The Hyundai Sante Fe recently made the top ten list of most-researched cars in 2013. This is great news for the re-designed AWD crossover – which is now looking seriously classy across all of its many trim levels.
Lots of researching could be not-so-great news as well, by indicating buyers are confused by the new Sport and LWB sizes.
Many trim levels? On a Hyundai? Not really – allow me to explain the key differences between the five-seat Sante Fe Sport (seen directly below) and the seven-seat Sante Fe LWB.
BUYER CRITERIA |
Sante Fe Sport |
Sante Fe LWB |
Base drive wheels |
FWD |
FWD |
Base drive engine |
2.4-liter I-4 |
3.3-liter V6 |
Optional drive wheels |
AWD |
AWD |
Optional drive engine |
2.0-liter Turbo I-4 |
None |
Base Pricing |
$24,950 |
$29,800 |
Optional Turbo Base Price |
$30,650 |
V6 Only |
Standard Seating |
5 |
7 |
Third Row? |
No |
Yes |
Second Row Legroom |
39.4 in |
41.3 in |
SAE passenger volume |
108.0 cubic ft. |
146.6 cubic ft. |
Total interior volume |
143.4 cubic ft. |
160 cubic ft. |
SAE cargo volume – Behind front seats (est.) |
71.5 cubic ft. |
80.0 cubic ft. |
Wheelbase (in.) |
106.3 |
110.2 |
Total Length (in.) |
184.6 |
193.1 |
SAE cargo volume – Behind 2nd row seats (est.) |
35.4 cubic ft. |
40.9 cubic ft. |
SAE cargo volume – Behind 3rd row seats (est.) |
N/A |
13.5 cubic ft. |
As this summary table shows, the differences boil down to two factors: length and engines.
Can they be distinguished from one another on the road? Yes: the Sport has an up-kick to the window line, while the LWB does not.
The Sante Fe Sport leads the pricing sheet with just a $25,000 entry tally for the base four-cylinder models.
These are also quite nimble, with a very tight turning circle that is much tighter than the Chevy Equinox and others at just above 35 feet versus the Equinox’s 40-plus feet.
So U-turns will be handy in either Sante Fe, but the big LWB models are significantly heavier on the curb weight tallies.
Depending on drive and equipment, the Sport can weigh up to 800 pounds less than the LWB – which is nothing to sneeze at in terms of real-world economy and dynamism.
The Sante Fe line all comes as standard with a six-speed automatic and front-wheel-drive, but AWD is optional on all trims and styles.
In terms of optional engines, the SF Sport packs the only upgrade: a very pricey jump from the 2.4-liter GDI engine with 190 horsepower up to the 2.0-liter T-GDI engine with 274 horsepower.
Much as turbochargers are awesome – the price leap from FWD to FWD Turbo trims is a whopping $5,700. Adding AWD brings the Sante Fe Sport’s base price to $32,400 – and it still needs a $4,000 tech package to really feel loaded.
Suddenly an affordable turbo crossover becomes a very expensive proposition on the Sport Turbo.
The base engine is likely the far better choice for most buyers, as Hyundai’s turbo engines are generally not much quicker in sprints than their normal engines. The turbo will also absolutely guzzle gasoline on hard throttle.
The Sante Fe LWB mercifully brings a standard 3.3-liter V6 that has a bit more torque. This is still near the back of the class for sprint pace, with an estimated 7.9-seconds for FWD and AWD versions of the LWB Sante Fe.
Oddly, fuel economy and tow ratings do not differ much among the Sport and LWB’s various drivetrains. Efficiency and tow ratings are lackluster.
Roominess and semi-posh materials abound inside both cars, with some tasteful leather and wood choices.
It looks nice in the official photos, but there is a bit of a culture clash between the earth-tone leathers and all the tech-city silver trims and pointy silver buttons.
Summary? The Sante Fe looks great, is easy to buy in various styles to match your life, and even comes with some super-premium paint shades like Hamptons Green and Cabo Tan.
Looks-wise, the Sante Fe seems more fashionable than the Pathfinder and Highlander – with its LED accents and squared projector beam headlight housings.
