The Santa Fe has undergone a clean-sheet redesign for 2007. The new Santa Fe rides on a unique, purpose-built platform and offers such features as seating for five or seven, a choice of two V-6 engines, front-wheel- or four-wheel-drive, and a host of standard safety equipment, including side curtain air bags for all rows.

Hyundai successfully entered the crossover utility vehicle (CUV) business with the Santa Fe, which was originally introduced in 2001. The Santa Fe was well planned, well priced, and quite fuel efficient compared to the truck-based SUVs that were popular at the time. The Santa Fe won several auto industry awards and thousands of new customers who might not have otherwise considered a Hyundai. Fast-forward to the present and we find a market that has embraced CUVs—there are two dozen models in the compact CUV segment alone. Hyundai has kept a close eye on this segment, and the changes to the new Santa Fe reflect their observations.