2013 Santa Fe: Bigger, Bolder and Better

[Hyundai NEWS]

Showing off a dynamic new interpretation of Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language, the all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport two-row crossover, along with its three-row big brother, the Santa Fe, were designed to set a fresh benchmark for quality and satisfaction in the crossover segments. And they’ll deliver on those expectations, too, thanks to the debut of leading-edge features like:

• Three powertrains, each featuring a six-speed automatic transmission
• Driver Selectable Steering Mode—a segment first
• All-wheel drive with Active Cornering Control
• A 12-speaker, 550-watt Infinity Logic 7 surround-sound audio system
• A panoramic sunroof
• Heated front and second-row seats and a heated steering wheel
• Sliding and reclining second-row seats
• Standard Blue Link telematics
• A 4.3-inch touchscreen audio display with integrated rearview camera
• An available navigation system with eight-inch touchscreen display

Needless to say, both the Santa Fe Sport and the Santa Fe also provide exactly the mix of efficiency and performance for which Hyundai powertrains are so well known. In the Santa Fe Sport, the standard motivation is a 2.4-liter I4 that makes 190 hp and 181 lb.-ft. of torque—outpowering the entry models from the Chevy Equinox, Toyota RAV4 and new Ford Escape, among others—while also delivering a best-in-class 33 mpg highway plus 22 mpg city/26 mpg combined. To add even more “sport” to the Santa Fe Sport, drivers also can select a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 engine that is more than a match for V6-powered rivals—and the EcoBoosted Escape. Take a look at the tale of the tape here:

• Santa Fe Sport—264 hp, 269 lb.-ft. of torque, 21 mpg city/31 mpg highway/25 mpg combined
• Escape w/EcoBoost—240 hp, 270 lb.-ft. of torque, 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway/24 mpg combined

As for the Santa Fe proper, with its longer wheelbase and bigger cabin, it naturally gets a bigger standard engine; in this case, a 3.3-liter V6 that is the first and only standard six-cylinder engine in the segment with gasoline direct injection. It also happens to provide a healthy 290 hp and 252 lb.-ft. of torque while enabling EPA grades of up to 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway/22 mpg combined. Putting that performance into context, the Santa Fe is more powerful than choices like the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot or even the new Nissan Pathfinder, and it’s more efficient than the Highlander, Pilot and Ford Explorer.
The 2013 Santa Fe Sport starts at $24,550 and is arriving in dealerships now; the 2013 Santa Fe is scheduled to reach the market in January of 2013, at a price to be determined.