2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Now Twice as Nice

The crossover segments have been a tough nut to crack for Hyundai, which last month saw its current entries endure a combined 20.2 percent decrease in sales versus July of 2011. It was by far the worst performance from any of the major automakers and makes for a startling contrast with Hyundai’s successful car family. Thanks to core models like the Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai Accent, the car side of the brand’s business was up by 10.7 percent last month. So, what’s the problem? Part of it has to do with the fact that Hyundai’s crossovers are now a bit older than their rivals, while it also seems as if the company has had a tough time adapting its “fluidic sculpture” design language to non-car applications. However, the all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, on sale now from $24,450, and the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, coming in January 2013 with an MSRP that’s TBA, should address both of those issues. (The former is the true replacement for the two-row 2012 Santa Fe and the latter, riding on a stretched wheelbase and offering three rows of seating, will take the roster spot currently occupied by the Hyundai Veracruz.)

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe: Two Sizes

The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Santa Fe Sport were specifically designed to complement one another in the marketplace, so differences between the two are mostly confined to their size and powertrain choices. Here’s the breakdown, dimensionally speaking, with “Cargo Volume” representing available space behind the front row with other seats folded:

Passenger Volume

Cargo Volume

Length

Wheelbase

Santa Fe

146.6 cu. ft.

80 cu. ft.

193.1”

110.2”

Santa Fe Sport

108 cu. ft.

71.5 cu. ft.

184.6”

106.3"

Also, it’s worth noting that the Santa Fe proper can be configured for either six or seven occupants depending on whether it’s kitted out with a standard second-row bench—with a 40/20/40 split for added versatility—or available second-row captain’s chairs.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe: Three Powertrains

On the powertrain front, the Santa Fe Sport brings two next-gen I4 engines; the standard motivator is a 2.4-liter unit with gasoline direct injection and output ratings of 190 hp and 181 lb.-ft. of torque. That’s some serious grunt for this class of crossovers, too. The entry model of the all-new Ford Escape, for example, only offers 168 hp/170 lb.-ft. of torque. Yet the Santa Fe Sport isn’t just more powerful, it’s also more efficient. With expected EPA marks of 22 mpg city/33 mpg highway/26 mpg combined, it bests its Blue Oval competitor by 2 mpg highway/1 mpg combined with the exact same city performance. And the Santa Fe Sport has the same kind of advantages even when it goes up against the Escape with its 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine. Here, with the Hyundai sporting its own similarly sized turbo, it supplies 24 more horsepower (for a total of 264) and an EPA line of 21/31/25 that marks a 1 mpg bonus over the Escape in highway/combined fuel efficiency. And if you're curious, the torque tally is 269 lb.-ft. for the turbocharged Santa Fe and 270 for the Ford.

The longer Hyundai Santa Fe offers just a single engine, but it’s the only standard V6 in its class with gasoline direct injection. The bottom line: 290 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe: Plenty of Features

Along with those differences, the two Santa Fe models do have much in common, including a more athletic and less awkward exterior style that leads off with a bigger, bolder grille, dramatically styled light treatments (including available LEDs), and a more organic overall appearance. Also, the Santa Fe gets its own unique design cues from the B pillars back to highlight its additional size.

Both are offered with a long, long list of standard and available content—in keeping with Hyundai’s continued move toward the premium side of the automotive spectrum—and this includes a segment-first Driver Selectable Steering Mode that allows owners to dial in the steering response that best suits their preferences.

Other goodies available on the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Santa Fe:

• Active Cornering Control all-wheel drive, able to anticipate traction issues and adjust torque distribution to each wheel to avoid them
• Premium audio capabilities, thanks to a 12-speaker, 550-watt surround-sound system from Infinity
• A panoramic sunroof
• Heated front and second-row seats, and a heated steering wheel
• Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics platform, a standard feature
• Cutting-edge navigation technology, enabled via an eight-inch color touchscreen and advanced voice-recognition capabilities
• A standard six-speed automatic transmission developed in-house by Hyundai
• Safety measures like a rearview camera, a comprehensive vehicle-stability management system, seven air bags, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist
• Standard YES Essentials seat fabric and available leather seating surfaces