2018 was a very important year for Hyundai. After a decade of steady growth and increasing critical acclaim for its design and quality, the Korean brand had stalled in recent years. The cars were still very good, but given the aggressive market turn toward utility vehicles, Hyundai simply had too many car models in its lineup. This past year was when that all began to turn around with a refreshed Tucson, all-new Kona, redesigned Santa Fe and the late year introduction of the Palisade.
The debut of the fourth-generation Santa Fe last summer also brought with it another change in the branding strategy for Hyundai’s mid-size utilities. A dozen years ago, the brand launched its first three-row crossover as the Veracruz, slotting in above the already successful Santa Fe. The Veracruz never took off though and the next-generation three row adopted the Santa Fe nameplate with the shorter two-row version getting the sport suffix. This time around, the Santa Fe is back to being just a two row with the old three-row still in production for a few more months until the new Palisade arrives.
The 2019 Santa Fe as is usually the case with generational changes, slots in neatly between the the two previous models with the 187.8-inch length being closer to the old Sport and the 108.9-inch wheelbase closer to the three-row. The result is shorter overhangs than before and combined with the new blockier design, giving the whole thing a more assertive stance. The two-part front lighting setup with an upper slim horizontal cluster and a more squared-off lower lamp echos the smaller Kona but it still looks distinct.
There is enough design DNA in the Santa Fe to indicate that this is a modern Hyundai, but the brand is no longer going for cookie cutter designs that simply look like they’ve been zoomed in or out. Instead, each new Hyundai models looks distinct enough to stand on its own while still being part of the family.
Inside, the family resemblance continues with the same sort of stand up central touchscreen for the infotainment system that we’ve come to expect in cars like the Elantra GT and Veloster. This is a familiar approach that is becoming common across the industry. While some complain that it looks like an iPad tacked on to the top of the dashboard, this location keeps it closer to the driver’s line of sight so you don’t have to look away from the road as much.
It has the same familiar user interface that has been standard across all Hyundai and Kia models for the past several years. It’s not particularly glitzy and doesn’t have any fancy animations, but it is functional and responsive and Hyundai always has displays that remain clearly visible and glare-free in bright sunlight or through polarized sunglasses. Of course it also has support for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as a Qi wireless charging pad in the Ultimate trim.
The extra wheelbase on the 2019 model has gone directly into passenger room with almost three-inches added to front legroom and 1.5 inches to the rear passengers. The space behind the rear seat has grown slightly to 35.9 cubic feet, plenty for the road trip needs of a family of four or a pair of couples. Visibility is quite good in all directions and all models get heated mirrors and all but the base SE get heated front seats which was quite handy as a polar vortex descended on Michigan. The Ultimate trim adds ventilation to the front seats and heating for the rear as well as the steering wheel.
All 2019 Santa Fe models get Hyundai’s eight-speed automatic with a direct injected 2.4-liter four-cylinder being standard and adequate for most uses. The optional 2.0-liter turbo four raises the power bar ot 235-hp but more importantly increases torque to 260 lb-ft. If you plan to tow anything, you’ll want the more powerful engine which increases capacity from 2,000 to 3,500 pounds. Even at that level the Santa Fe is still pretty limited. The new Honda Passport offers 5,000 pounds when equipped with all-wheel-drive.
Like most modern crossover utilities, the Santa Fe has a pretty sophisticated system for managing torque distribution front to rear although it does lack the side to side torque vectoring of the Passport. It does however have a choice of 17, 18 or 19 inch wheels depending on trim level which will provide a bit more ride compliance on road and more ability to absorb rock impacts off pavement compared to the standard 20-inch wheels on the Honda.
Under hard acceleration the turbo engine does make a bit more noise than some of the similarly configured engines in competitors and it’s definitely less refined than Honda’s veteran V6. Nonetheless, it’s not too objectionable and it provides plenty of thrust. The steering is fairly precise and well weighted and every Santa Fe trim comes standard with a full suite of driver assists. That package includes radar-based adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitoring and lane keeping assist with forward collision alert. Honda also offers a similar suite as standard. The Ford Edge gets the camera based lane keeping, collision alert and the blindspot sensors standard but the radar cruise control costs extra. On the new Chevrolet Blazer, everything costs extra.
For larger families of more than four members, the upcoming three-row Palisade is probably the better choice for Hyundai buyers. But for smaller families or those that travel with a couple of friends and/or a need to haul a variety of gear the Santa Fe is a very good option. The front-drive Santa Fe SE with the 2.4-liter starts at $26,545 while the loaded Ultimate 2.0T I drove comes to $39,845. With its fresh lineup including three all-new utilities and an updated Tucson, plus the electric Kona, Hyundai should be in a much better position to take advantage of market trends in 2019.
