With the launch of the 2013 Santa Fe, Hyundai has officially entered a new era in the U.S. Now, every single vehicle in the Hyundai lineup is now either totally new, or significantly refreshed, with each and every car having been met with critical acclaim and stellar sales numbers.
The Korean carmaker is now playing the role of "disrupter." What does that mean? Long-standing best sellers from venerable automakers like Toyota and Honda have lost market share in nearly every important car segment due to Hyundai's success. And now the company has its eye trained on the lucrative and wildly popular crossover segment with its brand new, redesigned Santa Fe, which is built in Georgia.
The 2013 Santa Fe is coming in two different versions, and the nomenclature is a little bit confusing. The Santa Fe Sport, which I drove, seats five and replaces the outgoing 2012 Santa Fe. The Santa Fe, which will be released next year, comes with a longer wheelbase, seats 6 or 7 and replaces the Veracruz SUV that Hyundai is phasing out.
The Santa Fe Sport comes with 2 engine options (a 2.4L I-4 and a 2.0L turbo), all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive and a wide variety of other options. For my test drive, I was behind the wheel of the 2.0T with AWD (mainly because of elevation and mountainous terrain).
The redesigned Santa Fe Sport comes with a sharp new look, new interior and new engine, all of which are now being met with high expectations from the automotive press and consumers alike. With a long line of successes behind them, including a North American Car of the Year award for the Elantra sedan, can Hyundai keep up the momentum with one last hit in its vehicle line up? Should Honda, Toyota and Ford, among others, be worried about Hyundai's presence in yet another car segment? I went to Park City, Utah -- at a wheeze-inducing 7,000 feet -- to find out.
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Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Photos & Information
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Specs
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Local Dealer Price Quote