Hyundai this week sold the one millionth Santa Fe since its introduction into the U.S. almost 13 years ago.
I’ve driven seven of them, most recently the extended-wheelbase, six-passenger 2013 Santa Fe Limited last week.
I stepped aboard the initial offering in March 2001; this was my impression:
“Exterior styling is the feature which most quickly grabs hold of you with the new Hyundai Santa Fe sport-utility vehicle. The relatively low price will hold your attention long enough for a second look. For $21,924, you get the four-wheel-drive Santa Fe with V-6 power, automatic transmission, air conditioning and CD player. It’s sized much like a Ford Escape or Mazda Tribute. It’s less powerful, though.”
The Santa Fe within a few years opened showroom doors to a strong SUV market for Hyundai, known previously for small, inexpensive compact cars.
This year, the ’13 model year, Hyundai has built two versions of the Santa Fe. I’ve driven them both. The former Santa Fe was redesigned, shed 350 pounds, and took on the model name of Santa Fe Sport. The Santa Fe Limited and GLS are on a longer wheelbase, with three rows of seats, and are the former Veracruz. The Limited is the model I drove last week.
In my review of the Sport last December, I gave this advice, “Remember this to keep the two new models separate: Sport (106.3-inch wheelbase) is for short, Santa Fe Ltd (110.2-inch wheelbase) is for extended length.
The Limited is very shy of cargo space behind its third row. Simply pull a strap behind the third-row seatbacks, though, and they fold flat into the floor, which I did to create enough room for some fishing gear and several items Jan tossed in. It was excess baggage, for, in the face of light rain and heavy clouds, we simply enjoyed the drive up Big Thomson Canyon, a short diversion to Glen Haven on the Devil’s Gulch Road, and back home.
A 290-horsepower, 3.3-liter V-6 (252 lbs.-ft. torque) is tied to a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode; the setup gives the 4,000-pound Santa Fe good acceleration in midrange highway operation. Four-cylinder power is available for the Ltd, though it would be severely tested in Colorado terrain. The Santa Fe offers a choice of normal, comfort or sport steering response.
The Santa Fe is dressed up with leather interior, panoramic sunroof and heated steering wheel. Second-row captain’s chairs, heated, with reclining seatbacks, add roominess and comfort. The third row seats sit low and are designed with kids in mind.
Another interior highlight is an 8-inch touchscreen navigation/audio system. On a Friday evening, as Ruth Davis, Jan and I left Nordy’s restaurant, a message on the large screen read: “Low Fuel, Would you like to search for a gas station?” I pushed Yes, and within moments locations were listed for six stations within 4.2 miles of where the car was.
Adding a long list of amenities, including an Infinity surround sound with 12 speakers, brings the Santa Fe Limited’s base price from $34,850 to a sticker of $38,730. Quite an increase from that first one I drove in March 2001.
In addition to the aforementioned niceties, the Ltd was equipped with downhill brake/hillstart assist control, 19-inch alloy wheels, push-button start, heated exterior mirrors with turn-signal indicators, rearview camera, dual-zone automatic climate control, power liftgate.
Seven out of a million is infinitesimal; one drive, though, emerges bigtime in my memory bank – slick footing into Wyoming in a Santa Fe in February 2008. Excerpts:
“The driving Monday morning was treacherous, very icy, for 10 miles along I-25 north of its exchange with U.S. 34 near Loveland, and a dozen or more cars and trucks had skidded into the ditches. The 2008 Santa Fe kept its grip. It’s relatively heavy, almost 4,000 pounds, and uses an electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system that routes power to the wheels with best traction. Continuing north into Wyoming, then west toward Rawlins, we faced lots of wind and snow and, occasionally, short stretches of perilous roads. The wide-track Santa Fe is a good handler and offers a decent ride. Hyundai a year ago added 7 inches to the length of its second-generation Santa Fe; of this, we were appreciative, for we drove to Rawlins to pick up our grandson, Jason Martinez, his wife Cambrie and their daughter, Lenna, after they encountered car problems en route from Salt Lake City to Denver. The added room accommodated not only Lenna’s car seat, but Jason’s 6-foot-3 frame.”
We averaged 22.8 miles per gallon on that ’08 drive with the 3.3-liter V-6; last week’s tests and maneuvers produced an average of only 19.2 with the 3.3. The ’13 model most often will do much better than that.
Saturday Drive can also be viewed online at DenverPost.com/budwells. Bud Wells can be reached via e-mail at bwells@denverpost.com.
