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2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T: value package adds popular features
Published 1:30 am Friday, April 6, 2018
Is it déjà vu, all over again, one more time?
It certainly seems as if I’ve written a very similar review last year, and the year before and the year before that.
The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate AWD compact sports utility continues to make incremental, year-over-year improvements. This year a value package adds popular features to create exceptional value. What are they, you ask?
The list features heated dual-power side mirrors with turn signal indicators,
power windows with front auto up/down, proximity key with pushbutton start,
seven-inch display audio with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Sirius XM, dual automatic temperature control with clean air ionizer, Hyundai Blue Link Connected Car System, power driver’s seat with lumbar support, heated front seats, daytime running lights, front fog lights and roof side rails.
My tester seated five adults in comfort, with a rear cargo area accessed via remote that is surprisingly large. A seven-passenger version is available, that severely cuts into the cargo space. The Santa Fe Sport Ultimate is rated at 21 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving by the EPA.
Powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, direct-inject four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the combination generates 240 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. of torque at 450 to 3,500 rpm.
There is a Santa Fe Sport to fit virtually any budget, starting with the 2.4 front-wheel drive at $24,900, and climbing to my top-of-the-line tester.
The ultimate version is tricked out with an optional package ($1,600) that includes smart cruise control, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, electronic parking brake, dynamic bending light (that follows you around corners), high-beam assist and auto-leveling headlights.
That’s all on top of an extra-long list of creature comforts that spoil and pamper. My personal favorites were the panoramic sunroof, navigation system with real-time traffic that came in handy on a golf trip to Spanaway Lake Golf Course, leather seating surfaces, multi-view camera system, and hands-free lift gate when my arms were loaded with grocery bags from QFC.
For those of you who gravitate toward electronics and gadgets, the Santa Fe will win you over with its Blue Link services now available via smartphone, smartwatch and virtual assistant devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, such as remote door lock, remote start with climate control, destination search by Google and the monthly vehicle health report.
All too much for me to handle. I remember cars without seat belts, for crying out loud.
The exterior was highlighted by a frost-white pearl coat of paint, 19-inch alloy wheels, and a gloss black lower front fascia.
All of this is covered by “America’s Best Warranty at no extra charge:” 5-year/60,000 mile new vehicle warranty, 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty and 5-year/unlimited miles roadside assistance.
Base Price: $37,200
Price As Driven: $39,875
Vehicles are provided by the manufacturer. List price may vary at local dealerships.