Hyundai Santa Fe - New, and Now, Two

In the car business, part of what makes you successful is good product. The other part is good marketing.

In Hyundai's case, they seem to be doing well at both. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe is a major update of an important model--in a significant segment. But their marketing is what will help move more metal.

There are now two Santa Fe's -- the midsize crossover SUV is now called the Santa Fe Sport. It has two rows of seating and uses four-cylinder engines. The longer model with three-row seating now sold as just "Santa Fe" used to be called the Veracruz. Remember it? Didn't think so. Hyundai is leveraging brand recognition for it's more popular model, which, like the compact Tucson crossover, is named after a Southwestern city and is helping the company to sales growth year after year.

The Santa Fe is handsome, wearing the Fluidic Sculpture design that has been so successful in its sedans. It has a prominent, chrome grille up front, as today's vehicles must possess. The lines and folds along the side appeal to the eye and give the body the solid appearance of an iron bar, not an inflated balloon. The 19-inch alloy wheels added road presence.

Hyundai vehicles, when they first came to America, were obviously not on the level of Toyotas and Hondas, and were certainly not in the ballpark with European luxury vehicles. Today, many Hyundais are built in the U.S. (although this Santa Fe was imported from Korea) and have a look and feel that equals, or even surpasses, those brands. While Honda was cost-cutting a couple of years ago, Hyundai was offering nicer and nicer interiors. Now, the appealing materials, high build quality and sophisticated design are part of what you get when you slide into any Hyundai vehicle. Even the subcompact Accent is a well-turned-out car.

Like SUVS have been for decades, the Santa Fe stands tall, but it's a crossover. That means it's built on a car platform and has a long, slanting windshield, so the driving experience is more like a tall car than driving a pickup truck with room for 7, as the original Ford Explorer was, for example. This is the norm today.

My Circuit Gray tester was the upper level Limited model. The GLS is the regular grade. Many of these crossovers today are only front-wheel-drive, since so few actually go offroad. My car was one of them, although you can certainly order one with power that  flows to all four wheels if you live in areas where it would be a benefit in the wintertime. In Northern California, it's not an issue. The Hyundai all-wheel-drive system is called Active Cornering AWD, which distributes the torque through a computer program to keep you safely on the road.

Hyundais have offered lots of features for the money over the years, and features like Driver-Selectable Steering Mode give a nod to Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover. A button on the steering wheel lets you select Comfort, Normal and Sport modes. It changes your driving experience. Comfort might be handy when driving around in town or parking. Normal is fine in all cases, especially on the highway. Sport tightens up everything for more fun on country roads.

While the lighter Santa Fe Sport does just fine with a 2.4-liter or 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, the Santa Fe gets a 3.3-liter V6, which puts out a generous 290 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque through a six-speed automatic. That's comparable horsepower with other midsize crossovers, which tend to offer slightly larger displacement, such as 3.5-liters. The Santa Fe is a little bit lighter than its rivals, and this helps to get it EPA ratings of 18 City, 25 Highway (21 Combined). My actual mileage was 22.7 mpg. The EPA's green scores are a 5 for Smog and Greenhouse Gas - dead center.

The two-ton Santa Fe, more than 300 pounds lighter than its Veracruz predecessor, moves with alacrity on the highway and gets around town just fine. There's a place in my neighborhood where you have to turn onto a street that immediately climbs up sharply, with a right and left turn, and the Santa Fe felt happy there, not swaying back and forth, with plenty of energy to make the climb without downshifting. Perhaps its Vehicle Stability Management helps in that feeling in control in those circumstances.

My tester sweetened the deal with the Technology Package ($2,900). That added an enormous panoramic sunroof, with glass along nearly the entire roof, with the front half sliding open. It also included a navigation system--something almost essential these days. It also provided me with an Infinity Logic 7 550-watt Surround Sound audio system that was entertaining during my commute drudgery. A heated steering wheel was there, too, but it being September at the time of my test, it went unused.

Choices are simple--GLS or Limited and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Or, opt for the Santa Fe Sport for lower cost and better fuel economy, if you won't need that third row seat, the extra 10 cubic feet of cargo capacity, or the Santa Fe's 5,000 pound towing ability (it's 3,500 lb. with the Sport--and both require trailer brakes).

