Hyundai has tinkered with the names of its mid-size and full-size SUVs for the 2019 model year. The redesigned two-row 2019 Santa Fe reviewed here replaces the Santa Fe Sport in Hyundai’s lineup, and the three-row Santa Fe has been dubbed Santa Fe XL for 2019 but is a carryover model with few changes. The Santa Fe XL isn’t long for this world, though; it’s slated to be replaced by the three-row Hyundai Palisade, which will arrive next summer as a 2020 model.
The 2019 Santa Fe starts at $26,545, including a $1,045 destination charge, for a base front-wheel-drive SE trim. We tested two higher-end versions: a $36,620 front-wheel-drive Ultimate with the 185-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that goes in most trims, as well as a $39,970 all-wheel-drive Ultimate with the optional 235-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
More SUV, More Futuristic
The 2019 Santa Fe’s profile looks more upright than the outgoing Santa Fe Sport’s, with a windshield that’s not as raked. It looks more like an SUV now, and one big practical advantage of the design is good visibility: Thin front roof pillars and side mirrors mounted on the front doors (rather than the base of those pillars) help give the Santa Fe great forward views. Hyundai also flattened out the SUV’s beltline, increasing visibility for rear passengers and providing better over-shoulder views for the driver.
The Santa Fe’s front end is, without question, the most polarizing aspect of the design. Like Hyundai’s subcompact Kona SUV and upcoming three-row Palisade, the Santa Fe has slim LED daytime running lights that sit below the front edges of the hood and flank a gaping grille (the headlights sit below the DRLs). It’s not a new design tactic — the pre-2019 Jeep Cherokee had something similar — but it’s an approach that’s gaining steam; the upcoming 2019 Blazer also uses it.
How It Drives
The Santa Fe is composed and comfortable in the city and on rural two-lane highways, but it’s flustered by more challenging, twisty roads. Some drivetrain-tuning choices also hurt the driving experience.
The standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine makes adequate power, but full-throttle acceleration is modest. The engine works with an eight-speed automatic transmission that kicks down quickly but isn’t always willing to select as low a gear as is needed.
Gas-pedal response is gradual in the Comfort drive mode, but you get used to it after a while. The Sport mode, however, isn’t great in everyday driving; it makes the gas pedal extremely sensitive, to the point that it’s hard to accelerate smoothly or hold a steady speed.