The Hyundai Santa Fe () is a series of crossover SUVs produced across five generations by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 2000. It is named after the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was introduced for the 2001 model year as Hyundai's first SUV. The Santa Fe was a milestone in the company's restructuring program of the late 1990s because the SUV was a hit with American buyers.
The Santa Fe was initially marketed as a compact SUV in its first-generation. After the Tucson was introduced in 2004, marketed under that same class, the Santa Fe was later repositioned into the mid-size SUV class since its second-generation launched in 2005. Through all generations, the Santa Fe has been offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
The third-generation Santa Fe introduced in 2012 was available in two versions, which are regular (short) and extended long-wheelbase version. The short model was sold as the Santa Fe Sport in North America (three-row seating was not available) and simply Santa Fe in global markets (three-row seating was standard or optional), while the extended long-wheelbase model is called the Santa Fe in the U.S., Santa Fe XL in Canada and called the Hyundai Maxcruz in South Korea. The fourth-generation model, which was launched in 2018, introduced hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain (since 2020), and the fifth-generation model, which was launched in 2023, discontinued diesel engines.
First generation (SM; 2000)
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 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 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 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 with only one minor change involving the placement of the V6 emblem to a higher location on the tailgate. In February 2002, the centre dash vents and buttons were restyled. The clock was relocated to the centre dash from its prior location in the overhead map light assembly, which was also restyled. In April 2002, seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags were made standard for front occupants. Demand for the Santa Fe continued to be up but owners had several suggested changes for Hyundai.
Mid-2002
In a rare mid-year model change, Hyundai increased fuel tank capacity from and a sunroof option was added in May 2002. At the same time, chrome interior door handles replaced matte gray handles and a chrome shifter gate on automatic equipped models replaced matte silver gate trim. Few models also received a factory alarm confirmation chirp feature when locked twice via remote, but was rarely equipped until the 2003 model began production.
2003 In 2003, Hyundai responded to some of the customer complaints and suggestions such as the fact that the bonnet used a prop and not gas struts, there was no light in the glove compartment, and the car itself did not have enough power. In 2003, Hyundai introduced the 3.5-litre V6 in addition to the other two petrol engines in North America. The bigger engine came with a computer-controlled four-wheel drive system and a 5-speed automatic, based on the standard 4-speed. 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 confirmation 'chirp' when the 'LOCK' button on the remote was pressed twice became standard.
Mid-2004
Midway through the year the AM/FM antenna was moved from on the glass in the rear driver's side window to a three-inch (76 mm) rubber antenna in the centre of the roof just above the tailgate.
2005
The Santa Fe received its final facelift for 2005. Changes were made to the grille, tail lights, rear bumper, interior instrument cluster. The instrument cluster was redesigned with the speedometer reading (earlier models only indicated 130 mph) and a better-designed toll ticket slot in the driver's sun visor. Both sun visors also received extensions so the sun could be blocked out better when coming in from the side. The base Santa Fe was discontinued that time, making way for the Tucson.
In Australia, all models received body-coloured (painted) bumpers from 2005 on. The colour 'Sandstone' was discontinued in favour of a slightly different colour 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 centre rear seating position, as well. The calendar function, housed in the overhead console was removed and a compass took its place.
2006 The last year of this Santa Fe saw few changes. Two colours were discontinued for 2006, Merlot and Canyon Red. A rare colour, Dark Emerald Green, was introduced mid-year. It did not appear in any sales brochures and could have only been ordered by a dealership. The LX trim level was renamed '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.
In Europe, the new Santa Fe model was launched in April as a 2006 model, offering a new 2.2-litre diesel-powered engine and updated 2.7-litre petrol-powered V6.
Hawtai
Part of a joint venture with Hyundai Motors that began in 2002, a Chinese company, Hawtai Motor, manufactured the first-generation Santa Fe, marketed as the Shengdafei. While it did make Hyundai-branded models for sale on the Chinese market, one of the versions it debuted under its own brand name in 2009 was the Santa Fe C9. Utilizing a 1.8-litre turbocharged inline-four engine acquired from Rover, it was intended to be priced at a significant discount to those bearing the Hyundai name.
