As a people mover the Exiga is a brilliant car, it will happily seat a family of six in comfort and entertain the kids with its rear DVD entertainment system (nine-inch wide screen setup comes standard). For the first look of the Exiga Subaru took Australia's motoring press to Canberra for a long journey through rural NSW. Before getting into one, the most notable feature of the Exiga is of course its styling. It's hard to say how it will go down with the buyers but it's worth noting that despite the current Liberty, Outback and Impreza being regarded by some as not-the-prettiest-of-cars, all three models are selling better than ever.
The Subaru Exiga (pronounced x-shiga) is a crossover utility vehicle (CUV) that debuted as a concept car during the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. According to the Japanese Subaru press introduction materials, the name "Exiga" is a neologism combination of the words "exciting" and "active". The vehicle boasts a supersize panoramic glass roof and theater-style seating, with rear passengers sitting a little higher than those in front. Seats in the concept vehicle were upholstered in leather and trimmed in pearl white and blue. The rear seatbacks incorporate fold-down tray tables, similar to those on airplanes.
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