The GLS starts at $29,455 and the Limited at $34,205 (both including shipping). My tester, with the technology package, came to $36,980. So don't think "Hyundai" and "cheap" in the same sentence any more. That's competitive pricing, but not lower than rival vehicles. Today, Hyundai competes as an equal, so you have to decide if you like the look, feel, performance, features, and, that great warranty.

See my video review here.

Hyundai Elantra Coupe Adds Style to a Favorite

Years ago, Hyundai vehicles were decent transportation devices but didn't quite measure up to the more established brands, such as Toyota and Honda. Their styling was boring or derivative -- or both! But since the Fluidic Sculpture look arrived a few years ago, Hyundais are cool.

The Elantra sedan got hit with the beauty stick for 2011. Since then, it has won awards and generally spread itself all over American highways. Today, you can get a five-door GT model and the new two-door Elantra Coupe. I just tested an Atlantic Blue sample.

The market for compact sedans is heating up and is brutally competitive, so Hyundai has chosen to distinguish itself. For one thing, it looks sharp. The flowing creases on Hyundais are almost enough to make you seasick if you study them for too long, but the point is, the cars look very good and also not like anything else. The six-sided mouth looks like it was designed specifically to eat up the competition.

My wife commented that she "could see the clay," meaning the models produced in the styling studios. The wavy lines and dramatic curves would be fun to carve into the models. I assured her that the folks in the studios use computer-aided design today, but I see her point. 

The Elantra Coupe is roomier than its competitors, moving slightly into the midsize category, leaving the others in the compact dust. A few cubic feet more makes more room for passengers and an overall better experience.

You can get an Elantra Coupe in the GS or SE model. The SE, of course, is sportier, looking especially so in the coupe format. The SE wears 17-inch alloys in place of the GS's 16's.

Every Elantra Coupe comes with the same proven engine as in the sedan -- a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder with 148 horsepower and 131 lb.-ft. of torque. In California, Oregon, and a few other enlightened places, you can get a PZEV (extra clean) version of the SE. The PZEV version loses three horsepower and 1 lb.-ft. of torque, but it gets a 9 in both Greenhouse Gas and Smog scores from the EPA, while earning official mileage scores of 27 City, 37 Highway, and 31 Combined. I got less.

The fuel economy gauge in my test car reset after each fillup, so I got 24.5 mpg on the first tank, and, with a few non-commute longer freeway trips, 28.4 on the second tank. These numbers are not the absolute best around, but are darned close.

The engine, combined with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, is a good match for the approximately 2,700-pound coupe. I would have liked to sample the manual, but the automatic did what automatics these days do--move the car along quickly with no fuss. Today's technology is probably a whole lot smarter than we are, anyway.

Hyundai has stylish exteriors, but it's inside where you really can sense that something has happened. The detailing is exquisite, considering the price point. Seams match. Surfaces are interesting and varied. The chrome trim over silver on the controls is elegant. The pinch of the dash where it meets the center console is dramatic and allows for slim storage pockets along the console. Only the SE gets aluminum pedal covers.

Hyundai also knows its seats now. I took two drives on Saturday that took me way out in different directions for events, and I never got sore or still sitting there. The seats are a bit more bolstered than the ones in the sedan, for sportiness, but also to hold you in place en route. The seats are heated in all Elantra Coupes.

Every Elantra Coupe comes with an audio system. The standard 172-watt system includes Satellite RAdio and a USB port for your iPod. The optional one nearly doubles the wattage to 360 and adds an external amplifier.

My tester, as an SE PZEV with automatic transmission, was at the top of the price chart. It's base price of $20,745 rose about 10 percent with the Technology Package ($2,300). It includes a navigation system with a seven-inch color screen and the optional audio system, passive entry with pushbutton start, and automatic headlamps. Total price out-the-door was $23,965. The base car, a GS with manual, starts at $18,375.

What a fun way to be frugal without being boring or bored.

Hyundai Elantra GT - The Right Recipe

The Elantra GT is another example of Hyundai's successful approach to marketing cars in the United States (and presumably, elsewhere). Each time they introduce the next generation of a model, it's notably better than the previous one.

