I drove Hyundai’s all-new $40,000 Santa Fe SUV. These are my 19 favorite features.

The Santa Fe’s front bumper is equipped with a pair of active air flaps that open and close automatically based on driving conditions. The SUV’s computers position the airflaps to maximize engine cooling and aerodynamic efficiency.

The centerpiece of the Santa Fe’s front dash is a single-piece panoramic curved display that houses a pair of 12.3-inch high-definition screens.

As a mid-tier model geared toward the outdoorsy types, the XRT isn’t equipped with all the luxury bells and whistles of the top-spec Calligraphy trim like a head-up display or quilted Nappa leather seats.

Instead, functionality reigns supreme.

The cabin is roomy and well-designed, with good material quality. It also boasts a wide array of useful storage nooks for the whole family.

The Santa Fe offers more second-row legroom than the Subaru Ascent, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander, all of which traditionally compete against the larger Palisade.

The Santa Fe boasts a weird but intuitive shifter on the right side of the steering column where the ignition key lived once upon a time.

To shift into drive, twist the silver part forward. Twist it backward to shift into reverse, and press the “P” button at the end of the stalk to put the Santa Fe into park.

This design’s biggest benefit is that it frees up space on the center console for storage, cupholders, and charging ports.

The Santa Fe’s center console is massive, with giant cup holders and space for two smartphones lying side-by-side. The smartphone spot closest to the driver offers wireless charging, and another phone can be plugged into one of the nearby USB-C sockets.

The armrest between the Santa Fe’s front seats is designed to open both forward and backward, allowing occupants in the front and back of the vehicle to access its contents. A useful storage drawer also slides out from under the armrest.

Behind the rear doors are a pair of concealed grab handles, which are very handy when you need to reach items stored on the roof rack. When not in use, these handles can be flipped closed and physically locked.

It’s a cool and useful feature not commonly found on family SUVs.

The Santa Fe boasts a maximum of 79.6 cubic feet of cargo room with second and third-row seats folded down. Even though it falls short of the Palisade by seven cubic feet, the Santa Fe’s boxy shape makes the shape compatible with large loads.

The Santa Fe’s spare tire is underneath the cargo area. Spare tires are becoming increasingly rare features on modern cars and they can be essential in the case of a flat tire.

The spare tire is standard on all ICE variants of the Santa Fe but not available on the Hybrid.