The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe: A Favorite SUV Redesigned with Upgrades and Safety Features You Need
Becky Fixel
|
Hyundai Breaks the Mold with the All New Santa Fe
The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe is a compact SUV that we’ve known since the early 2000’s, and with the 2019 model year its gotten a facelift and the addition of some great new technology ideal for families. With a complete redesign, the Santa Fe looks stronger, has a more toned, sporty look and appears ready to take on any challenge. We took for a test drive through the hills and flats of Utah and loved many of the updates and new features.
Having everything within a quick reach makes driving the Santa Fe a breeze and keeps the driver focused on the road. Photo: Becky Fixel
What It Costs:
- SE $25,000
- SEL $27,100
- SEL Plus $29,300
- Limited $32,100
- Limited 2.0T $33,700
- Ultimate $34,950
- Ultimate 2.0T $36,600
Who This Car Is For:
- Small families
- Singles
- Couples
- Empty Nesters
- First time SUV buyers
- Buyers who want cutting edge safety features in a car
Control at an Arm’s Reach – Stay Focused on the Road in Front of You
When you’re driving any vehicle, it’s hard to stay distraction free. However, the Santa Fe is making it easier for you to stay focused on the road and making sure you arrive at your destination safely. Featuring a crystal clear heads-up display you can monitor your speed, your navigation directions and even the speed limit in your windshield. Other important things like cruise control, call control and even your radio are intuitively placed so you can reach out quickly and change what you need to without losing much time watching the road.
Crossover to a new compact for your family – the Hyundai Tuscon
This car is connected! Navigations, Apple Car play, Android Auto and more – all integrated into a touch screen infotainment system. Photo: Becky Fixel
Integrated and High Tech – Connect to Your Phone and Your Life
Our phones are our lives and help us stay connected, and the Santa Fe is built to work with your phone of choice. The SUV includes five USB ports throughout, one for data and four for charging (two in the front and two in the back). While connecting your phone can stream your music and connect your contacts, buyers have the option of an Infinity premium audio system with 12-speakers, Quantum Logic surround sound and Clari-Fi music restoration technology, which expands compressed audio signals so music sounds full and rich again.
But integrated tech goes beyond music and cell phones; the Santa Fe offers head- up display, Blue Link turn by turn navigation, and 8-inch touchscreen for navigation and other functions, a rear view monitor with parking guidance, adaptive cruise control that comes to a full stop when traffic does and stop starts up again when traffic begins moving, and little niceties like power windows, and locks and other features, all standard.
Always find your way with technology on your next trip
Passenger comfort is key – shades are built into the rear windows to protect from passengers from the harsh sun. Photo: Becky Fixel
From Built-in Shades to Leg Room, Passengers Aren’t Forgotten in the Santa Fe
Often car designers focus on the comfort of the driver and front passenger and the back seat, well, it becomes an after thought. But Hyundai didn’t sacrifice anything when it came to the back seat. With rear legroom that is comfortable for almost any adult to sit for a long duration, USB charging ports and even built-in shades for those hot and sunny day, back seat passengers will enjoy the ride as much as you will enjoy driving the Santa Fe.
And those days you need more space for hauling items in the back? The Santa Fe’s second row actually has lay flat technology so you won’t have to deal with an incline when you go to put large items in the back of the SUV. Simply push a button and the back of the vehicle is flat and ready to carry even the largest of cargo.
The 2019 Santa Fe takes a rugged stance as it crosses from a cross over to the SUV category. Photo: Becky Fixel
The New Design Looks Powerful on the Road, but the Real Power is Inside
When redesigning the Santa Fe, Hyundai stretched out the wheelbase slightly giving you more room inside. This gives the new SUV a powerful, almost linebacker stance. A vehicle with that type of appearance surely has some power inside and under the hood, too. Surprisingly, the Santa Fe has a 4 cylinder engine – which you wouldn’t think would be that powerful. But the engine boasts 185 horsepower, meaning it really drives like a 6 cylinder. We did notice a bit of a delay when we punched the pedal down to the floor, but when the engine opened up you felt the power.
Why go with a 4 cylinder instead of a 6 cylinder for the new Santa Fe? The redesigned engine actually increases your gas mileage, and in most cases, you can’t tell you are driving a 4 cylinder at all. It is the best of both worlds, providing you the power you want but not sacrifice gas mileage on your SUV.
Get a 360 view of your surroundings while backing up and make sure nothing is in your way. Photo: Becky Fixel
Safety is Key, Protecting Everyone Inside and Outside of the Santa Fe
In the automotive world, safety is key. And that is no different when it comes to the all-new Santa Fe. Within an affordable price point, drivers will get a car loaded with safety features.
The 2019 Santa Fe has a long list of safety features that you’ll be looking for in your next car including:
- Power window lock-out buttons
- Anti-lock braking system
- Electronic stability control
- Traction control
- Brake Assist
- Vehicle stability management
- Tire pressure monitoring system
- Blind-spot collision avoidance assist
- Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assistance
- Forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection
- Lane keeping assist
- Driver attention warning
- Safe exit assist
- Front crumple zone
- Body side reinforcement
- Electronic shift lock system and ignition key interlock
- Anti-theft system
- Driver and front passenger airbags
- Driver and front passenger seat mounted side-impact airbags
- Roof-mounted side curtain airbags
- Hillstart assist control
- Anti-lock braking system
- Brake assist
Rear Occupant Alert & Delay is NEW on the Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai has taken a look at how their cars are used and now offers Rear Occupant Alert, a backup step for those busy days that you may forget something in the back seat.
As you are leaving the car, the car will alert you if there is weight or anything in the back seat that you may have forgotten. If you miss that warning, the car will send you an alert to your phone or email if it detects movement within the back seat. While it’s not meant to be a fail-safe, it is a great back up to prevent anything bad from happening.
And any parent of small kids knows that as soon as they hear the car stop they want out. Hyundai now has the option for you to delay their exit from the back seat and monitor if oncoming traffic may become a problem. All the controls are at your finger tips in the front seat.
Safety is key in your next family sedan
Red for where life takes you the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe has you covered. Photo: Becky Fixel
Ready for Wherever the Road Takes You
With ample space for a small family and storage for whatever you need to take with you, the Santa Fe is the perfect car for day-to-day living as well as taking a road trip.
Overall, it handled a variety of different situations we put it through, although at times the 4 cylinder engine felt a little underpowered. But the ride was comfortable, the leg room ample and the Santa Fe handled every challenge the road offered.
The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe will be released in seven different models and falls well within the budget of families looking for a small sized SUV.
We drove the Ultimate, which includes all of the new safety features, including Rear Occupant Alert, parking sense that alerted when we were nearing another object when parking, as well as all of the standard safety features included on all of the other models.
While driving the Santa Fe, we were able to take the vehicle through the mountains, on dirt roads, on the highway and through cities.
The Santa Fe handled the different roads we took it through, allowing us to enjoy the beauty of Utah! And that along with the safety features and connected technology is the point: Being able to really enjoy the ride.
Disclosure: I was Hyundai’s guest in Park City, UT; travel and accommodations were provided. All opinions in this post are my own.
