Our time with the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport may have been brief, but it showed us how wonderful of an SUV this vehicle is. With the Santa Fe Sport Ultimate Edition keys in hand, we headed out onto the streets of Seattle.
While touring the narrow side streets of downtown, the Santa Fe Sport felt small and nimble. The Mineral Gray coloring standing out among the many of its ilk due to the 19-inch alloy wheels and a blacked panoramic sunroof. Out back, there’s a handy Hands-free automatic liftgate for when you’re full of the day’s shopping.
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On the inside, every seat (front and rear) had heated functionality while the front seats were also ventilated. The front seats are both power adjustable with memory settings for the driver and all seats were coated in leather, along with the shifter knob and the steering wheel. Faux-wood and muted metallic accents dotted the interior giving it a dash of softer features, along with actual soft-touch surfaces.
When the glare in the city gets to be too much, back seat occupants can block out some of the light with the manual window shades. With comfortable rear heated seats and sunshades, it may be tempting to find a driver or pre-load the warmth in the seats for a mid-day nap in a shady spot.
Safety features include the standard air bags, anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control systems, brake assist, and a multi-view camera system.
Add on the Ultimate Tech Package to get even more safety and convenience features, such as smart cruise control with stop/start capability in traffic (tested and approved for Seattle gridlock), emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warnings, and more. The latter features actually make it one of the Top Safety Pick+ vehicles in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests.
The headlights have a bit of geeky tech in them, too, with automatic high beam assist and dynamic bending light that can help drivers see around corners.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a 2.0T without the 240-horsepower 2.0L twin-scroll turbocharged GDI (gas direct injection) 4-cylinder engine. You won’t even have to mash your foot down on the pedal to get the Santa Fe Sport up and going to highway traffic, as it’s peppy and ready to go.
The EPA-estimated fuel economy rating for the 2.0T models is 18 city, 24, highway, and 21 combined; close to our ratings (except for when I mashed the pedal…because Hyundai made that fun).
With great looks and super friendly usability, it’s easy for anyone to fall in love with the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate AWD. For all the bits and bobbles that come in the Santa Fe Sport, it’s one of the better priced SUVs on the market and we appreciated all the refinements it offered.
To test drive a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate AWD, check out www.HyundaiUSA.com or head over to your local Hyundai dealership today!