The GT is the third model of Hyundai's compact Elantra lineup. The Elantra now comes as not only a four-door sedan but a two-door coupe, and the GT takes the place of the previous Touring model, which was more a station wagon design.

The GT, like other Elantras, now flaunts the swoopy lines that are part of the company's "Fluidic Sculpture" design motif. This dramatic look has helped make the midsize Sonata a huge success, and has given more charm to the modest Accent and other new Hyundais, including the Tucson and Santa Fe crossovers.

The car is very much in the thick of the marketplace, with plenty of competition. And Hyundai's information packet is eager to compare its new five-door hatch to others. These include the Toyota Matrix, Mazda3, Ford Focus, Subaru Impreza and Volkswagen Golf. Interestingly, in pretty much every category, the car is equal or better than the others. And that's really the point--this Korean brand wants to be seen as a direct competitor to the mainstream companies--not a bargain version. I think we've seen Hyundai and it's sister brand, Kia, achieve parity in the latest generation of its products.

The GT, despite a name that sounds like it could be on a Ford Mustang V8 or even an Italian exotic sports car, is a five-door hatchback. But that's just fine. It offers more interior space than most of its competitors (at least last year's versions) and is lighter than the others, at 2,784 pounds. That means that its 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, one of the smaller ones of the aforementioned comparative vehicles, gets the most power per liter of displacement (82.2). The GT is at least 100 pounds lighter than the other cars, thanks to greater use of high tensile steel among other things.

The 1.8 liter engine puts out 148 horsepower and 131 lb.-ft. of torque--at the smaller end of the field, but still enough to permit some spirited driving. My Black Noir Pearl tester had the six-speed automatic, but a six-speed manual is also available, and I expect would be even more fun.

Fuel economy figures are class-competitive, at 27 City, 37 Highway (30 Combined) for the automatic version. The EPA numbers are very good--Elantras have been near the top of the list for a while now. For cars sold in California, the Smog score is 6 and the Greenhouse Gas number is 8. There's a PZEV version of the automatic version that gets a 9 for its smog score. Those are hybrid level numbers. All Elantras get SmartWay designation from the EPA.

Like most cars of its category, the Elantra GT employs MacPherson struts up front with coil springs and gas shock absorbers, and torsion beam and monotube struts in back. Compared to the sedan version, the GT's higher spring rates and other tuning give it a more athletic performance. The GT's optional 17-inch wheels impart a sportier look and receive special sport tuning to dial in even more of the fun factor.

Like all the new Hyundais, the high-energy personality isn't reserved for just the body styling. The interior is lively, with exuberant swirls along the dash and doors. The door-mounted window controls are at a 45-degree angle, for example, not on the straight horizontal. Shiny trim and handsome double gauges give a surprisingly upscale appearance. I was impressed that the fully featured audio system displayed the entire artist name and song title. Some more expensive cars I've tested don't.

The Elantra is not an expensive car, but you can boost its price by about 25 percent by adding the Style and Tech packages. My tester had them. The Style package adds the 17-inch wheels and sport suspension, as well as a panoramic sunroof and leather seats, steering wheel and shift knob. The driver's seat has power adjustments, including lumbar. You get racy looking aluminum pedals, too, and the convenience of an automatic-up driver's side window (handy for sprinting away from toll booths).

The Tech package adds a navigation system, something that's nearly as common today as a radio was a generation ago. You also get dual automatic temperature control, keyless entry and a neat hidden rearview camera.

The car's versatility, with folding seats and handy rear hatch, make it a good choice for active lifestyles and small families looking for economy without boredom.

Prices start at $19,160 for the manual-equipped model. Add in the automatic transmission, the Style package ($2,750) and Tech package $2,350) and you get my tester, at $25,365 (including floormats). All prices shown include shipping.

The Elantra GT blows away the old Touring wagon, which was a nice little car but didn't have much pizazz. With the looks and youthful driving personality, it should continue to boost the brand. You can get one for barely more than a commute mobile or spice it up and have a real hot hatch.

