Click here for the Ride&Drive Index!

Let's clear the decks here at the beginning by saying that the Sante Fe is a fine example of the pickings available in the small sport-utility segment. I'll go further than that: It is equal or superior to anything available at the price.. But what I like most about it is the hood.

You heard me. The hood.

Sit behind the wheel of almost any car or truck you can think of and what do you see? Just a more-or-less flat piece of steel. In a Sante Fe, you see curves. Sensuous, wonderful curves. Cars used to have interesting shapes. Today, even expensive cars are almost shapeless. Why? Because it can cost a lost of money to produce those sensuous shapes.

The sexiest sedan in modern times was the 1968-series Jaguar XJ that was in production until the late-1980s. One of my neighbors owns one and I've seen it many times, but I still stop and stare when it goes by. The hood on the XJ was made up from six different steel stampings that then had to be laboriously welded together. And not just in a crude way, either. This was an exterior panel where the welds had to be seamless and perfect.


No manufacturer — not even Jaguar — can afford to do that sort of thing anymore.

Which makes the curvaceousness of the Sante Fe all the more remarkable. And it's not just the hood, either. The Sante Fe is round and wonderfully sculpted all over. I assume Hyundai engineers and manufacturing specialists found a way to do this in an affordable way. The point is, they took the trouble and the result is delightful.

Of course, the Sante Fe — being a Hyundai — also represents great value. For 2004, it got even better with the addition of the 3.5-liter V6 engine, now standard on the LX model (where it replaces the 2.7-liter V6) and available on the GLS.

All Santa Fe 3.5-liter models include the 5-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission and ABS with traction control. Customers who select available 4WD with the 3.5-liter will also benefit from a new, state-of-the-art electronic 4WD system.

Hyundai's prven Sigma 3.5-liter engine is rated at 200 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and delivers 219 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 RPM. This engine, which features a strong cast-iron block and multi-valve aluminum cylinder heads, is also used in the XG350 sedan.

The electronic 4WD system available with the Santa Fe 3.5-liter was designed by Borg-Warner and features InterActive Torque Management (ITM). When the system senses that the front wheels are slipping, it automatically transfers power to the rear wheels. When the front wheels are no longer slipping, power to the rear wheels is reduced or eliminated. This electronic system manages power between the front and rear wheels for maximum vehicle traction and fuel economy.

The ITM system consists of three sections in one compact, lightweight package; there is the actuating section, the torque transmitting section and the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The unit is mounted in front of the rear differential on the Santa Fe. The ECU receives signals from sensors and monitors wheel speed, throttle position and steering angle.

When the ECU senses the need for additional torque at the rear wheels, it sends a signal to the actuating section which causes the multiple wet clutches to compress and send torque to the rear axle. The system is automatic; there are no buttons to push or levers to move — 4WD traction is there whenever the driver needs it.

The Santa Fe 3.5-liter also features specially tuned spring rates and shock absorbers. In addition, the rear suspension of the Santa Fe has been modified slightly to accommodate the ITM 4WD system installation.

The Santa Fe has twice been named the best midsize sport utility vehicle in the prestigious AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Survey (VSS). The Santa Fe was the first Korean-badged vehicle to ever win the award when it topped the list in 2001. In 2002, the Santa Fe again finished first, tied for top honors with the Toyota Highlander.

In 2001, 2002 and 2003 the Hyundai Santa Fe received the Total Value Award from Strategic Vision for offering owners the "Best Small Sport Utility Ownership Experience." The Hyundai Santa Fe also received the Strategic Vision Total Quality Award in 2001 and 2003.

The Santa Fe is available in three models; Santa Fe, Santa Fe GLS and Santa Fe LX. All Santa Fe models offer a long list of standard features including air conditioning, 16-inch wheels and tires, privacy glass and four-wheel disc brakes. Power door locks, body-color mirrors and body-color door handles are standard (Santa Fe and Santa Fe GLS, chrome on Santa Fe LX) and the base Santa Fe is equipped with handsome side cladding and a stereo system that includes a CD player and 6 speakers with two front tweeters for a richer sound quality.

GLS and LX buyers can enjoy the sounds of the standard Monsoon stereo systems. The GLS is fitted with a Monsoon AM/FM 218-watt stereo cassette and CD system. The Santa Fe LX is fitted with a Monsoon AM/FM 218-watt stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer. Standard equipment for the top-of-the-line Santa Fe LX also includes ABS with traction control, leather seating surfaces with heated front seats, fully automatic temperature control, and electrochromic auto-dimming inside rear view mirror with HomeLink.

The base engine is Hyundai's 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder rated at 138 horsepower. The first optional V6 is a 2.7-liter DOHC Hyundai V6. This high-tech, all-aluminum, 24-valve, DOHC V6 engine is rated at 173 horsepower. The second engine option is the Santa Fe 3.5-liter which is also a DOHC V6. This engine is rated at 200 horsepower.

A five-speed manual transmission is standard with the four-cylinder engine, while the 2.7-liter V6 is matched with a 4-speed version of Hyundai's Shiftronic automatic transmission. The 3.5-liter V6 is fitted with a 5-speed version of the Shiftronic.

When the 2.7-liter Santa Fe is equipped with Fulltime 4WD, power is transmitted to the wheels through a four-wheel-drive system via the Dual Drive Differential that features two planetary gears and a viscous coupling.

The Fulltime 4WD system is designed to deliver 60 percent of the power to the front wheels and 40 percent to the rear wheels. This 4WD system, designed for Hyundai by Steyr-Puch, is driver-friendly and fully automatic; the mechanical Fulltime 4WD system requires no input from the driver.

Anyone looking for a small sport-utility should give serious consideration to the Sante Fe. You'll love looing down that hood, and, at at a starting base price of $18,589, the value it offers is hard to beat in this class. R&D