2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Gets More Power, Better Fuel Economy
By Steven J. Ewing
Hyundai's Santa Fe crossover is only due for its mid-cycle refresh this year, but that doesn't just mean touch-ups to the front six inches and rear six inches of the vehicle. Instead, Hyundai is making good on its promise to increase fuel efficiency across its lineup, and the Santa Fe will receive two new engines for the 2010 model year, as well as some other interior upgrades.
In years past, the Santa Fe only made use of V-6 engines, in outputs of 2.7 and 3.3 liters. The smaller-displacement six is now axed in favor of Hyundai's 2.4-liter Theta II four, which produces 175 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque, and is good for 18/28 miles per gallon (city/highway) -- increases of 17 percent over the 2.7 V-6. Similarly, the 3.3-liter mill has also been eighty-sixed, and a 276-horsepower, 248-pound-feet, 3.5-liter engine is now in its place. The 3.5 boasts 35 more horsepower and 22 more pound-feet of torque over the engine it replces, while still achieving 18 percent better fuel economy in the city, and eight percent on the highway. Both engines use six-speed automatic transmissions.
Santa Fe is available in three trim levels -- GLS, SE, and Limited -- and Hyundai's touch-screen navigation system with XM is available on all models. The overall interior design hasn't changed too much, and neither have equipment levels, but we're not complaining. The Santa Fe has always been a very competitive package and we've often looked at it as a better overall value than a Ford Edge or Nissan Murano.
Scroll down to read all of the details in Hyundai's press release.
2010 SANTA FE UNWRAPPED WITH A PAIR OF NEW ENGINES
As competition in the mid-size crossover segment surge, Hyundai is introducing its refreshed Santa Fe. The 2010 Santa Fe features a revised exterior and new powertrains with six-speed transmissions which improve both fuel economy and vehicle performance. The 2010 Santa Fe is available at Hyundai dealers now.
The 2010 Santa Fe has a newly refined design, proven dependability, versatility and an extensive list of standard features to increase its appeal to a broad range of customers. Combine these attributes with a choice of two new fuel-efficient engines mated to six-speed transmissions and the 2010 American-made Santa Fe is the smartest choice in the competitive mid-size crossover segment.
Santa Fe also delivers on the safety front, earning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) top five-star crash test rating for front impacts. Plus the Hyundai Santa Fe crossover continues to win critical acclaim topping Insure.com’s list as the least expensive 2009 model year vehicle to insure.
CHOICE OF TWO MORE POWERFUL AND FUEL-EFFICIENT POWERTRAINS
The 2010 Santa Fe debuts Hyundai’s second-generation Theta four-cylinder engine. The Theta II 2.4-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine delivers quicker zero-to-60 miles-per-hour acceleration than the Santa Fe with the Mu 2.7-liter V6 engine, while also improving fuel economy. The Santa Fe four-cylinder delivers an impressive 20 mpg city/28 mpg highway fuel economy rating with front wheel drive and the new six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC®. A six-speed manual transmission is standard. The Theta II is rated at an 175 horsepower and 169 lb.-ft. of torque. This high-tech, all-aluminum, 16-valve engine features Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) on both camshafts and a Variable Intake System (VIS) for better engine breathing.
Santa Fe’s 2009 model year Lambda 3.3-liter V6 engine has also been replaced by the Lambda II 3.5-liter V6 engine for more performance and efficiency. The Lambda II 3.5-liter V6 engine pumps out an estimated 34 more horsepower and 22 more pound-feet of torque (276 horsepower and 248 lb.-ft. of torque).
This newly refined powerplant features aluminum construction, dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and weighs less than the 3.3-liter V6 it replaces. To maximize the power spread, the engine utilizes Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) on intake and exhaust camshafts and a new three-step Variable Intake System (VIS) that helps cylinders breathe efficiently at low and high RPM. The better breathing results in outstanding off-the-line acceleration and passing performance, and remarkable fuel efficiency. New mileage figures for V6-powered Santa Fes are 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway (FWD/AT), which represents competitive V6 fuel economy in the mid-size crossover segment.
All Santa Fes now offer Hyundai's first six-speed SHIFTRONIC automatic transmission, which features an overdrive lock-up torque converter for improved highway fuel economy. The Santa Fe four cylinder comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission. Meanwhile, Santa Fe’s available electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system automatically routes power to the wheels with the best traction. A driver-selectable AWD lock provides a fixed 50/50 torque split between front and rear wheels, which can improve performance in slippery or off-road conditions.
To help Santa Fe drivers get the most out of their vehicles, for 2010, Hyundai has added a fuel economy indicator. The “Eco Indicator” on automatic transmission models displays a green light to indicate when driving habits are contributing to good fuel economy.
