A voluptuous interior without the extra baggage
Modern kitchen stoves measure 76 cm wide and 71 cm deep, so moving an electric range usually requires a pickup truck.
Many SUVs might have just enough opening at one specific point, but many times the roof height is too low overall because the roof curves down at the edges, making the whole exercise a little like stuffing the Thanksgiving bird.
Such was not the case with Hyundai’s 2013 Santa Fe XL, which is blessed with a Graywhale-like mouth of a tailgate, easily opened or closed by a button. With an opening of 91 cm high and square across the top, the Hyundai devoured, and then burped, after digesting the secondhand stove for our cottage. While this six-passenger XL is only about 215 mm longer than a regular Santa Fe, its utility is far superior with that extra space. Even with the third row of seats in place, there’s still some usable cargo space — about enough for one or two hockey bags.
And yet the XL does not feel like a big vehicle. About the size of a Nissan Pathfinder, the Santa Fe XL feels voluptuous inside, and has an extraordinarily smart interior. Yes, the middle storage box is missing its own light, but the rear seats are heated, as is the steering wheel, and the audio, phone and navigation systems are almost too easy to operate, with excellent graphics, quick haptic feedback and voice-activated controls that got most of my requests right. Heck, even the floor mats are high quality.
Driving the Santa Fe does not feel ponderous, either. The steering might feel a bit flat, even if it can be adjusted to different modes, and the throttle lacked linear response until pushed hard (it’s worse in Eco mode); but the Santa Fe XL and its 290 horsepower V6 will snap to attention if given a bit of whip — especially when the six-speed automatic transmission jumps down a gear or two to muster the maximum 252 lb-ft of torque. That’s not a huge number, so there is some engine growl when passing, just as there is some loudness at idle, but the sounds are not the least bit offensive.
Some tire noise could also be heard at cruising, but again, it was mostly under control. The seats might feel firm, but they are very comfortable.
Fuel consumption was on the high side: my average of mostly highway driving came in at 11.4 L/100 km. The official highway rating is 8.0 L/100 km, and the combined city and highway figure is 10. Our XL was the AWD Limited model priced at $42,899, though the XL starts at $30,000.
And while the HID headlights (with smart-looking LED brows) and LED tail lights were swank and effective, the biggest feature that will set this Santa Fe apart from its rivals is the ondemand AWD that can lock the centre differential when needed — often the thing that can prevent the vehicle from getting stuck in deep snow.
This valuable little feature, coupled with a pleasing interior, good exterior looks and the cargo space makes the Santa Fe XL that much more appealing.