2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: First Look
CARS.COM
Competes with: Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, Kia Sorento
Looks like: A mild refresh; the larger Santa Fe’s updated face now sets it apart from the Sport.
Drivetrains: 185-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder; 240-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder; six-speed automatic transmission; front- or all-wheel drive
Hits dealers: On sale now
Hyundai’s midsize Santa Fe Sport ups its competitiveness for 2017, primarily with new safety technologies and multimedia features. There also are a few tweaks under the two-row SUV’s hood that lower peak horsepower but increase fuel economy. Hyundai says the nearly 350 updated parts equate to 25 percent of the Santa Fe Sport being freshened with changes inside, outside and under the hood. The Santa Fe Sport is making its debut alongside the also-refreshed three-row Santa Fe SUV at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show.
More 2016 Chicago Auto Show News
Exterior
The Santa Fe Sport wears restyled daytime running lights and fog light cutouts and a new grille with more horizontal slots. Rear styling also is updated but not nearly as much as the front, and a new Nightfall Blue exterior color joins the paint lineup.
Interior
Android Auto now is optional on the Santa Fe Sport and simplifies integration of an Android smartphone with the SUV’s multimedia system, including 40 compatible applications. To get it, you’ll have to ditch the standard 5-inch display and opt for the 7-inch touch-screen display featuring Next-Generation Hyundai Blue Link connectivity with safety and diagnostic features, remote start with climate control, stolen vehicle recovery and remote door lock/unlock. An 8-inch touch-screen also is available.
Hyundai says to stay tuned for an announcement regarding Apple CarPlay for iPhones in the first half of the year.
Elsewhere on the inside, the front passenger seat now can be optioned with power height adjustment, and the center of the dash housing the multimedia system is redesigned.
Under the Hood
In a somewhat odd twist, the Santa Fe Sport’s peak horsepower is lowered but without any offsetting cut in curb weight or other changes that are typical when power from the previous engine goes bye-bye. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder is down to 185 hp from 190 hp, and the turbocharged 2.0-liter decreases from 264 hp to 240 hp.
A Hyundai spokesperson says there is more power and torque at lower engine speeds leading to less use of the accelerator in everyday driving, which helps fuel economy across the board.
The result is an estimated 1 mpg increase in combined fuel ratings across most of the Santa Fe Sport lineup when combined with lower-rolling resistance tires, aerodynamic tweaks and an
updated, reduced-friction six-speed transmission. Only the 2.0T with all-wheel drive and Ultimate Package doesn’t see a combined fuel economy increase.
A new drive mode selector with Normal, Sport and Eco modes changes engine and transmission responsiveness as well as the power steering assist.
Safety
If a standard backup camera doesn’t do the trick, a newly available multiview camera system provides a top-down view of the Santa Fe Sport for a more comprehensive look at what’s around the vehicle while parking. Lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning with emergency braking and pedestrian detection also are first-time features.
