2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Preview

Introduction

For 2013, the Hyundai Santa Fe moves up a class to replace the Hyundai Veracruz and to compete against midsize 3-row SUVs. The new Hyundai Santa Fe Sport now holds the slot the Santa Fe previously held as a 5-passenger crossover.

Exterior Features

The new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe rides on an extended wheelbase that creates additional room for a third-row seat and 7-passenger seating capacity. Compared with the Santa Fe Sport, the longer Santa Fe features slightly different front and rear styling details, including larger rear taillights.

Interior Features

Hyundai has designed the new Santa Fe with a sliding second-row seat. When the third-row seat is in use, it slides forward to add leg room for additional passengers. When the third-row seat is folded, it slides back to add leg room. Cargo capacity behind the second-row seat measures 46 cubic feet, and the Santa Fe includes rear air vents and climate controls.

Standard equipment on the new Santa Fe includes stain- and odor-resistant YES Essentials fabric, Bluetooth with streaming audio capability, and Blue Link telematics with one free year of service. An auxiliary audio input jack, USB/iPod port, satellite radio, and a CD/MP3 player are included with the standard audio system.

Optional Features

Hyundai provides two premium sound system upgrades for the new Santa Fe, along with optional automatic climate control with a CleanAir ionizer, heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, and a power panoramic moonroof. Leather upholstery is also available, as well as a touch-screen navigation system and a power tailgate.

Under the Hood

A new 3.3-liter V-6 engine making 290 horsepower drives the Santa Fe's front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. An Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system is optional, and features new Torque Vectoring Cornering Control technology to help the Santa Fe better negotiate curves by selectively braking the wheels.

Fuel Economy

Hyundai is predicting that when the Santa Fe is equipped with front-wheel drive, its V-6 engine will get 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. Final EPA fuel-economy estimates are not available as this preview is published.

Safety

Among the 2013 Santa Fe's standard safety features, Blue Link telematics includes Automatic Collision Notification, which puts a live operator in touch with the Santa Fe if the air bags deploy, checks to see if everyone is OK, and sends rescue personnel to the SUV's location to speed help. The Santa Fe includes a free year of Blue Link service; after that, owners must pay a monthly subscription rate.

Every new Santa Fe is equipped with anti-lock brakes with brake assist, traction and stability control, and 7 air bags, including a knee air bag for the driver. A rearview camera and a blind-spot detection system are available as options.