Identical to with so many latest Hyundais, the 2024 Santa Fe grabbed the automobile world’s consideration with its daring design. The midsize crossover jumped from a handsome-yet-generic form to a crisply creased field, capitalizing on each the pattern towards squared-off and off-road-oriented designs and Hyundai’s latest retro-futuristic motif. In accordance with Kevin Kang, the top of Hyundai Design North America, the design and growth course of passed off in the course of the pandemic, and it rapidly turned obvious that clients had been going to need one thing that seemed, felt and was moderately able to getting them away from all of it. To that finish, it’s evident from early sketches that ruggedness was at all times a key focus. That led partially to the boxy form, however it knowledgeable the will to supply most area, once more, as a necessity for getting away. Theoretically, you would want area for gear, provides and presumably for sleeping in. Even in South Korea, automobile tenting, or “chabak” in Korean, was turning into well-liked because the Santa Fe was developed.
Whereas each model of the brand new Santa Fe advantages from the design group’s give attention to ruggedness and area, one trim inarguably represents the head of these concepts: the XRT. The trim made its debut on the earlier Santa Fe, and has expanded to the Tucson, Santa Cruz and Palisade. Whereas all of these had been and are largely look packages (the Palisade model is even referred to as the “City” in Canada), the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT is extra of the actual deal. It will get a further 1.3 inches of floor clearance for starters. An inch of that’s from a suspension carry, whereas the remainder comes from the bigger 29.6-inch Continental TerrainContact all-terrain tires. That offers the XRT 8.3 inches of floor clearance, which is 0.2 greater than the Honda Passport (together with the TrailSport), 0.1 lower than a regular Jeep Grand Cherokee, and 0.4 lower than a regular Subaru Outback. It’s the identical because the Honda Pilot TrailSport. The carry additionally improves strategy, breakover and departure angles by 1.9, 2.1 and 1.5 levels respectively in comparison with a daily, non-hybrid Santa Fe.
Design-wise, the XRT receives black badging throughout, a singular blocky grille insert, XRT branded leatherette seats, extra versatile raised roof rails, and people all-terrain tires are fitted to distinctive 18-inch wheels. That gives extra sidewall on prime of the chunkier tread sample. The wheels are a lot chunky themselves, with thick rims that vaguely counsel beadlock wheels. Additionally, whereas the XRT doesn’t have a selected off-road drive mode, the traction management settings have been adjusted throughout the board for higher off-road use, akin to permitting for a bit extra tire slip than regular. Hill descent management and an all-wheel-drive lock button are included, the latter of which retains the clutch pack that connects the rear axle totally engaged. Activating these options additionally additional adjusts the traction settings.
The XRT is just out there with the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which is a really welcome enchancment over the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder of the earlier model. Like different Santa Fes, the engine makes 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque (in comparison with 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet for the previous one), however the cooling system has been enhanced. It will get a higher-output radiator fan, and there are bigger grille openings for extra airflow. This offers the XRT an additional 1,000 kilos of towing capability over the non-hybrid fashions for 4,500 kilos whole. That falls in need of these opponents talked about above, minus the Outback, however it’s nonetheless a good quantity for towing a small camper or toy hauler. Sadly, a trailer hitch shouldn’t be included (not like the Honda TrailSports and Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek), that means you’ll have to go looking sellers for an optionally outfitted XRT if you happen to’re seeking to tow or use a hitch-mounted rack.
Like different rugged crossovers with all-terrain tires, the XRT does obtain its further functionality on the expense of gasoline financial system. With 19 mpg within the metropolis, 26 on the freeway and 22 mpg mixed, it is 1 to 2 mpg thirstier than some other non-hybrid Santa Fe. The XRT can also be solely supplied with all-wheel-drive, and it will get an eight-speed dual-clutch computerized transmission.
The XRT in fact advantages from the brand new Santa Fe’s general redesign. It has the nifty hid seize handles for accessing no matter you’ve loaded onto the roof. The additional exterior dimension enabled the introduction of a 3rd row of seats, and with them folded, there’s extra cargo area behind the second row than earlier than (36.4 cubic ft as much as 40.5). Complete cargo area additionally jumps from 72.1 to 79.6 cubic ft. Even the hatch has been expanded to make it a lot simpler to load cumbersome objects. Peak expands by 2 inches to 32, and width expands by 5.7 inches to 50.2. Simply don’t anticipate to totally make the most of each the third row and all that further cargo area: The aft-most row is surprisingly spacious, however it comes on the expense of cargo area behind it. You’ll be fortunate to hold purchasing luggage. Much more purpose to have these higher roof rails and go for the trailer hitch, then.
With all that out of the way in which, let’s get into the precise drive. On this journey, we had entry to each an XRT and the top-spec Calligraphy for highway driving, with an off-road course arrange for the model finest suited to it. To be clear, that will not be the Calligraphy, as its 21-inch wheels wouldn’t have made for an excellent expertise, and doubtless would’ve resulted in some harm.
