The History of the Hyundai Santa Fe

In 2001, Hyundai made its debut in the sport utility vehicle market with the Santa Fe. It was made to appeal to a North American audience with its five-passenger capacity and 4WD option. The 2001 Santa Fe was a 2.4-liter V4 with 149 horsepower and came with a 5-speed manual transmission. The Shiftronic 4-speed automatic had a 2.7-liter V6 engine. The SUV came with dual front airbags and 16-inch aluminum wheels. Through the years the Hyundai Santa Fe has gone through a number of big changes to make it the competitive SUV it is today.

Design Changes Through the Years
Through the years, many design changes have been made. From 2001 to 2004, seating increased from five passengers to seven passengers, so the SUV actually became larger. This is a significant part of the Hyundai Santa Fe’s history because it marked when the SUV started competing with those that seated more than five people. 2007 saw the Santa Fe going back to five passengers, but it bumped back to seven in 2009, going back to five for two more years, and then back to seven all over again in 2014. During this time, the body style evolved with the times. It became less thin in the nose and a bit bulkier but very stylish. It maintained this bulkier design, giving it some substance and heft on the road.

Luxury Features of the Hyundai Santa Fe
As time progressed, the midsize crossover went from having generous standard features for the time to having a class-leading warranty, increased safety features, engine choices, touchscreen navigation, heated seats, and a great deal of technology. The 2017 model now possesses standard features that were once considered luxury. When looking at this newest generation to the first generation, it’s hard to tell that it is the same model.

Get Your Santa Fe!
At Ray Brandt Hyundai of Harvey, Louisiana, you can get answers to your questions and see the Hyundai Santa Fe first-hand so you can get a feel for this great SUV. If you are looking for space because either you have a large family or you simply need room, this might be the SUV for you.