2012 Hyundai Santa Fe Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Santa Fe, and includes Hyundai Santa Fe safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a five-passenger crossover SUV that handily competes with the likes of the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. It is a little bit bigger than most compact crossovers, but not as large as a midsize model.

Few changes are in store for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe, as a redesigned version is due in a year or two. In the meantime, it benefits from a restyled grille, standard Downhill Brake Control (DBC) and new low-rolling resistance tires.

The 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe comes dressed in one of three trim levels, each comprehensively equipped with features that make it competitive in its class. Standard goodies on the base-level GLS include 17-inch wheels and roof rails, power windows and door locks, air conditioning, and a tilt-and telescopic steering wheel. Inside, you’ll find a six-speaker stereo with iPod/USB jacks, a CD/MP3 player, Bluetooth and satellite radio. The only options available for the GLS are an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

For a little more sport in your Santa Fe, try the SE flavor. It includes all the equipment on the GLS plus a 3.5-liter V6 engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, a rear spoiler, and leather accents on the steering wheel and seats. The driver’s seat is power-adjustable and the Santa Fe SE also includes cross rails for the roof rack, automatic headlights, and windshield wiper de-icers. For those who need to tow, the SE comes with a Towing Prep Package giving the Santa Fe the capacity to tow 3,500-lbs. thanks to a transmission cooler, upgraded radiator, and better fan system. Getting the optional Premium Package gives you a power sunroof, a premium sound system, a navigation system, and a rearview camera.

The top-of-the-line Santa Fe Limited boasts full leather upholstery with heated front seats, a power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control and a premium Infinity sound system. Optionally, the Navigation Package combines a navigation system and a rearview camera with a 605-watt Infinity Logic 7 surround sound audio system. Interestingly, the Limited comes standard with the GLS model’s four-cylinder engine, but it may be upgraded with the V6.

Two engines are on tap with the 2012 Santa Fe. The GLS is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine making 175 horsepower, with fuel economy ratings of 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the open road. Putting power to the Santa Fe’s front wheels is your choice of a six-speed manual transmission or an optional six-speed automatic for the GLS. The Limited comes with the automatic.

Standard on the SE and available on the Limited is a strong 276-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 that comes matched only with an automatic transmission. It’s rated to achieve 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. A little light on the Santa Fe’s dashboard illuminates to reward you with a green glow if your right foot is in accordance with fuel-saving driving habits.

All trim levels may be outfitted with traction-enhancing all-wheel drive, and all Santa Fes come with Hyundai’s industry-leading five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Standard safety equipment on the 2012 Santa Fe includes antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, traction control, and stability control. New for 2012, the Santa Fe also includes Downhill Brake Control (DBC), which automatically maintains a safe descent speed without requiring the driver to plant a foot on the brake pedal. Passive safety systems include dual front, dual front side, and dual side curtain airbags.

At the time of this writing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not performed crash tests on the 2012 Santa Fe, but it did give a 4-Star rating for rollover resistance. So we have to take our safety cues from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which bestowed upon the Santa Fe its prestigious Top Safety Pick designation for the 2011 model year. Since the Santa Fe is essentially unchanged for 2012, the IIHS is likely to name the ’12 Santa Fe a Top Safety Pick as well.

Neither Consumer Reports nor J.D. Power and Associates have rated the 2012 Santa Fe as this review is written, but both have given the 2011 Santa Fe better-than-average scores when it comes to predicted reliability.

The 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe competes with some of its better-known compact crossover rivals such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4 in terms of price point, but it exceeds them when it comes to interior space. When you fold the rear seats down, a huge 78 cubic feet of space swallows up the aftereffects of your ill-advised Costco run. Typically, you’d have to turn to the midsize SUV class for that amount of space.

The 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe is getting ready for retirement. It was first introduced in 2007 to critical acclaim but hasn’t kept up with the rest of Hyundai’s new, ultra-stylish, value-driven lineup. Still, we like its safety and reliability ratings, its comprehensive standard equipment list, its roomy cargo area, and it’s generous warranty. Vehix advises that you definitely keep it on the shopping list as a serious contender in the crossover vehicle category.

By Liz Kim