New Hyundai Santa Fe Shore Up Brand In SUV Market Where It Was Weak

Hyundai is finally hitting a sweet spot that would have been hard to imagine just a couple of years ago: SUV sales now represent about half of the brand's U.S. sales volume. Led by a new version of its mid-sized Santa Fe and a refreshed version of its compact Tucson utility, Hyundai's SUV sales in September grew by 17 percent over a year earlier as the automaker finally seems to have put its biggest long-time weakness -- an over-reliance on sedans at the expense of utility vehicles -- behind it.

Hyundai also has begun supporting the new Santa Fe with a TV-advertising campaign that demonstrates how the vehicle's capabilities suit the millennial families who are depicted driving it: plenty of flexible cargo space, for instance; a dual-row panoramic sunroof so the kids can see the natural splendor of America as they drive through it; and safety features that, in turn, keep the family from running into a moose (Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist) and also prevent a young boy from having a parked Santa Fe's drivers-side passenger door ripped off its hinges by a passing car (Safe Exit Assist).

"We've got every base covered now," Dean Evans, Hyundai's chief marketing officer, told me. "This is the year of the SUV for us."

Sales of used Santa Fe are a bit behind last year's levels as Hyundai continues to fill retail pipelines with the new version. Tucson sales are vastly outstripping year-ago levels as the overhauled model has moved into second place behind the Elantra sedan in Hyundai's ranking of best-selling vehicles.

"Santa Fe is a combination of a rugged vehicle and a family hauler, which is what this segment needs," Evans said. "And with its Facelift, Tucson is in a sweet spot in the market too."

Santa Fe accompanies six or seven passengers and is available in all-wheel drive, per its new advertisements that feature some off-roading -- and per expectations of millennial consumers. It's driven by a 3.3-liter V6 engine that yields 290 horsepower, and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Handling and ride comfort are of the quality you'd expect from a car-based crossover, though Santa Fe still provides good human and cargo capacity. The second row feels roomy, and the seats recline and move back and forth, a rare feature in mid-size SUVs of any sort. The third row -- like most in the segment -- is tight for adults.

Hyundai is hailing an award for the 2019 Santa Fe of a spot on the new Ward's 10 Best UX list, a competition that drills deeply into user experiences in driver-assist technologies, connectivity, navigation, voice-activated systems and intuitive controls.

Find a used Santa Fe for sale at Group 1 Hyundai, that will suit your pocket and your lifestyle.

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