2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T AWD

The word “Sport” in the name of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport distinguishes this two-row crossover from its bigger Santa Fe cousin. While its dynamic résumé isn’t exactly a thriller, the Santa Fe Sport has plenty of other virtues, amplified by a batch of 2017 updates.

Exterior revisions are modest: a redesigned front fascia with a new grille and headlamps, new taillights and exhaust tips, silver trim for the rocker panels, new wheel designs (17, 18, and 19 inches), and optional new LED daytime running lights. Design tweaks are expected at a midterm update, but Hyundai didn’t really have to make sweeping changes; the Santa Fe Sport looked pretty snappy to begin with.

The interior is enhanced by the availability of new 7.0- and 8.0-inch touchscreens (a 5.0-inch screen is standard). Our top-of-the-line test vehicle had the 8.0-inch screen, which includes navigation and plays nice with Android Auto (but not Apple CarPlay). We’re happy to report that the touchscreen functions are augmented by traditional knobs and switches. Other new-for-2017 features include an available power height-adjustable passenger seat, an Infinity audio system, an upgrade of Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics, and a 360-degree camera system, one of multiple additions to the safety inventory.

Other new safety features include a standard rearview camera and the availability of adaptive cruise control with pedestrian detection and automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive headlamps. These features, plus a solid structure, add up to top safety ratings—five stars from NHTSA and Top Safety Pick + from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Relaxed Sporty

Handling is a surprisingly strong suit, thanks to better-than-average roll stiffness. Skidpad roadholding measures in at a so-so 0.75 g. The better than average electrically assisted power steering conveys at least some tactile information to the driver. The ride can get a little choppy over patchwork pavement and/or washboard dirt roads, but otherwise it is smooth. And the Santa Fe Sport is exceptionally quiet in most operating conditions.

However, acceleration is tepid; the Santa Fe requires 7.6 seconds to get to 60 mph and finishes the quarter-mile in 15.9 seconds. This is far from face-distorting and makes an unflattering contrast with our test results of a 2015 model, which was a full second quicker to 60 mph and also quicker through the quarter-mile.

Both test vehicles were similarly equipped, and both were a little pudgy at 4063 pounds for the current example and 4021 pounds for the 2015 model. But a 42-pound difference isn’t enough to account for the performance disparity. Chalk it up to the 2015 version of the 2.0-liter turbo, which cranked out 264 horsepower and 269 lb-ft versus 240 horsepower and 250 lb-ft for the 2017 engine that has been adopted as part of the refresh. The upside of the power reduction is a small EPA city fuel-economy uptick: 19 mpg, 1 mpg more than before. We averaged 22 mpg this time, versus 18 mpg for the 2015 version.

It’s also hard to love the six-speed automatic transmission. The Santa Fe Sport offers three operating modes—Normal, Eco, and Sport—which alter throttle mapping and shift points. But even in the most aggressive mode, up- and downshifts are deliberate, whether the gearbox is shifting automatically or in response to manual inputs. Speaking of the latter, there are no paddle shifters, either.

Price and Value

At $40,000 plus, the Santa Fe Sport may seem pricey—until you check the competition. Most of the players in this class top out even higher, and as is typical of Hyundai, the buy-in to the top-level model includes mass quantities of equipment: a power sunroof; power seats; leather for the seats, steering wheel, and shifter; an 8.0-inch touchscreen; Blue Link telematics; premium audio; a hands-free power liftgate; LED lights; and 19-inch wheels. The only optional equipment on our test car was the Ultimate Tech package ($1550), which bundles some of the more significant driver-assist safety features, namely adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive headlights. So equipped, the Santa Fe Sport has a luxury feel—attractively styled, handsomely appointed, roomy, quiet, and a smooth operator on most roads. Even in top trim, the value proposition is solid.

In the world of vehicles wearing “sport” labels, this 2017 Hyundai clocks in as relaxed sporty. Buyers seeking excitement might not find what they’re looking for, but most crossover shoppers will.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

PRICE AS TESTED: $40,820 (base price: $39,145)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998 cc
Power: 240 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 250 lb-ft @ 1450 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 106.3 in
Length: 185.0 in
Width: 74.0 in Height: 66.1 in
Passenger volume: 108 cu ft
Cargo volume: 35 cu ft
Curb weight: 4063 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 20.7 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 37.3 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.1 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.9 sec @ 89 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 133 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 187 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.75 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 19/24 mpg
C/D observed: 22 mpg