Sacramento,
California -- I have recommended the Hyundai Santa Fe to multiple friends and
family members over the years, noting its versatility, reliability and wealth
of perks for a price well below similarly equipped competition.
The Santa Fe
sport-utility vehicle has undergone numerous changes and fixes over the years,
but arguably the best round of these occurs for the 2019 model year. The extensively reworked Santa Fe comes off as
a champ.
My tester was
the 2019 Hyundai
Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T AWD. Walking up
to it, I easily spotted much more aggressive, sporty sculpting, especially on
the front end. The stance is wider with
nice angular cuts on both sides of the large grille. LEDs all around and a panoramic sunroof added
to the look.
The standard Santa Fe engine offering is
a 2.4 -liter, 185-horsepower, four-cylinder job, but my ride had the much
stronger 2-liter turbo 4 rated at a max 235 horsepower. Talk about a bonus! The turbo powered Santa Fe blew past sluggish
surface street pokes and whipped around freeway stragglers with a flourish.
I don't remember a Santa Fe being so
robust. Certainly not one with an
eight-speed transmission.
Hyundai has dropped the "Santa Fe
Sport" name, and that's really no big deal. With this turbocharged power plant, the sport
part speaks for itself in performance.
You pay for the power on the fuel
mileage end; the tester got 19 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg on the
highway.
This being the "Ultimate"
version of a Santa Fe, the tester was loaded up with comfort/convenience features. I particularly liked the leather seat
surfaces and the full-color head-up display. Also, there's plentiful interior space for both passengers and cargo.
My ride reflected the generous
amenities, with a bottom-line sticker price of $39,905. That's a few bucks more than Santa Fe SUVs
went for in the past.
Would I still recommend this Santa Fe to
family and friends?
In a heartbeat.
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