Review: Hyundai Santa Fe XL 2014

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

What do SUV’s become when they grow up? The answer is that they become something like Hyundai’s Santa Fe XL.

The top-of-the line Santa Fe XL (starting at $31,000) is an All Wheel Drive 7-seater that offers an abundance of conveniences, safety features and various niceties that are clearly focused on the driver and passengers.

A lot of people choose SUV’s because they have to. An expanding family, a growing list of activities and social obligations and the need for reliable, economical transportation usually results in a number of compromises. Now, when you’re thinking of such a vehicle in Canada, the range of weather and driving conditions and the need to offer the safest, most reliable feature set that can adapt to the harsh winter is an even bigger consideration.

With the Santa FE XL, it is as if Hyundai’s designers and engineers decided to outdo themselves  and the rest of the competition in the mid to large SUV segment of the market.

“What if we could give them everything they want?” Seems to have been the underlying mission in producing the Santa Fe XL.

With a solid and responsive yet economical 6-liter engine mated to an efficient six-speed automatic gearbox, this hauler sits seven people comfortably and four people lavishly.

Passengers are rewarded with a panoramic moon roof, an impressive and powerful Infinity stereo system with access to Sirius satellite radio, multiple ways to connect all manner of smartphones and music players, a smart climate control system, comfortable heated front leather seats and a multitude of cubbies and stash-spots to secure all our personal effects.

During my first weekend to test the Santa Fe XL, I had to take my visiting mother to the airport. In my rush to secure the luggage and get back to preparing a last family meal, I foolishly left the Santa Fe’s key in the rear compartment. 

I was then greeted by various alarming beeps and noises from the vehicle, which I ignored (for it hadn’t dawned on me that the keys were inside the SUV.

Thankfully, the Santa Fe was smarter than me and refused to lock itself with the keys inside. Without a spare, it would have taken a monumental effort (and time we didn’t have) to rush to Hyundai’s office, get a spare and come back in time to rush to the airport. Remember, my mom’s luggage was already inside. Thankfully the crisis was averted because somone at Hyundai thought of the possibilities.

I also found the backup camera on the 7-inch touchscreen useful and even the way the side mirrors automatically reposition themselves so you can see better while you’re reversing. 

Getting my toddler’s car seat installed was easy, and with large windows and that gargantuan moon roof, he had lots of things to look at to keep him entertained as we went about our family business.

The range and placement of controls in the cockpit are intuitive and clear. They’re simple and easy enough for anyone to get accustomed to quite quickly. Visibility for drivers is remarkably good, specially considering SUV’s of this size are notorious for having huge, and gaping blind spots.

The Santa Fe XL has a push-button starter, thankfully it is located where you'd expect most car keys to go and not in the middle of the centre console. 

The ride is secure and comfortable and the performance is drop-dead responsive. Many cars of this size give you a feeling like they’re lumbering hulks that need their torque pushed in order to get any go out of them.

The Santa Fe XL accelerates remarkably quickly and without drama, it cruises steadily yet the braking system quickly jumps into attention at the slightest provocation. As an All Wheel Drive vehicle, the Santa Fe is the sort of ride I had for most of the snowy winter months.

The biggest surprise for me was how economical and fuel-efficient the Santa Fe Xl could be. The fuel gauge has some added graphics that constantly determine how economical your driving is and also how many more kilometers you hsvr before the gas tank runs out. This helps put fuel economy and driving efficiency at the front and centre.

With the right mix of luxury, safety, performance and onboard entertainment, the Hyundai Santa Fe XL is a superb choice for anyone looking for a utilitarian SUV that’s also surprisingly nimble, adequately luxurious and manages to give drivers and passengers what they need, while also lavishing them with the features that they want.

Rating: 4 out of 5