Hyundai ended its partnership with Hawtai in 2010 and production ended in 2015.
Safety
Euro NCAP
IIHS +IIHS scores (2001 model year)Moderate overlap front (original test)GoodHead restraints and seatsPoor
Second generation (CM; 2005)
2007 The new 2006 Santa Fe went on sale in South Korea in late 2005. In the United States, it debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The first production Santa Fe in the United States rolled off Hyundai's Montgomery, Alabama assembly line on 18 April 2006. It shared this assembly line with the Hyundai Sonata. This new generation shed the old style's quirky design in favour of a more contemporary look.
In the United States, the new generation was offered in GLS, SE, and Limited versions. The new Santa Fe saw the return of a manual transmission, but only when mated with the V6. The V6 (a retuned version of the same engine found in the Sonata) was standard on the SE and Limited and comes only with a 5-speed automatic. Both 2WD and AWD models with a 3.3 L have a fuel economy of city and highway. The 2.2 L diesel engine (not available in the US) with has mixed cycle of 7.2l and a city cycle of 8.0l. The 4WD is a Borg-Warner Torque Management device, which diverts power to the wheels with best grip according to the amount of slip. If the front wheels spin slightly, 10% of the torque will transfer to the rear axle. If the front wheels start to slip a lot, 50% of the torque will transfer to the rear axle. Body lean in turns, a problem with the previous generation, has been reduced in the new Santa Fe. Both road and wind noise have also been reduced.
Newly standard on the latest iteration of the Santa Fe are safety features the previous model lacked or charged as extra. Electronic stability control (ESC), side-curtain airbags for all seating rows, a tire pressure monitor, active front head restraints, and anti-lock brakes are all standard. A heated windshield wiper grid located in the front wipers' 'park' position helps to thaw ice buildup on the blades in colder climates. Some features like the tailgate flip glass and the lower body cladding were not integrated into the new model.
The interior has been upgraded with blue-lit dashboard controls (unlike the green colour used in other Hyundai models), a gated shifter pattern, illuminated cup holders, and higher quality leather on Limited models. The rear seat head restraints caused visibility problems in the previous model due to their size. The new style features 'shingled' head rests that when lowered completely, sit flush with the top of the seat, helping to maximize rear visibility. The middle rear seating position comes with its own head restraint and a three-point seat belt built in. LATCH child seat anchors are also standard, and an optional 50/50 third row seat allows Santa Fe to seat seven passengers.
Pricing remained competitive despite the upward move in size and feature content.
In Malaysia, Hyundai Santa Fe is available as a complete knock down model rebadged as Inokom Santa Fe. The Inokom Santa Fe is only available in CRDi 2.2-litre, diesel inline-four or a 2.7-litre V6.
The second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe was awarded 2008 Consumer Reports "top pick" and was among the top 10 vehicles for 2008 unveiled in the magazine's issue. The magazine's annual ratings, based on road tests and predicted safety and reliability, are considered highly influential among consumers.
2008 For 2008, only minor changes were applied to the Santa Fe. A navigation system made by LG was offered and the Infinity sound system and the power glass sunroof were made standard on Limited models. The non-metallic white paint trim was dropped, leaving the pearl white as the only white colour available on the Santa Fe.
2009
2009 saw only minor changes for the Santa Fe. New mirror indicators were introduced, except on US-built models. The 16" wheels on the base GLS model (USA specification) were dropped and replaced with black steel wheels and plastic covers. Additionally, the GLS received black plastic mirrors as opposed to the body-coloured mirrors of the higher-tier SE and Limited models. This cut in equipment was rumored to be a countermeasure to offset the price increase of offering an iPod plug-in for the stereo system. Because of the black mirrors and wheel covers, the additional cost of the iPod adapter was negated, leaving the base price of the vehicle unchanged.
The Santa Fe topped the "20 least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure" list by Insure.com. According to research, the Santa Fe is the least expensive vehicle to insure. Low rates tend to reflect a vehicle's safety.The Most Expensive Cars to Insure 3 June 2009, U.S. News Rankings & Reviews