There
are few crossovers that come close to being the perfect blend of car and SUV,
yet are comfortable and affordable too — but Hyundai's Santa Fe Sport is pretty close.
Hyundai remodeled its popular
Santa Fe crossover lineup a
couple years back and split it into two models, the larger and heavier Santa Fe and the Santa Fe
Sport, which is smaller and sportier. The latter is the way to go.
My
frost pearl white Sport looked luxurious and was loaded with a ton of features,
part of the Ultimate Package. At its core it's a high performing midsize
crossover for a family of four or five. It handles and rides well and has
enough power to make it borderline fun.
The
tester was the Sport AWD 2.0T, the upper end Santa Fe Sport
with a turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 and all-wheel-drive. It lists at $33,000, plus
an $875 delivery fee. The Ultimate Package added $4,350, pushing the tab to
$38,350. There is a base model starting at $25,845 including delivery. It touts
a 190-horse 2.4-liter I4 and comes with front-wheel drive.
You can
move to an AWD model for $27,575, or get a front-drive version with the turbo
for $31,250.
The I4
comes with direct injection and a turbocharger to give more power, but allow
the four-cylinder to run more efficiently for running errands. That means you
get 264 horsepower when entering a highway, but more modest power around town.
The
result is decent fuel economy. This model is rated 18 mpg city and 24 mpg
highway and I got 19.5 mpg in about a 50/50 split and 26 mpg in all highway.
There is an Eco mode button on the dash to help increase that mileage, and I
used it fairly regularly around town. It slows your acceleration some. The base
2.4-liter I4 is rated 21 mpg city and 29 highway in front-drive configuration.
The
turbo was responsive and the power smooth and well handled by the 6-speed
automatic transmission. This is a Shiftronic unit, which allows you to shift
manually, but you'll likely find that unnecessary about 95% of the time.
Ride
seemed better than in previous models. The Sport rides on a 106.3-inch
wheelbase, about perfect for a smooth ride and good handling. There are
MacPherson struts in the front suspension and a multi-link system in back. Both
have gas-filled shocks and stabilizer bars. The Santa Fe handled
rough roads with authority, no chop or jarring to passengers.
Handling
is on the sporty side with three driving modes that affect the steering effort.
There's Comfort, Normal and Sport, with only the Sport being particularly
heavy. Other modes are easy to control and fairly responsive, and Comfort has
the lightest touch. Santa Fe
corners well thanks to what Hyundai
calls Active Cornering Control that uses torque vectoring and the ABS system to
create more stability in corners.
There
are stability control and traction control systems, and the AWD gives the Santa Fe better grip in
snow and slush.
Santa Fe's interior includes
a well laid-out dash, good seating and plenty of tech options.
The
test SUV had a two-tone brown over tan dash and door trim along with tan
perforated leather seats. Trim around the brown console is matte silver, along
with a few other trim bits, and this one included fake wood inserts by the air
vents on either side of the dash. Those actually looked a bit low-end, but the
overall styling is handsome.
The
manual tilt/telescope wheel is wrapped in leather and has a variety of buttons
for cruise, phone, radio and trip computer on the hub. There's also a Blue Link
system which links up navigation, e-messaging and vehicle information. It's
accessible via a smartphone.
Hyundai's main gauges are
easy to see and read, with blue rings in the center, and all dash buttons glow
blue at night, which is pleasant and easy on the eyes. All controls are easy to
see and reach, and push-button start is standard.
Standard
on the 2.0T is blind spot detection that lights up in the side mirrors, a rear
cross-traffic alert that warns if a vehicle or person is behind you, and a
rearview camera. Lane change assist also comes on this model.
Another
plus is a proximity key that not only unlocks the vehicle as you approach, but
allows you to stand behind the power liftgate for just a second or two before
it automatically powers up.
Other
standard features on the 2.0T include side roof rails, fog lights, a dual
climate control system and heated front seats, power driver's seat with power
lumbar support and a spiffy 40/20/40 split rear seat.
The
Ultimate Package kicks Santa Fe
up a few notches. While pricey, it includes 19-inch alloy wheels and 19-inch
tires, HID headlights and LED taillights, plus a giant panoramic sunroof,
12-speaker Infinity Logic 7 stereo with surround sound and an 8-inch touch
screen, which by the way, actually responds to your touch even when the user is
wearing gloves.
The
package also includes ventilated front seats and heated rear seats, and a
heated steering wheel.
Seating
is well formed and comfortable in both the front and second row, plus the rear
seats will slide about 5 inches forward to create more storage room. Those
seats also recline. I like the manual side window sunshades in back.
There's
much to like and little that's off-putting with the Santa Fe Sport. This one
may surprise you when you test drive it.
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