2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Reviews, Pricing & Specs

As demonstrated by last year’s redesign of the Sonata midsize sedan, Hyundai is getting the hang of styling its vehicles for broad appeal. The new 2007 Santa Fe is good-looking from every angle, with pleasing proportions and appealing details. The chunky-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels that come with the GL Premium and GLS trims really help in the looks department, too.

Inside, a similar transformation dramatically upgrades the Santa Fe’s sophistication levels. From the organized control layout and tight panel seams to the clarity of the gauges and quality of materials, the redesigned Santa Fe looks and feels terrific—especially when compared with the vehicle it replaces.

Hope you like V6 engines, because that’s all Hyundai offers in the 2007 Santa Fe. With GL trim, a 185-horsepower, 2.7-litre V6 powers the front wheels through a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Though it’s not dramatically more powerful than some four-cylinder engines used by competitors, the small V6 engine’s 183 pound-feet of torque help to make the Santa Fe GL feel responsive when accelerating from a stop.

Choose GL Premium or GLS trim and the Santa Fe features a stronger 3.3-litre V6 engine with power specs of 242 horsepower and 226 pound-feet of torque. It comes only with an automatic, in this case, a five-speed unit. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is standard with all-wheel drive (AWD) available as an option. This engine is available on the GL trim, and since the AWD drivetrain can only be equipped with this engine, upgrading to the 3.3-litre gives you access to a GL with AWD. This upgrade to the GL also gets you a telescoping steering wheel with audio controls, which is standard on the higher trims.

Especially with the larger V6, the Santa Fe is fairly enjoyable to drive. It offers good acceleration, the more sophisticated 5-speed automatic transmission offers a manual-shift function that provides greater control over the powertrain, and these versions also include larger 18-inch wheels and tires for improved handling at some expense to ride quality.

Seating for five people is standard, and the 2007 Santa Fe offers an optional third-row seat. Though the SUV is larger than the model it replaces, the third-row seat offers restricted headroom and legroom and is suitable only for children.

Used as a five-passenger conveyance, the Santa Fe satisfies. Cloth seats are standard with GL and GL Premium trim, while leather seats (which also equip a sunroof) are an option on the latter and standard on GLS. Heated front seats come in at the GL Premium level. Regardless of the trim level, the Santa Fe’s front seats supply a good view out but may feel too small to larger people. Adjustable lumbar for the driver’s seat is offered on higher trims. The backseat provides generous legroom, and the wider cabin accommodates three-across seating for smaller adults or children.

Storage space is bountiful, including a sizable centre console bin and tray as well as large door panel bins. Cargo space measures 1,079 litres behind the second-row seat, which is plenty for a typical family. The maximum capacity with the rear seat folded down amounts to 2,466 litres. Towing capacity isn’t great, though, limited to 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds).

Every 2007 Santa Fe features six airbags: dual front, dual front side-impact, and a set of side curtain airbags that protect the front and second-row occupants. Four-wheel-disc brakes and antilock brakes are also standard, along with traction control as well as stability control to help a driver recover from a slide or a skid.

As should be expected from a clean-sheet redesign, the 2007 Santa Fe earns a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Santa Fe gets 5-star ratings for all crashworthiness assessments, plus 4-star ratings for rollover resistance with both front-wheel and all-wheel drive.

In short, this is an exceptionally safe family-sized SUV.

Santa Fe pricing in Canada ranges from $25,995 for a GL with FWD to $35,995 for a Hyundai Santa Fe GLS with AWD. Given what some automakers are charging for smaller vehicles, this represents a bargain—especially when you factor in this SUV’s outstanding crash-test ratings.

With the smaller 2.7-litre V6 and the manual transmission, fuel economy is estimated at 11.9 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 8.6 on the highway. Choose the four-speed automatic, and those figures go down to 11.3 L/100 km city, 8.4 highway. On the 3.3-litre V6 with the five-speed automatic, FWD models return 12.2 L/100 km city and 8.8 highway, while AWD models consume 12.6 city, 9.0 highway. Given that the smaller V6 only saves big money on initial cost, we think spending the extra to upgrade to the more powerful and better equipped GL Premium trim level is worth the money.

But even if you disagree, any Santa Fe is worth the money. Especially given its size and available third-row seat, this midsize SUV is a genuine bargain.

Note: Images show a US model.