|
Interior
Pleasing is the best way to describe the interior of the Hyundai Santa Fe because it’s trimmed in modern plastics with a soft-touch feel. All models feature blue accent lighting at night to illuminate the instruments, switches and the edges of the front cupholders. Even the base GLS has nice luxury touches that include realistic-looking (but faux) wood-trim accents across the width of the dashboard, surrounding the shifter, and along the door panels.The gauges are mounted in a large instrument pod in front of the steering wheel. The radio and climate controls are well located in a center stack that is mounted high in the dashboard for easy reach and observation while driving.
New for 2008, the navigation system was developed exclusively for Hyundai by LG, a leading worldwide electronics manufacturer. The system provides coverage for the continental United States and includes touch-screen functionality, point-of-interest features, and audio-visual prompts. According to Hyundai’s measurements, headroom and legroom in the Santa Fe is greater in all rows than in competing models, thanks to a uniquely designed unibody that is not based off an existing car platform. That allowed the engineers to maximize interior space without compromise.
|
|
With the optional third row of seats folded down, there is a generous 34.2 cubic feet of storage space on an almost flat floor. Fold down the middle row of seats and there is 78.2 cubic feet of storage space. Although the Santa Fe is one of smallest midsize SUVs in exterior dimensions it is far from being the smallest inside, a tribute to its space-efficient design. The air vents for the center row of seats are mounted in the B-pillar, which is much more effective than being mounted down low behind the center console, as in many vehicles. Third-row seating in the Santa Fe is similar to that in other SUVs, so it’s of limited use for anything other than carrying kids short distances. Setting up the third row for seating in the Santa Fe leaves a mere 10 cubic feet of cargo space, which is no more than you’ll find in a cramped two-door coupe. If you really need to carry seven passengers and/or cargo, a minivan is better. Additionally, one loses the very practical hidden storage space under the rear floor when the vehicle is fitted with the optional third row of seats. In short, the Santa Fe can carry seven passengers but works better for five. |
|
Driving Impressions
Nobody can really expect an SUV, even one built using a stiff unibody, to handle as well as a sedan. However, the Hyundai Santa Fe comes mighty close. Indeed, as long as you don’t fling it around corners as if you’re in a sports sedan, you’ll have no complaints about the Santa Fe’s handling.Overall, the driving experience is transparent, meaning there is nothing outstanding, negatively or positively. The steering has a pleasant feel, neither too tight nor too loose, the brakes work well if not dramatically, the ride is smooth and the vehicle is quiet.
The GLS comes with the smaller of two available V6 engines and is available with a manual transmission, a rare combination in the U.S. We drove a Santa Fe with all-wheel drive, and on dry pavement it did not feel any different from the front-drive model. All-wheel drive is designed to improve handling stability and traction on slippery surfaces. All Santa Fe models include electronic stability control with traction control. The best value may be the front-drive SE model, which has the same high-tech aluminum engine and transmission as the Limited.
|
Car 