Hyundai Azera - The Korean "Avalon"

With the Azera, Hyundai has completed its 24/7 2.0 program. That means they delivered on their promise to bring out seven new or revised vehicles in just 24 months. Pretty darned amazing. The Azera takes off from the popular midsize Sonata and offers a little more room, power and style (and price, of course).

It's hard to remember sometimes where Hyundai was years ago. Odd, derivative, cramped, funny-smelling little transportation modules. But for the last, say, decade, things have really turned around. This new, second-generation Azera sedan offers a long list of standard features, enormous full-size accommodations inside, and, with another take on Hyundai's "Fluidic Sculpture" design template, head-turning style.

The car comes only as a sedan and with just one engine--a 3.3-liter V6, with 293 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. That may be because it not only fits in size between the midsize Sonata and the luxury Genesis sedan, it reserves the four-cylinder engine for the Sonata and two V8s for the Genesis.

Despite its large-midsize proportions, the Azera gets decent mileage. The EPA says 20 City, 28 Highway, with an average of 23. I got 21.9 mph--still reasonable. Environmentally, the car rates 6 for Air Pollution and 5 for Greenhouse Gas - right in the middle. 

The Azera's body is attractive and energetic looking. The customer for this type of car isn't really looking to make a powerfully unique statement, but he or she does want to look up-to-date, and the car has all the right touches. The grille is chrome and prominent. The folds along the body sides are just like you'd find on an Infiniti or even a BMW. The headlamps and taillamps are chock full of jewelry. Hard to believe that not long ago the illuminated parts of cars were plain plastic bars.

Inside, it's a swirl of silvery trim--typical for today, but quite nicely laid out. The only place it looked a little busy was at the windshield pillars, where vents and seams seemed a little forced. At night, the gauges glow brightly and a slim line snakes across the dash and doors. The firm but comfortably padded seats are nice to look at too. Both driver and passenger get numerous get adjustment options--and the controls are right where Mercedes put them--on the door. You could select three levels of heating--and of cooling--for the seats in my tester.

Speaking of seats, Hyundai engineers have developed an impact-reducing seat system for the Azera. It eliminates the need for active front head restraints and is expected to reduce head and neck injuries by 17 percent over the front seats in the previous generation car.

All Azeras come with touch-screen navigation with backup camera standard. No other car in the segment offers this as standard equipment.

Prices begin at $32,000 more or less. That's in the range for cars like this.

My tester came with the Technology Package, for an additional $4,000. For that sizable investment you get 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, HID Xenon headlights, power rear sunshade, manual side window sunshades and the potent Infinity 12-speaker Logic7 audio system with subwoofer and external amplifier. There are several other comfort and convenience features included, too.  

I was impressed by the feel of the Azera on the road. It was smooth, quiet, and had an upscale feeling that Hyundai has figured out how to provide. The Genesis, you expect to be that way, but the Azera has it too, for an affordable price. Good work, Hyundai!

Hyundai Veloster Turbo = More Muscle

Menacing face

The Hyundai Veloster is a quirky car (but I like it). I originally sampled a bright yellow one last February and it mixed practical hatchback virtues with reasonable economy and a bit of sportiness.

Now, I'm finishing up a test of the much-awaited Turbo version. While the original car had a 138-horsepower 1.6-liter four, this one, thanks to the air spooling technology, delivers 201 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque from the same displacement. It still manages to rate 30 miles per gallon average (26 city, 38 Highway); I'm averaging 24.7 mpg so far, including a lot of stop-and-go commute driving. The non-turbo model had EPA average rating of 32 mpg and I added up 30.

While my last Veloster was sunny, this one, in Ultra Black, seems more menacing, especially with its huge mouth in front and long stretches of headlamp above. The detailing really does set the car apart, thougth, including the complex architecture of both head and taillamps (really cool at night) and the twin exhausts close to the middle below the rear bumper.

Exciting, edgy, angular

Inside, the same exciting, edgy, angular interior is carried over to the turbo. All the different lines, shapes and textures make it feel like you're having fun, even when sitting in traffic (which is where you get a chance to study them and ruminate on what the designers were thinking). You sit low, sports car style, and the six-speed manual transmission offers a greater feeling of control. I had to be careful to pull left for first gear because it was easy to select third by mistake, but otherwise the trip through the gears was a treat and the shift knob feels comfortable in your hand.

