2003 Hyundai Santa Fe

The lively new 3.5-liter V-6 engine.

Base Santa Fe engine is Hyundai's 138-hp 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. Optional choices are a 173-hp 2.7-liter all-aluminum 24-valve DOHC V-6 and the new 195-hp 3.5-liter V-6. A five-speed manual transmission is standard with the four, while the 2.7-liter V-6 is matched with a 4-speed Shiftronic automatic and the 3.5-liter V-6 gets the new 5-speed Shiftronic. The new V-6 felt strong and routinely spun the front wheels on hard launches, yet our unscientific 0-60 mph runs consumed an unremarkable nine seconds.


Those wanting 4wd have a choice of mechanical fulltime 4WD or (with the 3.5-liter V-6) the new electronic system. The Steyr-Puch mechanical system, available with either V-6, works through a "dual drive" differential with two planetary gears and a viscous coupling to deliver 60 percent of the power to the front wheels, 40 percent to the rears. Driver-friendly and fully automatic, it requires no input from the driver.


Front suspension is MacPherson struts with coil springs and an anti-roll bar, while the rear boasts a fully independent trailing-arm arrangement with multi-links and coil springs. Power rack-and-pinion steering is standard, and the 4-wheel disc brakes were fine with good feel and linearity in hard stops.


While the standard 225/70R-16 tires on 16-inch aluminum wheels give it an aggressive stance, we're not too fond of the Santa Fe's somewhat odd appearance, especially in front. Styling is subjective, of course, and it is at least different and distinctive in a market overflowing with look-alikes SUVs. The interior is clearly inexpensive, yet its good fits and color matches give an impression of quality.


Santa Fe's usable interior volume is 101 cubic feet for passengers, plus 30 cubic feet for cargo. The second-row seats fold nearly flat in two easy steps, and a window-shade cargo security cover hides your stuff from prying eyes. Safety features include driver and front passenger side-impact airbags, and the front seat belts have automatic pretensioners to cinch them tightly in the event of a collision.