Assuming a six-year product cycle, the current, third-generation Santa Fe has entered the twilight of life, so Hyundai made some changes for the 2017 model year to keep things fresh. In addition to a more sophisticated look, Hyundai added a new top-level trim called Ultimate and upped its tech game. With the smaller, five-passenger Santa Fe Sport playing in the small-crossover field, the Santa Fe offers standard three-row seating and V-6 power.
The base SE model with front-wheel drive starts at $31,695. The next-up Limited trim is $35,845, the SE Ultimate trim rings in at $39,595, and the Limited Ultimate starts at $40,295. For all trim levels, all-wheel drive adds $1750. Our Santa Fe Limited Ultimate AWD test vehicle had a total price of $44,295 with the optional $2100 Tech package and $150 carpeted floor mats.
Santa’s Makeover
From a design standpoint, there’s a sharper-edged front bumper, restyled headlights and taillights, new vertical LED daytime running lights, and a wider grille, as well as tweaks to the wheels and the exhaust tips. The cumulative effect is a more assertive and less cartoonish look for this crossover.
The interior sees fewer changes. In fact, it’s largely the same as when the current Santa Fe arrived for the 2013 model year. The smattering of buttons in the center stack looks a bit messy compared to the horizontal design other Hyundais have adopted. The dashtop is covered by a rubbery textured material, while faux metal and wood trim pieces are convincing enough to pass for the real stuff. Fit and finish are solid, evidenced by the lack of rattles while driving over unpaved roads that seem more like ski moguls than paths for vehicles.
Space Jam
Three-row mid-size SUVs are the minivans of the modern age, and as such, interior roominess is paramount. At 110.2 inches, the Santa Fe’s wheelbase is one of the shortest in the class, and the Hyundai’s length, width, and height are at the bottom of the pack as well. Still, the Santa Fe manages to provide 144 cubic feet of passenger volume, which is about average for the segment. Space in the standard third row is lacking, however, especially compared with the redesigned Chevrolet Traverse, the new Volkswagen Atlas, and the Honda Pilot.
Seven-passenger seating (with a sliding second-row bench) is standard on the Santa Fe. The Limited and Limited Ultimate have second-row captain’s chairs for a six-passenger configuration. The rearmost row is a two-passenger 50/50 split-folding bench seat. Those looking to seat eight in this segment should redirect their attention to the Pilot, the Traverse, or the Toyota Highlander, all of which provide seatbelts for three in their third-row benches.
The Santa Fe’s cargo-carrying capacities also fall toward the smaller end of the spectrum. Its 14 cubic feet of volume behind the third row lands it in the bottom third among the competition, while its 80 cubic feet of space with all the seats folded is in the bottom half of mid-size crossovers.
Where the Santa Fe excels is comfort. The seats are supportive but not overly firm, and the chassis handles bumps and broken pavement with aplomb. The steering is light but accurate, and it can be tightened up ever so slightly with the three-mode drive selector. Overall, it’s an isolated and slightly numb driving experience, which tends to be the norm for family buses like this.
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