The Santa Fe Sport’s cushy ride pairs with energetic handling for respectable on-road performance, but where the Sport shines is in its exceptionally well-appointed interior, wide array of available safety features, and price tag. The Santa Fe Sport delivers middling fuel economy, but its ample cargo hold makes up for some of that lost advantage and turns this compact version of the Santa Fe into a truly useful automobile.
Pros Upscale interior, agreeable to drive, a features list as long as your leg.
Cons Four-cylinder power in a V-6 class, light on standard safety gear, hoped-for fuel economy gone missing.
The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport still does what good crossover SUVs do best: it delivers flexible space, decent performance, and great value.
Pros Hits all the right crossover-SUV marks Lots of standard features A very good value, then and now Clever sliding seat Turbo-4’s minimal gas mileage penalty
Cons Dull base engine Gas mileage isn’t its strong suit Could use better steering feel 4-cylinders only
Pros Relative value Lots of available luxury features Cabin storage Handling Seating flexibility
Cons Off-the-line power versus V-6 competitors Rearward visibility Rear seating position Road noise Interior quality
The Santa Fe receives a visual freshening for 2021 that includes bolder front-end styling and improvements to its interior. Three new powertrains are offered: A 2.5-liter four-cylinder replaces the standard 2.4-liter unit, a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder replaces the optional turbocharged 2.0-liter, and a hybrid variant powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder and an electric motor joins the lineup. The Santa Fe gains a push-button shifter, several new optional driver-assistance features including a semi-autonomous driving mode, larger 8.0-inch and optional 10.3-inch infotainment displays, an optional 12.3-inch digital gauge display, and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Following in the larger Palisade's footsteps, the Santa Fe also gains a fancy Calligraphy trim level with quilted leather upholstery, a color head-up display, standard all-wheel drive, unique exterior accents, and more upscale interior embellishments.
The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe pushes efficiency with a new hybrid model.
PROS Larger standard and available touchscreens Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models More efficient, potent powertrains Revised transmission
CONS Expected price increase Calligraphy edges into Genesis turf Unknown standard features Unknown value
Pros Comfy, spacious, clever tech
Cons Not very interesting, not as cheap as it was, lack of choice RE engines
