Quiet, roomy and well-equipped Santa Fe’s versatility wins my vote
Eight trim levels deliver something for everyone
The redesigned Hyundai Santa Fe has been very well received since it was launched a few months ago.
In late October, it was named Canada’s best new SUV-CUV between $35,000 and $60,000 by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada — and it won my vote.
I had yet to fully experience the Santa Fe for a week then but, when I did, it only reinforced my votes from the fall’s TestFest.
There was only one major disappointment after the test week, and we’ll get to it later.
The five-seater Santa Fe comes in eight trims, ranging in price from $26,499 for the 2.4L FWD. model to $38,499 for the 2.0T Limited I had for a week. Those prices don’t include freight and preparation charges.
A seven-seat Santa Fe is coming shortly — expanding the lineup even further.
Some of the standard features on the 2.0T Limited include 19-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, trailer tow wiring, front windshield wiper de-icer, power adjustable heated exterior mirrors, automatic headlights, rear parking assist, twin-tip chrome exhaust, side-mirror mounted turn signals and HID headlights. That’s on top of an already lengthy list of equipment that comes on other trims of the Santa Fe.
Design
The third generation Santa Fe is a much bolder, attentiongrabbing design, embracing Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language, which is inspired by nature.
The result is a more aggressive-looking front end, a nice character line that runs from front to back and an attractive back end with a spoiler at the top of the liftgate.
The tester was also fitted with a nice set of alloy wheels, a recent trend with many Hyundai models.
Inside, the driver and occupants are surrounded with enjoyable materials and a pleasantly designed interior.
The driver’s controls and gauges are all easy to see, reach and operate. The centre stack is topped with an LCD screen, which is surrounded by some uniquely-shaped air vents that I kind of like.
At night, the backlighting of the gauge cluster is really appealing and easy on the eyes.
Performance
There are two engines available on the 2013 Santa Fe, starting with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder power plant with 190 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque).
The tester was fitted with the optional 2.0L twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which ups the ante on the power quotient. It delivers 264 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, and there really isn’t much turbo lag at all.
No matter the engine, the Santa Fe comes with a sixspeed automatic transmission. On some of the colder days during my test, I found the first few shifts stuttered a little bit, but that feeling quickly faded as the system warmed up.
Overall, the engine/transmission combination works well together and left a pleasant impression on me at the end of the week.
Fuel efficiency for the Santa Fe is estimated at 11.0 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 8.4 L/100 km on the highway. My real-world driving revealed a much higher actual figure of 12.9 L/100 km in mostly highway driving.
The ride inside the Santa Fe is smooth and quiet, with almost no noise intrusion into the cabin.
Driving/utility
Inside the passenger cabin, very little engine or wind noise can be heard, which makes longer rides in the Santa Fe enjoyable.
The Santa Fe has plenty of room — seating five comfortably with lots of cargo room.
The back doors open wide, making access to the second row of seats simple and without that high a step off the ground.
The cargo floor lifts up to reveal some hidden compartments that increase an al- ready bountiful capacity.
With the back seats in place, you can squeeze 35.4 cubic feet of your stuff back there, or up to 71.5 cubic feet if you kick the kids out and drop the 40/20/40 split fold-flat and reclining second row.
And the Santa Fe can be equipped for a trailer, with a maximum towing capacity of 1,590 pounds with the turbo engine.
That makes it a very versatile and capable vehicle for those who need the room for frequent trips to the cottage, or need the extra capability for hauling a trailer or boat around.
With two engines and eight trims to choose from, there is something for everyone in the Santa Fe lineup and, with a seven-seater coming, consumers will soon have even more options to choose from.
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