2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
For this week’s review we’ve gotten our hands on the all new 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. Immediately you’ll notice the new design language Hyundai is going with it’s front head lights that look similar to the all new Kona last year. We expect to see this design language transfer to other crossovers in their line up like the 2020 Palisade. This iteration may throw some people off as the previous generation came as a 3 row crossover but it is only a 2 row now!
Disclosure: Hyundai Canada and JS Auto provided me with the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe for a week to test drive, and photograph. All photos in this blog post was taken by me. #HyundaiSantaFe
ACCELERATION: 7/10
2.4L I4 - 185HP @ 6000 & 178 lb-ft @ 4000
2.0L Turbo I4 - 235 HP @ 6000& 260 lb-ft @ 1450-3500
8 Speed Auto
7.5 second 0-100 km/hr 2.0L Turbo I4
BRAKING: 7.5/10
Considering this is one of the bigger entries in this segment it has respectable stopping scores.
HANDLING: 8/10
Tires are wider than the average crossover helping it grip the road better. It handles on the road well but does not have the driving dynamics and precision for an enthsiast.
RIDE: 8.5/10
Very comfortable ride, great for a family.
ECONOMY: 6.5/10
Better fuel economy numbers in the competition
22/29/25 - 2.4L FWD
21/27/23 - 2.4L AWD
20/25/22 - 2.0T FWD
19/24/21 - 2.0T AWD
CABIN NOISE: 9/10
Road & wind noise is very well controlled.
If you floor it, there is quite a bit of engine noise but in most driving situations Hyundai has done an A+ job with keeping the cabin quiet.
EXTERIOR: 9/10
Equipped with the latest grill, and headlight design language Hyundai is going in
INTERIOR FOR DRIVER: 8.5/10
Amazing visibility for the driver. I would feel comfortable driving with all the safety features off.
Loving all the physical buttons, and placement of them just makes sense. Very user friendly
Felt comfortable sitting in the driver seat for multiple hours.
INTERIOR FOR PASSENGERS: 8.5/10
Passenger friendly rear space The seats can be adjusted and can recline quite a bit.
The panoramic sunroof is massive and will be able to let in lots of light into the rear seats so it doesn’t feel as dark
Both leg and head room score very good compared to it’s competitors! Comparison numbers below,
Combined Legroom:
82.3 - Murano
82.2 - Santa Fe
81.1 - Edge
81.0 - Outback
80.6 - Blazer
79.7 - Tucson
78.9 - Grand Cherokee
78.8 - RAV4
Combined Headroom:
40.3 - Edge
39.8 - Murano
39.5 - RAV4
39.2 - Santa Fe
39.2 - Grand Cherokee
39.2 - Tucson
38.9 - Outback
38.6 - Blazer
INTERIOR STORAGE: 9/10
Rear seats can shift forward to provide more room
Loving the dividers when you lift the floor making it perfect to store loose items like groceries
Trunk automatically opens if you stand behind it for a few seconds but I wish it had the kick swipe feature seen in other vehicles
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM: 10/10
The best infotainment from a non-luxury brand, period.
OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE 2019 Hyundai Santa fe:
Hyundai’s 2019 Santa Fe is redesigned with an all new interior and exterior look. Bold in style and big on safety. The Santa Fe comes with an abundant amount of safety features that come standard with all trim. Other than the lack of power, this crossover has all the modern tech features you would want in a modern vehicle.
Hyundai’s Santa Fe is family friendly and gives buyers peace of mind with its generous warranty coverage as well. You can’t go wrong with giving a test drive. If you loved the previous generation 3-row Santa Fe, I would recommend waiting till next year for the all new 2020 Palisade which will be joining the line up!