Having pushed each fashions back-to-back on the road, we’re happy to report that the additional top and the all-terrain tires do not actually change the pavement expertise, no less than not in any vital means. The engine stays torquey and keen, and the transmission is pretty clean with immediate, if not split-second, shifts. You may hear some rumbly gargles at increased rpm, however it’s not significantly loud, plus with all that torque, it is easy for the engine to work largely unnoticed with low revs. There are guide shift paddles that work moderately properly, however their actual use will probably be for holding decrease gears for engine braking on downhills.
The Santa Fe can also be quite succesful in corners, with solely average physique roll and strong grip. Nevertheless, the character is rather more of a relaxed cruiser. That is made extra obvious with steering that is not significantly fast to react and is a bit of mild and numb. It’s going to hustle if you happen to actually ask it to, however the Santa Fe asks that you just calm down within the mushy seats and benefit from the astonishingly huge visibility out the tall windshield. And the superb physique management with the evenly agency suspension tuning is enhanced by the additional sidewall of the XRT’s 18-inch wheels that additional take up little bumps. We didn’t get to drive them, however it’s protected to say that every one hybrids plus the SE and SEL would possibly journey even higher as they too have 18-inch wheels, however with softer all- season rubber.
The XRT off-road course was a mixture of extraordinarily mild gravel and grime roads, adopted by extra average obstacles with steep hills, ditches, ruts, buried rocks, stumps, roots and a little bit of mud. Principally, it concerned all the things that this class of car would in all probability be requested of it: driving down mild to average hearth roads and campsite trails. On the gravel and grime roads, what was fairly spectacular was how snug and secure the Santa Fe felt. I discovered myself persevering with so as to add a bit of extra velocity due to that stability. I used to be getting it as much as round 30 mph or so on single-track paths and was having a good bit of enjoyable because it floated alongside.
As the trail acquired a bit of bumpier and with extra bushes, I naturally slowed down, however I nonetheless felt in a position to zip by means of fairly confidently due to that spectacular visibility. Coupled with the good view of the boxy corners, it was a breeze to snake it round brush. Although after going up and down hills and ditches, it could be good if the XRT had the identical forward-facing digital camera discovered within the Calligraphy as a part of its surround-view parking system.
For the hills, the Santa Fe cruised up simply, with the all-wheel-drive lock including some further traction. With that mentioned, heading up the hills, issues might get jerky on the 1-2 upshift. Between being a dual-clutch transmission that has to stability clutch slipping and the turbocharged powertrain, it isn’t the smoothest to alter. It did not actually have an effect on the aptitude on this state of affairs, however it did have me considering that providing an XRT hybrid could be a good suggestion. Not like Toyota or Honda’s hybrids, Hyundai’s system has a conventional computerized transmission and all-wheel-drive system. Meaning it must be simply as succesful off-road, but present the moment and low-down torque of an electrical motor in live performance with a turbocharged engine. Quieter operation and nice gasoline financial system – rated at 35/34/34 mpg with AWD – would appear like interesting options for outdoorsy people, too.
The hill descent management additionally offered a bit of additional security margin heading again down, although it is a pretty primary system based mostly in your incline, throttle enter, and velocity at which you activate it. You may’t management your velocity degree with paddles or cruise management buttons like with many different so-equipped autos. And naturally, for a number of the extra excessive ditches, rocks and such, the additional floor clearance was very welcome. These had been tracks that positively required the added top, and you wouldn’t wish to take a automobile down them.
At $41,995, the XRT is priced fairly competitively. It is a few thousand bucks dearer than the most cost effective turbo Subaru Outback, and a few grand lower than a base Honda Passport and even the Santa Fe’s mechanically associated cousin, the Kia Sorento X-Professional. Bigger three-row crossovers just like the Pilot TrailSport and Pathfinder Rock Creek are a lot pricier. It is full of customary options together with (deep breath) a sunroof, energy tailgate, power-adjustable heated entrance seats, ambient lighting, 12.3-inch infotainment display screen, digital devices with a 4.2-inch data display screen, navigation, wi-fi CarPlay and Android Auto, wi-fi cellphone charging, 115-volt family energy outlet, adaptive cruise management, blind-spot warning, rear-cross-traffic alert, ahead computerized emergency braking, entrance and rear parking sensors, lane-keep help and driver monitoring.
Hyundai created one thing of a candy spot with its Santa Fe XRT. It is probably the most versatile and succesful Santa Fe, with out sacrificing vital on-road functionality or consolation. And it does so with aggressive pricing, a great deal of area, and naturally, the phase’s most enjoyable styling. We’d nonetheless extremely suggest trying out a Santa Fe hybrid first, particularly because the XRT’s further functionality will realistically be a moot level for a lot of, but when getting away from all of it sounds most interesting, the XRT is well-worth your consideration.
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