The Santa Fe Sport, Hyundai's stylish and well-equipped two-row mid-sized SUV was redesigned and noticeably upgraded for the 2013 model year. It has much to recommend it, as well as a couple of annoying shortcomings that prevent it from scoring higher than it does in our SUV Ratings.
The Sport comes with lots of features for the money. It's also roomy, comfortable, fuel-efficient, and stylish. The ride is composed and the cabin is relatively quiet. The base 190-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine provides ample motivation. Combining this with the smooth and responsive six-speed automatic transmission returned an admirable (for the time) 23 mpg overall. The interior has a high-quality look and feel. It's not exactly luxurious, but it is well made and nicely finished.
Our major gripes center on steering feel and the obstructed view out toward the back. They may not be deal-killers, but could give a buyer pause. While handling is ultimately secure, the steering feels vague and provides just about zero road feel. Meanwhile, the dramatic body styling, with lines that sweep upward toward the rear, creates obstructions that seriously inhibit the view out. At least a backup camera, something that ought to be standard in all SUVs, is available.
The Santa Fe Sport, tested here, is actually the smaller of two Santa Fes. Also available is a larger three-row version, simply called "Santa Fe" without the Sport surname, which has a four-inch-longer wheelbase and eight inches more overall length. That Santa Fe is a completely different animal.