G14 AUTOMOTIVE THE CAR PAGES Crossing over from great to even greater P cornwall, n.y.
erfection can be improved. The proof is the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited crossover utility vehicle.
I previously drove it in 2007,
when it was classified as a “com- pact sport-utility.” Then, I thought it was best in class for the money. For 2010, marketing nomencla-
ture has caught up with reality. The Santa Fe is now a “crossover utility vehicle,” meant to be used in much the same manner that 1950s families employed station wagons. I didn’t thinkHyundai could
make the Santa Fe better without boosting its price considerably be- yond the “affordable” range— $20,000 to $30,000 for a safe, comfortable vehicle, with the top of the price range offering what the automobile industry considers a “loaded” model. I was wrong. It’s puzzling how
Hyundai continues to deliver top quality at the lowest overall retail prices in theU.S. car market. Hyundai’s labor costs at its manu- facturing facilities in theUnited States (Montgomery, Ala.) and its home base in SouthKorea are low- er than those of itsWestern and Asian rivals. But that doesn’t total- ly explain it. What’s clear, after a week of
highway driving in the 2010 Santa Fe, is thatHyundai has done it again.
Some of the improvements in
the 2010 model are obvious, such as the bigger yet more fuel-effi- cient V-6 engine in the Santa Fe Limited driven for this column. Other changes are more subtle. For example, there is the matter of turning diameter, the measure of a vehicle’s ability to turn curb to curb. The 2007 Santa Fe had a turning
diameter of 34.4 feet, which was pretty decent. The turning diame- ter for the 2010 model is 33.1 feet. Drivers normally pay attention
to turning diameter when they try to make U-turns on neighborhood or other narrow streets. If the turning diameter is too wide, they must back up once or twice to get the right angle to complete the
WARREN BROWN On Wheels
turn without hitting the curb. If the turning diameter is just right, they simply make the U-turn and go on about their business, unless the U-turn is illegal or made with- out the on-scene direction of a law enforcement official. U-turns in the 2010 Santa Fe—
legal and with on-scene lawen- forcement direction—were made perfectly every time. It’s a simple thing that relieves a great deal of anxiety in driving. The newSanta Fe’s engine has a volume displacement of 3.5 liters,
Bottom line: If you are in the market for a compact crossover utility vehicle, the Santa Fe belongs on your list. The Limited version, driven for this column, is doubtless more likable than its lower- priced, lesser-appointed four-cylinder brethren. But even at $30,000-plus, it’s a deal.
Ride, acceleration, handling: I made an error at the beginning of the nearly 300-mile drive here and grossly overloaded the Santa Fe. That mistake seriously affected handling, especially around curves. Under properly loaded and unloaded conditions, the Santa Fe handled perfectly. Otherwise, ride and acceleration are very good.
Head-turning quotient: The exterior is high vanilla. The interior is borderline plush.
Body style/layout: The Santa Fe is a front-engine compact crossover utility vehicle. It is a work of unitized construction, like most of today’s automobiles. But Hyundai’s executives contend that it is built on its own platform. It is available with front- or all- wheel drive.
Engine/transmission: The engine is a 3.5-liter, 24-valve V-6, 276- horsepower, 248 foot-pounds of torque, with electronic valve lift and timing for better fuel economy. It is linked to a six-speed transmission that can be operated automatically or manually.
Capacities:Whoopee! Hyundai has gotten rid of that dumb, potentially dangerous third row of seats. Those seats were suitable only for small children, who could be put at risk in a rear-end collision. The Santa Fe now has comfortable seating for five people. Maximum cargo capacity is 78 cubic feet. The fuel tank holds 19.8 gallons gasoline (regular is recommended).
HYUNDAI MOTOR Mileage:We averaged 26 miles per gallon in highway driving.
compared with 3.3 liters in the 2007 model. Volume displacement speaks to the amount of air and fuel that can go into an engine’s cylinders. Theoretically, larger air- fuel mixtures produce more power on combustion, and more power consumes more fuel. ButHyundai has become a mas-
ter at what I call “it ain’t necessari- ly so” engineering. The Santa Fe’s new3.5-liter V-6 delivers a maxi- mum276 horsepower and 248 foot-pounds of torque, vs. 242 horsepower and 226 foot-pounds of torque for the 3.3-liter V-6 in the 2007 model. Yet, the newSanta Fe gets over-
all better mileage than its pred- ecessor—a combined 20 miles per gallon city-highway in 2010, vs. 18 in 2007. I know that neither 18 mpg nor
20 mpg is something to cheer about. But those are averages. Many of us do most of our driving
on highways or expressways, where vehicles tend to operate more efficiently and get better mileage. The newSanta Fe, using regular gasoline and operating with a six-speed auto-manual transmission, gets 26 miles per gallon on the highway. Also,Hyundai has mastered the
art of democratizing luxury. The concept of “democratic lux-
ury” is oxymoronic at best. One speaks to inclusion. The other em- braces exclusion. ButHyundai has managed to marry the two. Interior fit and finish in the new
Santa Fe are excellent. Interior materials—leather and polyure- thane-wood accents—are joined tastefully. The Santa Fe, with its plethora of infotainment offerings, can be a rolling office or pleasure dome at a base price of $30,295.
brownw@washpost.com
Brown is a special correspondent.
Safety: Standard equipment includes four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated front/solid rear), anti-lock brake protection, electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability and traction control, and side and head air bags.
Price: The base price of the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited with all-wheel drive is $30,295. Dealer invoice price on that model is $28,425. Price as tested is $33,340 — including $2,250 for the optional onboard navigation and rear-camera package — and a $795 destination charge. Discounts are available. Dealer’s price as tested is $31,313.
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3Next week: The Ford Transit Connect.
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