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New Models
DRIVEN: Hyundai Builds An SUV Contender
The third generation of the Santa Fe crossover gets a makeover in styling and performance, with the all-wheel-drive turbo model gaining a drivability edge.
The new-generation Hyundai Santa Fe gets a higher level of refinement to compete against the top SUV competitors. (Photo: Hyundai)
All sorts of sport utility vehicles have come my way over the years for testing, every size and type, and across a wide range of pricing. Just now, a Porsche Cayenne GTS is parked in my driveway. Price tag: $123,000, plus change.
So I have some measure of appreciation when a good SUV comes along that doesn’t break the bank, yet which delivers style, features and drivability that are above par.
Such is the case with the all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which has been thoroughly updated to compete with the best of its class.
Hyundai has been on a tear in recent years, racking up gains in sales and market share, and the third-generation Santa Fe adds another piece to the South Korean’s lineup of expressive yet reasonably priced cars and SUVs. The look of the Santa Fe has gone from dowdy to downright handsome, and the experience behind the wheel was impressive.
Sport is the shorter version of the Santa Fe, with the seven-passenger GLS heading up Hyundai’s crossover series. Lighter, tighter and better looking, the latest Santa Fe rolls out against a horde of compact and midsize crossovers from just about every automaker in what has become the hottest segment in the market
And typical of Hyundai, the price of the well-equipped , front-wheel-drive Sport base model undercuts most of them, starting at around $25,000. The full-zoot, all-wheel-drive turbo Sport with all the trimmings that I drove had a bottom line just over $33,000, including options. Not cheap, but reasonable considering the high level of equipment and road-going virtues.
The latest Santa Fe is not merely a usable, practical and responsive crossover, it’s a fairly classy one that never feels like a budgetary alternative. It compares well with segment leaders Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape.
Of course, any talk of Hyundai and its corporate sibling Kia must include their recent bind with the EPA. The automakers overestimated the expected fuel mileage on vehicle window stickers by a significant amount, enough that the feds took a hard look and forced them to reduce the expected miles per gallon.
The vehicles’ owners have sued, and the latest reports have Hyundai and Kia banking a combined $412 million in preparation of payouts to their pissed-off customers.
That’s a huge issue for many consumers and a hopelessly clueless move by Hyundai/Kia. The blowback has been a surge of customers for Japanese competitor Honda. At least, that’s what the analysts are saying.
In the case of the Santa Fe Sport AWD 2.0T test car, the original mileage claims of 20 city and 27 highway have been reduced to 19 city and 24 highway.
That’s for the upgrade model that I drove powered by the 2-liter turbo, an engine type that’s quickly becoming something of an industry standard among compact and midsize crossovers. In the Santa Fe, the turbo four produces a strong 264 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, so it does a good job of propelling this 3,700-pound SUV.
The base engine is a 2.4-liter direct-injected inline-four with 190 horsepower and 181 pound-feet. Both engines are linked with a new six-speed automatic transmission that performs quite well.
So I have some measure of appreciation when a good SUV comes along that doesn’t break the bank, yet which delivers style, features and drivability that are above par.
Such is the case with the all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which has been thoroughly updated to compete with the best of its class.
Hyundai has been on a tear in recent years, racking up gains in sales and market share, and the third-generation Santa Fe adds another piece to the South Korean’s lineup of expressive yet reasonably priced cars and SUVs. The look of the Santa Fe has gone from dowdy to downright handsome, and the experience behind the wheel was impressive.
Sport is the shorter version of the Santa Fe, with the seven-passenger GLS heading up Hyundai’s crossover series. Lighter, tighter and better looking, the latest Santa Fe rolls out against a horde of compact and midsize crossovers from just about every automaker in what has become the hottest segment in the market
And typical of Hyundai, the price of the well-equipped , front-wheel-drive Sport base model undercuts most of them, starting at around $25,000. The full-zoot, all-wheel-drive turbo Sport with all the trimmings that I drove had a bottom line just over $33,000, including options. Not cheap, but reasonable considering the high level of equipment and road-going virtues.
The latest Santa Fe is not merely a usable, practical and responsive crossover, it’s a fairly classy one that never feels like a budgetary alternative. It compares well with segment leaders Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape.
Of course, any talk of Hyundai and its corporate sibling Kia must include their recent bind with the EPA. The automakers overestimated the expected fuel mileage on vehicle window stickers by a significant amount, enough that the feds took a hard look and forced them to reduce the expected miles per gallon.
The vehicles’ owners have sued, and the latest reports have Hyundai and Kia banking a combined $412 million in preparation of payouts to their pissed-off customers.
That’s a huge issue for many consumers and a hopelessly clueless move by Hyundai/Kia. The blowback has been a surge of customers for Japanese competitor Honda. At least, that’s what the analysts are saying.
In the case of the Santa Fe Sport AWD 2.0T test car, the original mileage claims of 20 city and 27 highway have been reduced to 19 city and 24 highway.
That’s for the upgrade model that I drove powered by the 2-liter turbo, an engine type that’s quickly becoming something of an industry standard among compact and midsize crossovers. In the Santa Fe, the turbo four produces a strong 264 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, so it does a good job of propelling this 3,700-pound SUV.
The base engine is a 2.4-liter direct-injected inline-four with 190 horsepower and 181 pound-feet. Both engines are linked with a new six-speed automatic transmission that performs quite well.
The Lyonheart K
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