Please review the specs comparisons below for all the details on this hot new family truck line from Hyundai, available now nationwide.
2014 Hyundai Sante Fe LWB
2014 Hyundai Sante Fe SPORT
Sante Fe SPORT – Static Colors Gallery
2014 Hyundai Sante Fe – Official Specifications
| ENGINE | |||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0L Turbo |
3.3L |
|||||||||||
| Type |
2.4L GDI DOHC 16-valve Inline 4-cylinder |
2.0L Turbo GDI DOHC 16-valve Inline 4-cylinder |
3.3L GDI DOHC 24-valve V6 |
||||||||||
| Materials |
Aluminum block/aluminum cylinder heads |
Aluminum block/aluminum cylinder heads |
Aluminum block/aluminum cylinder heads |
||||||||||
| Bore & stroke |
88.0 mm x 97.0 mm |
86.0 mm x 86.0 mm |
92.0 mm x 83.8 mm |
||||||||||
| Displacement |
2.4L / 2,359 cc |
2.0 L / 1,998 cc |
3.3L / 3,342 cc |
||||||||||
| Horsepower (est.) |
190 @ 6,300 rpm |
264 @ 6,000 rpm |
290 @ 6,400 rpm |
||||||||||
| Torque |
181 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm |
269 lb-ft @ 1,750~ 3,000 rpm |
252 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm |
||||||||||
| Valves per cylinder |
4 |
4 |
4 |
||||||||||
| Compression Ratio |
11.3 |
9.5 |
11.5 |
||||||||||
| TRANSMISSION | |||||||||||||
| 6-speed electronic automatic |
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
|||||||||||
| SUSPENSION | |||||||||||||
| Front | MacPherson strut with twin-tube gas filled damper and 26-mm stabilizer bar | ||||||||||||
| Rear | Multi-link with gas shock absorber and (FWD 21 mm / AWD 19 mm) stabilizer bar | ||||||||||||
| STEERING | |||||||||||||
| Type | Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) | ||||||||||||
| Overall Ratio | 15.03 : 1 | ||||||||||||
| Turns, lock to lock | 2.95 | ||||||||||||
| Turning circle (curb to curb) | 35.8 ft (Santa Fe Sport), 36.9 ft (Santa Fe) | ||||||||||||
| BRAKES/TIRES/WHEELS | |||||||||||||
| Front | Ventilated single piston disc, 12.6 in. x 1.1 in. (320mm x 28mm) | ||||||||||||
| Rear | Solid single piston disc, 11.9 in. x 0.4 in. (302mm x 11mm) | ||||||||||||
| ABS | 4-wheel, 4-channel, 4-sensors with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist | ||||||||||||
| Wheels | 17 x 7.0 aluminum alloy18 x 7.5 aluminum alloy19 x 7.5 aluminum alloy | ||||||||||||
| Tires | P235/65 R17P235/60 R18P235/55 R19 | ||||||||||||
| EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS | |||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
| Wheelbase |
106.3 in |
110.2 in. |
|||||||||||
| Overall length |
184.6 in |
193.1 in. |
|||||||||||
| Overall width |
74.0 in. |
74.2 in. |
|||||||||||
| Overall height (w/ roof rack) |
66.1 in. (66.5 in.) |
66.5 in. (66.9 in.) |
|||||||||||
| Wheel Tread, front |
64.3 / 64.1 in. (17” / 18 & 19”) |
64.1/64.5 in.(18″/19″) |
|||||||||||
| Wheel Tread, rear |
64.7 / 64.5 in. (17” / 18 & 19”) |
64.5/64.5 in.(18″/19″) |
|||||||||||
| Coefficient of Drag |
0.34 |
TBA |
|||||||||||
| INTERIOR DIMENSIONS | |||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
| Head room(w/ sunroof) | Front |
