Hyundai Motor Group is one of the five biggest automobile manufacturers in the world, and part of the firm is KIA, a popular line of automobiles.  Hyundai is the main nameplate, and one which was on the Santa Fe Sport 2.0T crossover that I recently tested.  It was loaned to me courtesy of STI-Drive in Denver.  The Santa Fe is, as you might expect, named after the beautiful New Mexico city 450 miles south of my home of Greeley, Colorado.

The Santa Fe is based on the Hyundai Sonata sedan platform, and is classified as a mid-size crossover.  It is currently in its third generation form, and has been produced since 2000.  The one I tested was painted Canyon Copper metallic and inside it was upholstered in perforated beige leather seating for five.  Its M.S.R.P. totaled $38,350.00, and that included $875.00 for freight and $4,350.00 for the properly-named “ultimate” package.  Included in that last package were HID headlamps, LED taillights, panoramic moon roof, navigation system with 8″ touchscreen, 12-speaker Infinity stereo, heated seating front and rear, air conditioned front buckets, heated steering wheel and rear parking assist sensors.  Standard features of the Sport 2.0T included rear window sunshades, XM radio/CD disc player, power locks/windows/mirrors, pushbutton starter, blind spot monitor and power rear lift gate.

Power for the Santa Fe comes from a 2 liter, 4 cylinder turbocharged engine with 264 horsepower coupled with a 6-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission.  Acceleration was brisk, and is reportedly zero to 60 in 6.6 seconds.  EPA fuel economy ratings for the Sport come in at 18-city, 24-highway, 21-combined miles per gallon.  The tank holds 18.8 gallons, and that is a benefit.  

A compliant ride provided comfort for my wife and I when we travelled to Cheyenne to conduct some business.  The car handled wind (it had to up there) well, and wind noise inside is acceptable.  For about town driving and a little off road usage, both hillstart assist control and downhill brake control are on hand to make things a little more manageable.

The attractive interior had two rows of seating (front buckets), and there is 35.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row.  If that row is folded down, the numbers moves up to 71.5 cubic feet.  The second row seat is a 40/20/40 folding affair.  The heated and air conditioned front buckets were supportive and comfortable (and attractive).  The all-wheel drive car is 193.1″ long, rests on a 110.2″ wheelbase, and has 146 cubic feet of passenger volume inside.

Styling, a hallmark of the Santa Fe, picked up some glances (and stares) during the week driving the Santa Fe, and I particularly liked the color.  Chrome handles were on the doors, Ten-spoke 19″ alloys were mounted on the axles, and the tires were P225/55R19 Continental CrossContact LX sport all season radials.  The Hyundai was a pleasure to test, and in my mind it represents a good value with its sub-$40,000.00 window sticker.