upholstery options ranging from stain-resistant cloth to plush quilted Nappa leather. The cargo area offered 14.6 cubic feet of space, expanding to 79.6 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. Additional features included a UV sanitization compartment in the glovebox and optional roof rails with a 220-pound capacity.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan, on the other hand, returned without a third row, allowing for increased second-row legroom by 1.5 inches. The interior featured a more minimalist design, with traditional buttons replacing the previous capacitive-touch controls. The center console offered increased storage space, with cupholders, a smartphone slot, and a deep armrest bin. Cargo capacity details were not finalized, but the new design suggested a slightly smaller area than the previous generation. The Tiguan's power liftgate and remote seatback releases added convenience, while the overall design aimed to provide a comfortable and practical environment for passengers.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe boasted a curved panoramic display that seamlessly integrated with the center console, enhancing the luxurious feel of the XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy trims. The infotainment system featured a user-friendly touchscreen with intuitive menus and crisp graphics. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across the lineup, along with a 12-speaker Bose stereo and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The SE and SEL trims offered a simpler 12.3-inch touchscreen, while higher trims included additional features like wireless charging and Hyundai Pay. The Santa Fe also introduced Hyundai's first biometric fingerprint scanner for added security and convenience.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan came standard with a digital instrument panel and a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, with an optional 15-inch display available on higher trims. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with a wireless phone charger in the center armrest bin. The Tiguan featured a new volume knob and drive mode control, along with the Atmospheres system, which combined ambient lighting and audio settings to enhance the driving experience. The standard audio system included seven speakers, with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon system available on the top trim. VW's Car-Net system provided remote monitoring and control, along with a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe had not yet been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, but it came equipped with a comprehensive suite of standard safety features. These included adaptive cruise control, forward collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot monitors, and lane-keep assist. Higher trims added features like a 360-degree camera system, remote automatic parking, and a head-up display. The Santa Fe also introduced driver monitoring, using an infrared camera and capacitive sensors to ensure driver alertness.

Similarly, the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan had not yet been rated by the NHTSA or IIHS. It offered a range of standard safety features, including frontal collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist. The Emergency Assist system automatically slowed the vehicle to a stop if the driver was incapacitated. Higher trims added a head-up display, surround-view camera system, and semi-automated parking. In testing, the Tiguan's safety features performed reliably, with no false alarms or oversensitivity issues.