Hyundai now offers a seven passenger CUV

Los Angeles is a car-centric city. Tastes range from sports cars to sport utility vehicles, which trade cargo and passenger space for fuel economy. Unless you are in the market for a convertible, Hyundai offers a complete lineup of stylish, competitively priced vehicles with excellent fuel economy. The latter factor is of significant importance in LA where fuel prices are well above the national average and many Angelenos rack up many miles on their daily commute.

Hyundai continues to expand its lineup. The automakers latest offering was announced on August 17. The all-new 2013 Santa Fe crossover utility vehicle (CUV) comes in two flavors: the Santa Fe Sport and its new big brother, the longer wheelbase, three-row, seven-passenger 2013 Santa Fe. Both are designed for today’s family, with flexible seating and cargo areas; in addition, both sport Hyundai’s visually impressive “Fluidic Sculpture” exterior design. Both offer excellent performance due to efficient power plants and weight reduction. The 2013 model weighs 266 pounds less than the 2012 model. The all-new 2013 five-passenger Santa Fe Sport will appear at LA dealerships this month. Those interested in the larger model will have to wait until January 2013.

The Santa Fe Sport is powered by a four cylinder Theta II 2.4-liter Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine, which puts out 190 horsepower with improved fuel economy and acceleration. It is rated at 22 MPG city and 33 MPG highway. A turbo version of the Theta II 2.4 liter is also available. It churns out 264 HP with only a slight mileage hit (21 MPG city and 31 MPG highway). The brawnier Santa Fe has a Lambda II 3.3literGDI V6 under the hood. EPA mileage is 19 MPG city and 26 MPG highway—not bad for a large vehicle that pushes a lot of air. All the engines are mated to Hyundai’s six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC® manual control. According to Hyundai, this transmission offers smooth shifts and a wide ratio spread that suits the engine’s characteristics. An automatic transmission warmer is included to keep the transmission oil at its optimal temperature, which improves real-world fuel economy.

In essence, one has the choice of a sportier vehicle with better fuel economy or a larger capacity vehicle with a thirstier engine. Hyundai notes that the three-row Santa Fe increases second-row legroom by 1.9 inches and cargo capacity 5.6 cubic feet; in addition, it houses second-row HVAC controls and vents to increase family comfort, while also offering a standard 50:50 split folding third-row bench seat with 31.5 inches of legroom.

An available option for both Santa Fes is Active Cornering Control All-Wheel-Drive (ACC AWD) system that cooperatively controls engine torque and braking in conjunction with the Vehicle Stability Management System. Hyundai notes that this system can anticipate traction requirements and deliver additional stability through braking via continuous monitoring of driving conditions compared with other AWD systems, which can only react to conditions after they occur. All AWD Santa Fes access an intelligent control unit that continuously analyzes data from the vehicle controller, and through a multi-clutch plate distributes torque to any single wheel at a time. The coupling system is fully controllable via an electro-hydraulic actuation system. Braking force can also be sent to any single wheel at a time via the software. These processes are known as torque vectoring and torque braking. All this analysis is completely transparent to the driver.