The seven-inch multi-media touch screen greets you with an ascending tune and a glamour shot of the car each time you turn on the ignition. The Dimension Premium audio system works easily and sounds fine, although I wish the USB port was located in a hidden spot, such as the console or glovebox. I had to keep plugging and unplugging my iPod when I parked. The touch screen is simple to use on the go, although, like many cars, the shuffle feature for your iPod has to be reset each time you turn it on. 

The turbo adds a lot of power, but the car doesn't feel especially fast. Mainly tested in zooming away from metered freeway entrances, I was not pushed back into my handsome leather seat terribly hard, but the car did go where I pointed it easily. The turbo in the VW and Audi vehicles, with the same horsepower, feels stronger, although that car's engine is 2.0. Is it a torque issue?

Left side -- one large door

Hyundai must be applauded for introducing a car that's fun and is not simply a coupe version of their compact vehicle. Actually, they have a wide range of cars to choose from, and this is neither a subcompact Accent (sedan or hatchback) nor an Elantra (sedan, hatchback, coupe). It's something else--made most clear by it's amazing doors. There are two full-size doors on the right, as on a sedan, and one larger door on the left--like that on a coupe. The pillar is in a different place on each side. Asymmetry is not a common feature in cars, but this one definitely has it. You can's see both sides at the same time so it's easy to not notice this unique feature.

Right side -- two smaller doors

The standard Veloster I tested in February had a base price of $17,300 and came to $22,000. This one, with the "Ultimate Package" (panoramic sunroof, rearview camera and a few other things) plus Michelin Pilot sport tires ($1,200), base-priced at $21,950 and added up to $26,520.

I'm going to miss this car when it goes--it does what I need it to do and it's fun to walk up to it in the parking lot and get in and zoom away.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe - Moving Up Again

Photo: Victor Llana (www.boundlesscaptures.com)

Hyundai, and its sister division, Kia, have been on a happy upswing for a while now. I like to think that they took Toyota and Honda as the models of success, although whether there's an actual correlation between the two Korean brands and the two Japanese ones is debatable.

Think of this. The first Hyundai in the U.S. was the Excel. Excel is something it didn't do--it was pretty poor. It was cheap, though, and you got what you paid for. But then, the cars got progressively better and better, and better looking, too. The Koreans at Hyundai studied the Japanese models just mentioned. So now, you have the excellent Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio at the bottom, the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte a step up, then the midsize Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. All are doing very well, thank you. I've driven them all.

But what about moving upward? What about giving more performance and luxury? Ask no more. From Hyundai, you can get the Genesis sedan or coupe. Think of it as the Korean Lexus--or Acura. But, unlike those to esteemed brands, there is no separate showroom. You can go into any Hyundai dealership and pick one up today. That saved Hyundai a wad of cash--and the positive vibes rub off on all of the other, more modest vehicles in the fleet. Smart.

I just spent a week with the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, specifically the 3.8 R-Spec. It impressed the heck out of me with its mighty 3.8-liter 348-horsepower V6 driving the rear wheels. The solid shifter action reminded me of a Nissan 370Z I drove not long ago. The clutch was a little tricky, with quick takeup, so I did stall it a few times at first.

Who would think you could get this kind of entertainment from Hyundai? The sedan exudes Mercedes-like elegance, but this coupe is a brawler. 348 horsepower is more than many Corvettes offer with their V8. And how about 20.4 miles per gallon? Official EPA average is 21 mpg, with 18 City and 27 Highway.

My Becketts Black tester mysteriously did without automatic climate control, which is probably standard in the Sonata, and the USB port is tucked away in a teeny little cubby up front--nice--but without enough room for the iPod, which has to hang out in one of the console cupholders. But despite that, and including lovely red leather bucket seats, the price came to $29,625--including shipping. That feels like a heck of a deal to me.

And now, how about the new Hyundai Equus? It's $60,000! What will they think of next?

