The New 2019 Santa Fe
January 02 2019, Max Landi - TheDrive Guyde
OVERVIEW
2019 SANTA FE
The fourth generation of the Hyundai's midsize Santa Fe debuts for the 2019 model year. Receiving a thorough regeneration with a new mission and an exterior design aligning itself with the other crossover and SUVs in Hyundai's model range. Longer than the outgoing car by 2.8 inches, the wheelbase alone accounts for 2.6 inches of that growth. In previous years, the Santa Fe was offered in 2 specifications: the 5-seater Sport or the 7-seater XL. Both of the suffixes have been dropped for this latest generation as the Santa Fe will only be available as a 5-seater midsize crossover. This new direction has the purpose of making space for the upcoming 7-seater, the first ever Hyundai Palisade. The Santa Fe is a bold looking SUV with tasteful chrome accents throughout the car. This weekend, Hyundai Gallery sends me on my way with the keys to the latest Santa Fe.
This featured car is the appealing Luxury trim level with a sensational paint colour known as Rainforest. Reserved for the higher trim levels, it is a colour that needs to be seen in the flesh to appreciate. The Santa Fe starts off with the Essential trim level with eye-catching features including heated front seats, a leather wrapped heated steering wheels and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration for a touch under $29,000CAD. For this base trim, a 2.4L GDI 4 cylinder engine sends 185 horsepower and 178lb/ft of torque to the front wheels. However, AWD is attainable in this trim alongside Hyundai's SmartSense active safety technology by ticking a couple of option boxes.
For the remaining trims (Preferred, Luxury, Ultimate) will have the AWD system and SmartSense as standard features. Moving up in the range, the Santa Fe will offer a more powerful 2.0L turbocharged powerplant with 235hp and 265lb/ft. Notable features with the Luxury model include a 360 degree camera system, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a full size panoramic sunroof, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, hands-free power tailgate and parking sensors. The Ultimate trim separates itself from the rest of the Santa Fe's with a larger 8-inch touchscreen, a heads up display (HUD), a wireless phone charger, and LED light clusters for the headlights and taillights.
As a true midsize crossover, the Santa Fe has an expansive interior with supportive front and rear seats. The massive cargo capacity with the sliding 60/40 splitting rear seats will accommodate a mass of items. Hyundai offers plenty of charging points and storage areas to stow away much more within the cabin as well. Highlighting Hyundai's easy-to-use infotainment system with the logical button arrangement for the climate control settings are present with lots of padded and comforting surfaces. That's the brief overview of the Hyundai Santa Fe. To test drive this exact vehicle or any other vehicle in Hyundai's lineup, check out Hyundai Gallery on Lake Fraser Drive in Calgary's Southeast.
