The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is the five-seat variant of the popular Santa Fe, riding on a shortened wheelbase that promises a more nimble handling character. Available in three trims, it's a smart choice for families that need more room but aren't ready for the full-size Santa Fe.
What's New for 2018
Fresh from a facelift last year, the 2018 Santa Fe Sport is a carryover model with some mild tweaks to the equipment list.
Choosing Your Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
The Santa Fe Sport has three trim levels — the base Santa Fe Sport, 2.0T, and 2.0T Ultimate.
The entry level Santa Fe Sport isn't very sporty, offering a 2.4-liter engine that produces 185 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. The 2.0T and 2.0T Ultimate trims pack a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic gearbox is standard with both the engines, directing the power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive available, but adds $1,550 to the total price, regardless of the engine or trim level.
The 2.4-liter engine returns 21 miles per gallon in city, 27 highway and 24 mpg combined with front-wheel drive, while the all-wheel-drive model drops those figures by a point in the city and highway and two points combined.
The 2.0-liter engine's efficiency depends on the trim level you pick. The Santa Fe Sport 2.0T returns 20 city, 28 highway, and 23 combined with the front-drive and 19/26/22 mpg with all-wheel drive. However, the Ultimate trim level, owing to its added weight, reports a negligible drop in economy to 20/27/23 mpg or 19/24/21 mpg for front-wheel and all-wheel drive, respectively.
Unless you really want the extra grunt of the turbocharged engine, we suggest you go for a fully-loaded Santa Fe Sport, which rings up around $33,000.