Available V6 horsepower, sure handling in the corners and a smoother ride make Santa Fe easy to drive and comfortable to live with. A beefed-up chassis helps manage higher loads and forces you might face when venturing off pavement or while towing a trailer.
Choose from the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder or 3.5-liter V6 engine. Vibration-reducing measures ensure either engine remains remarkably refined at high speeds or when accelerating briskly. And both feature a Variable Intake System and Continuously Variable Valve Timing on the intake camshafts. Translation: more response and efficiency over a broader range of engine speeds.
Santa Fe models come equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC®. Performance minded drivers will appreciate the option to switch gears manually when driving on inclines, winding roads or when preparing to pass.
When it came time to design the on-demand All Wheel Drive system in the Santa Fe, we turned to the experts at BorgWarner®. Their recommendation: the BorgWarner ITM 3e™, an electromagnetic clutch-type system that sends 95% of the power to the front wheels—until they encounter a low-traction situation, when up to 50% of the power can be apportioned rearward. The advantage: higher efficiency than systems that are always on. The fully automatic system also features an AWD lock button that allows you to send and hold half of the available power to the rear wheels.
You sit higher in a Santa Fe than in a sedan. This requires a specialized, fully independent suspension system for cornering and handling. The firmly damped, long travel suspension tackles both challenges while the reinforced suspension and generously sized wheels and tires―18 inches on SE and LIMITED models―have alignment settings that enthusiasts will recognize as being well suited for safe and confident cornering capability.