Hyundai Veloster - Just for Fun

The Banana Car. Photo: Boundless Captures

I just spent a fun week with the new Hyundai Veloster, a compact and quirky vehicle. Showing up in "26.2 Yellow" didn't hurt--and it led to me calling the stylishly tapered ride the "banana car."

Hyundai has been producing nicer and nicer vehicles as they learn the lessons that Toyota and Honda did years ago. The materials and fit-and-finish need to be good and the value has to be there too. My little yellow car came well equipped, especially with its Style Package and Tech Package, which delivered such things as 18-inch wheels with matching yellow inserts, a panoramic sunroof, a premium audio system and various styling extras.

The best part of the car though, was its odd three-door configuration (not counting the convenient hatchback). On the right, the car has typical sedan doors--and a side pillar between them. The rear door's handle is hidden in its extreme upper right corner trim, so it's not immediately obvious. The driver's side, however, is like that on a coupe--one long door. I had fun demonstrating this to incredulous fellow parkers. And the funniest part is the window button panel on the door -- with two on the right and one on the left (see photo).

The hatch, with its quick-remove cargo cover, meant I could carry my bass and other stuff easily. Rear seating had enough legroom but headroom was quite tight thanks to the fastback design.

The Veloster, at this point, comes with one engine--Hyundai's 1.6-liter, 138-horsepower 4. Through a welcome six-speed manual transmission, it averaged an even 30.0 miles per gallon and was fun to point and shoot down the interstate. If you're looking for more dramatic performance, wait for a turbo model, but 30 mpg is nice to have, too. EPA numbers are 28 City, 40 Highway, 32 Average.

The stylists went to town on this car. Outside, its a festival of curves and lines, with interestingly scooped out areas next to the taillamps that make them larger elements. The front wears the fierce look favored by Hyundais these days. Inside, the silvery trim is applied jewelry, keeping your eye moving around the cabin. It feels substantial. The best odd element is the pair of door pull rings built into the armrests that project upward several inches.

My car's base price was just $17,300, but came to $21,300, plus shipping.

I could live long term with this car--it definitely fits my personality--especially in yellow.

Hyundai Accent Amazes

I just spent a very happy week with the new 2012 Hyundai Accent. The Accent is the Korean manufacturer's smallest car sold in America. It competes with other entry-level cars such as the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit.

The Accent is all new for 2012, offering hatchbacks and four-door sedans in three trim levels. All wear the company's swoopy, sculpted styling that has helped make the midsize Sonata sedan such a hit. The look successfully scales down to the Elantra compact and the now the Accent.

I had the hatchback, in a sober gray worthy of a Mercedes-Benz, but the car managed to have a cuteness mixed with a confidence in its own wheelbase. Inside the car, the sweep of the dash and doors, nice fit of the panels, lack of cheapness and remarkable solidity was impressive. There was plenty of rear legroom for adults. Hyundai, and the Accent, have come a long way.

My car was an SE--the sporty model--and it had, hooray, a six-speed manual transmission. There aren't that many around any more, with even the lowliest economy ride proferring an automatic. As it is, Hyundai has chosen to offer the manual as standard and the automatic as optional in each line. That's commendable, as the Accent's cousin, the Kia Rio, offers a manual only in the base car.

My tester was not base. I enjoyed Bluetooth for my phone, Satellite Radio, air conditioning (really standard everywhere these days), power windows, locks and mirrors (also pretty ubiquitous). A leather steering wheel and shift knob gave an upscale feeling, and the design itself was just right. Compared to the Ford Fiesta, which is a little overstyled, it seemed to be a balance between youthful exuberance and the kind of environment you wouldn't mind occupying for a few hours a day without getting distracted.

The Accent uses a 138-horsepower 1.6-liter engine that moved the car along smoothly and quietly, and delivered 32 miles per gallon. That's quite good. The EPA gives it ratings of 30 City, 40 Highway (34 average) and Green Vehicle Guide numbers of 6 for Air Pollution and 8 for Greenhouse Gas (that's SmartWay-winning territory).

Prices start at just $12,545 for the GLS up to $15,895 for the SE, plus shipping. Hyundai vehicles have been attractively priced from the beginning, but they are today great cars to own and drive, even at the starting end of the market.