39.6 in. (38.2 in.) |
39.6 in. (38.2 in.) |
||||||||||
| 2nd row |
39.1 in. (37.4 in.) |
39.4 in. (38.3 in.) |
|||||||||||
| 3rd row |
N/A |
35.7 in. (35.7 in.) |
|||||||||||
| Leg room | Front (MAX) |
41.3 in. (44.1 in.) |
41.3 in. (44.1 in.) |
||||||||||
| 2nd row |
39.4 in |
41.3 in |
|||||||||||
| 3rd row |
N/A |
31.5 in |
|||||||||||
| Shoulder room | Front |
59.4 in. |
59.4 in. |
||||||||||
| 2nd row |
58.3 in |
58.6 in. |
|||||||||||
| 3rd row |
N/A |
53.9 in. |
|||||||||||
| Hip room | Front |
56.7 in. |
56.7 in. |
||||||||||
| 2nd row |
55.4 in. |
55.4 in. |
|||||||||||
| 3rd row |
N/A |
44.1 in |
|||||||||||
| SAE passenger volume |
108.0 cubic ft. |
146.6 cubic ft. |
|||||||||||
| Total interior volume |
143.4 cubic ft. |
160 cubic ft. |
|||||||||||
| SAE cargo volume – Behind front seats (est.) |
71.5 cubic ft. |
80.0 cubic ft. |
|||||||||||
| SAE cargo volume – Behind 2nd row seats (est.) |
35.4 cubic ft. |
40.9 cubic ft. |
|||||||||||
| SAE cargo volume – Behind 3rd row seats (est.) |
N/A |
13.5 cubic ft. |
|||||||||||
| CAPACITIES | |||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
3.3L |
|||||||||||
| Fuel |
17.4 gallons |
17.4 gallons |
18.8 gallons |
||||||||||
| Oil |
6.4quarts (6.1 liter) |
6.4quarts (6.15 liter) |
6.3 quarts (6.0 liters) |
||||||||||
| Coolant |
2.7 quarts (2.55 liter) |
2.7 quarts (2.55 liter) |
4.6 quarts (4.4 liters) |
||||||||||
| CURB WEIGHT | |||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
GLS |
Limited |
||||||||||
| FWD |
3,459 lbs. |
3,569 lbs. |
3,933-4,173 |
3,904 – 4,145 |
|||||||||
| AWD |
3,616 lbs. |
3,706 lbs. |
4,085 – 4,325 |
4,057 – 4,297 |
|||||||||
| GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING | |||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
GLS |
Limited |
||||||||||
| FWD |
4,850 lbs. |
4,960 lbs. |
5,512 |
5,512 |
|||||||||
| AWD |
5,071 lbs. |
5,181 lbs. |
5,622 |
5,622 |
|||||||||
| PAYLOAD CAPACITIES | |||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
GLS |
Limited |
||||||||||
| FWD |
1,078 – 1,391 lbs. |
1,078 – 1,391 lbs. |
1,338 – 1,579 lbs. |
1,367 – 1,607 lbs. |
|||||||||
| AWD |
1,142 – 1,455 lbs |
1,162 – 1,475 lbs. |
1,296 – 1,537 lbs. |
1,325 – 1,565 lbs. |
|||||||||
 TOWING CAPACITIES |
|||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
GLS |
Limited |
||||||||||
| With trailer brakes |
2,000 lbs. |
3,500 lbs. |
5,000 lbs. |
5,000 lbs. |
|||||||||
| Without trailer brakes |
1,650 lbs. |
1,650 lbs. |
2,000 lbs. |
2,000 lbs. |
|||||||||
| FUEL ECONOMY | |||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
3.3L |
|||||||||||
| FWD A/T (EPA) | |||||||||||||
| City |
20 mpg |
19 mpg |
18 mpg |
||||||||||
| Highway |
27 mpg |
27 mpg |
25 mpg |
||||||||||
| Combined |
23 mpg |
22 mpg |
21 mpg |
||||||||||
| AWD A/T (EPA) | |||||||||||||
| City |
19 mpg |
18 mpg |
18 mpg |
||||||||||
| Highway |
25 mpg |
24 mpg |
24 mpg |
||||||||||
| Combined |
21 mpg |
21 mpg |
20 mpg |
||||||||||
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.