Mention the Hyundai Santa Fe at a party and chances are that someone will perk
up. The midsize crossover has been a big seller.
Yet expect blank stares for the vehicle that a new, bigger version of the Santa
Fe now will replace, the Hyundai Veracruz.
The Veracruz was a perfectly fine three-row family hauler, but the problem, as
explained by Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik: "Does that third-row seat
require a separate marketing label," meaning its own nameplate, Veracruz? "The
answer was 'no.'"
Hyundai sold just 8,232 of the Veracruz last year vs. 71,016 for the old-design,
two-row Santa Fe, Autodata says. So when the redesigned two-row Santa Fe rolled
out for 2013, it was dubbed Santa Fe Sport. And to replace Veracruz comes a
stretched, three-row version of the Sport named simply Santa Fe. Hyundai showed
it off last week as a prelude to its arrival in showrooms this month.
The new Santa Fe shares more with the Sport than a name. It's basically the same
vehicle forward of the second-row seats and only a little more than 8 inches
longer overall. It will come in a seven-seat layout for a big family or a
six-seat version with captain's chairs. The Veracruz was a tad shorter, but a
little wider, than the new Santa Fe.
The two-row Santa Fe Sport and similar midsize crossovers tend to attract an
average buyer in their early 50s, about a third of them college graduates and
many empty-nesters. The three-row Santa Fe takes dead aim at families.
Krafcik says the new vehicle is an opportunity, since Hyundai hasn't made much
of a dent in the market for three-row crossovers, even as it has grabbed sales
in cars and smaller crossovers. "Our strategy now is, 'Can we grow it?'" he said
at the Santa Fe introductory event in this seaside community next to San Diego.
Hyundai is on the right track by trying to build on an existing, well-regarded
brand name, says Karl Brauer, founder and editor-in-chief of TotalCarScore.com.
"It is much harder to build a brand from scratch than to build on a brand that
already exists."
Hyundai hopes the positive response to the redone Santa Fe Sport's interior,
with its layers of textures and soft-touch surfaces along the dashboard, will
extend to the three-row model. Mike O'Brien, Hyundai vice president for product
planning, says interior quality has emerged as one of the chief reasons buyers
give for picking the Santa Fe Sport.
The Santa Fe departs from the Santa Fe Sport -- and from the old Veracruz --
when it comes to power. The new Sport offers only four-cylinder engines, while
the Santa Fe has a standard V-6. And while its 3.3-liter V-6 is smaller than the
3.8-liter in the Veracruz, it delivers 290 horsepower, up 30.
On a drive with three adults aboard through the hills east of San Diego, Santa
Fe had abundant, quiet power. The engine is mated to an equally smooth six-speed
automatic transmission. The combination also is good for towing up to 5,000
pounds,
The two-wheel-drive version of the V-6 Santa Fe is rated 18 miles per gallon in
city driving, 25 highway and 21 in combined city/highway use. All-wheel drive
subtracts one each from the highway and combined ratings. The mileage is up
slightly from the front-drive Veracruz's 17 mpg city, 22 highway, in part thanks
to a weight reduction of 333 pounds to just under two tons.
What hasn't changed much is the entry price. Santa Fe starts at $29,145 with
shipping, about the same as the Veracruz. It tops out at $38,595 with all the
bling, including a technology package, about $1,500 more than you could spend
for a Veracruz. O'Brien says the base Santa Fe GLS was strategically priced to
start at about $300 less than a Nissan Pathfinder S, about $1,000 less than a
Honda Pilot LX and more than $2,000 less than Toyota Highlander.
Standard features in the base Santa Fe include 18-inch alloy wheels, satellite
radio and projector-style headlights, but, oddly, not a rear backup camera --
considered a critical safety feature by many families. Buyers have to spring for
an uplevel technology package, which includes a navigation system, to get a
camera.
And a notable, family-friendly item that is missing from the option list --
which extends to a giant sunroof and heated rear seats -- is a back-seat
entertainment system for the kids such as those offered in many other large
crossovers. Brauer says that when he asked executives about it, the response
was, "Bring your iPad."
