Hyundai Santa Fe

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The Hyundai Santa Fe is a mid-size crossover SUV based on the Hyundai Sonata platform. It was introduced for the 2001 model year. Hyundai's success for releasing its first-ever SUV wanted to pursue the company to release the first economy mid-size crossover SUV in North America, and Toyota was in hot pursuit by releasing the Highlander, while GM released the Pontiac Aztek. It was a major milestone in the company's restructuring program of the late 1990s. The Santa Fe, despite being criticized by journalists for its obscure looks, was a hit with the American buyers. Hyundai dealers were having a hard time keeping them in stock, let alone keeping up with demand. The Santa Fe quickly became Hyundai's best seller and was a major factor in keeping the company afloat in the United States. However, in other countries such as Australia, where SUVs have gained enormous popularity in the past 10 years, the Santa Fe has proved unsuccessful. There, it is outsold by the class-leading Toyota RAV4 by a factor of nearly 7 to 1, and is one of Hyundai's least successful models.

In the United States, the Santa Fe was offered in base GL trim, mid-line GLS, and luxurious LX.

2001

In its first year in production, the Santa Fe was offered with one of two engine and transmission combinations. In North America, a fuel-efficient although underpowered 2.4 L four cylinder engine was standard equipment and could be mated with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. A 2.7 L Delta V6 offered more power than the four-cylinder but was only available with the automatic. Front wheel drive was standard (with traction control optional with the V6) and 4WD was optional. A 2.0 L Common Rail Turbo Diesel (CRTD) was offered outside the United States. Australian Santa Fes went on sale in November 2000 with only one engine/transmission choice - a 2.7L V6 mated to a four-speed semi-automatic transmission. 4WD was standard. A cheaper 2.4L four cylinder joined the range several months later in 2001, but was only available with a manual transmission.

2002

The Santa Fe entered its second year without any changes. Demand for the Santa Fe continued to be up with the best but owners were making lists about what they'd like to see changed in the Santa Fe.

2002.5

In a rare mid-year model change, Hyundai increased the size of the fuel tank from 17 to 19 U.S. gallons and reorganized the location of the badges on the tailgate.

2003

Santa Fe owners still found their vehicles lacking in some areas and for 2003, Hyundai reorganized the lineup. Owners disliked the fact that the hood used a prop and not gas struts, that a sunroof was not available, the glovebox was not illuminated, among other things. All of these issues were addressed including the most common complaint of all: not enough power. So, Hyundai introduced the 3.5 liter V6 in addition to the other two gas engines in North America. The brawny 3.5 liter pushed out 200 hp through a 5-speed automatic transmission. The bigger engine also came with an intelligent four-wheel drive system. The clock was moved from the roof to the dashboard and the controls below the air vents on the center stack were redesigned. A Monsoon high-performance sound system came standard on the mid-level GLS model and came with a 6-disc CD changer on the top-tier LX. Rounding out the changes in the 2003 model was the discontinuation of the highly unpopular Pine Green which in some owner circles has gained the nickname 'Yucky Green'. In Australia, the four cylinder Santa Fe was dropped in 2003, due to slow sales, leaving the 2.7L V6 automatic as the only model.

2004

Hyundai continued to post sales records with the Santa Fe as it rolled into 2004 with very minor changes. The manual climate controls on the base GL and mid-line GLS were revised very slightly. The remote keyless entry system was given a confirmation 'chirp' when the 'LOCK' button on the remote was pressed twice.

2005

The Santa Fe received its mid-life face-lift for 2005. Among the changes were the grille, taillights, rear bumper, interior instrument cluster, as well as the juggling of options and the like. In Australia, all models received body-coloured (painted) bumpers from 2005 on. The color 'Sandstone' was dropped in favor of a slightly different color named 'Mocha Frost'. The GL trim was dropped as was the four-cylinder engine and its respective 5-speed manual transmission. The 2.7 L V6 took over duties as the base engine. A passenger airbag cutoff that prevents the airbag from deploying if the seat is unoccupied (or occupied by a small person) was also added. A 3-point seatbelt was added to the center rear seating position, as well. The calendar function, housed in the overhead console, often considered infuriating and unnecessary, was removed and a compass took its place.

2006

The last year of this Santa Fe saw few changes. Two colors were discontinued for 2006, Merlot and Canyon Red. A rare color, Dark Emerald Green, was introduced mid-year. It does not appear in any sales brochures and must be ordered by the dealership. The LX trim level was renamed the 'Limited' and got a corresponding tailgate badge, a first for the Santa Fe of any trim level. Another first was the availability of a monochromatic paint scheme, a departure from the contrasting gray cladding previously standard. The monochromatic option was only available on the Limited in black, however and required customers to order the sunroof with it. In total, that option ran $1900, pushing the Santa Fe's total asking price to nearly $30,000.

In Europe, the new Santa Fe model was launched in April, offering a new 2.2 litre diesel engine and updated 2.7 litre petrol V6.

2007

The next-generation 2007 Santa Fe debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. The first production Santa Fe rolled off Hyundai's Alabama Assembly Line on April 18th, 2006. Once a large mix of colors and trim levels are produced, they will be available at dealers around June of 2006.

Hyundai Santa Fe

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