INDUSTRY-LEADING SAFETY TECHNOLOGY
The Santa Fe also features six standard airbags, including side air curtain airbags. The combination of side and curtain airbags, which help protect the head and body during side impacts, can reduce fatalities by more than 52 percent, according to the IIHS. To make the 2010 Santa Fe even safer, Hyundai has added rollover sensors to the side curtain airbags. Rollover sensors are designed to measure the lateral and vertical acceleration, vehicle speed and roll rate to predict an impending rollover. When the sensors detect a potential rollover, the control module triggers the head-curtain side air bags and safety belt pre-tensioners to help protect passengers against serious injury.
All Santa Fe trim levels come standard with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), one of the industry’s most effective life-saving technologies. ESC compares the driver’s intended course with the vehicle’s actual response. It then brakes individual front or rear wheels and/or reduces engine power as needed in certain driving circumstances to help correct understeer or oversteer. NHTSA studies show SUVs equipped with ESC experience 63 percent fewer fatalities in single-vehicle crashes.
Front and rear disc brakes are standard and are coupled with a four-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) that includes Brake Assist, a technology providing maximum braking force when a panic stop is detected. The system also uses Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), which automatically equalizes the braking force to the front and rear axles, based on the vehicle loading conditions.
All seating positions feature three-point seatbelts and adjustable head restraints. Front-seat active head restraints help prevent whiplash by automatically reducing the space between a front occupant’s head and the head restraint during a rear collision. The new auto-fold style rear- seat head restraints on outboard seats also improve overall visibility, while providing easier rear-seat fold-down capabilities.
Santa Fe also features a standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which alerts drivers if one or more tires are under inflated. An illuminated indicator light on the dash lets drivers know if a tire needs inflation so corrective action can be taken.
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Top 10 Little Things That Count
By Joe Bruzek, Cars.com
In the time our editors spend reviewing hundreds of cars a year, we run across features we simply can't live without. The features that make us whine when we don't have them aren't high-end, expensive gadgets but little conveniences that make a high impact on everyday usability and comfort. Here are our 10 favorites:
One-Touch Power Windows
Sure, one-touch up/down windows only save three seconds, but that's three seconds you can use to get out your checking deposit slip at the bank teller's window. And if there's a person you don't want to delay, it's the one who handles your money. The 2010 Toyota Camry has the one-touch up/down feature on all four windows.
USB Input
With a USB input, you can tuck the MP3 player out of the way, let it charge and control your 10,000 songs through the stereo, which is much better than the more common MP3 jack. Bonus points go to stereos that recognize older iPods — some won't — as well as searchable song lists. Interfaces that aren't alphabetically searchable make it agonizing to turn the dial a hundred times to get to your Weird Al Yankovic collection.
Telescoping Steering Wheel
Telescoping steering wheels not only give you more adjustability for finding a comfortable seating position, but they also help keep drivers in a safe position if the airbag deploys. The feature is available in every class of vehicle, so a model that doesn't have a telescoping steering wheel is at a competitive disadvantage.
Backup Camera
Backup cameras make navigating parking lots infinitely easier and can pay for themselves by preventing even one parking lot fender bender. Our favorites have lines on the screen that preview the vehicle's backup path. However, we'd still like to see more backup cameras as a stand-alone option rather than tied to an expensive navigation package.
Steering-Wheel Controls
There's probably nothing you have more interaction with in a car than the steering wheel and stereo, so having controls for both in the same place cuts down on the time your hands are off the wheel. Even better are steering wheels with cruise control buttons -- a separate cruise control stalk almost always gets mistaken for the turn signal at some point.
Trip Computer
A trip computer with mileage readouts can be an easy, no-cost way to improve fuel economy. By looking at the instant mileage, you can tailor your driving habits for the best results. Also included in some trip computers is an outside temperature gauge. Although we can't change the weather by looking at the gauge, it's quantitative proof that the weather forecaster is making stuff up.
Smart Cupholders
Fast-food drinks and jumbo-size coffees are more satisfying when they're not all over your car's carpet. The best cupholders are deep enough to keep cups from tipping over and accommodate different-sized drinks — from small coffees to Super Big Gulp Slurpees — using adjustable feelers and grips.
Heated Seats
This quintessential winter feature makes dealing with subfreezing temperatures as easy as hitting the heated seat button to "on." Heated seats start warming before the car's heat is able to blast at 90 degrees, and they can be fitted on cloth or leather seats.
Height-Adjustable Seats
Seats that adjust vertically are so critical to sitting comfortably that when a car doesn't have more than four-way adjustability, it seems grossly outdated. Six-way adjustable seats should be the bare minimum; anything less should have been left in 1996.
Three Sets of Latch Connectors
Just because a big SUV has three rows of seating doesn't guarantee there will be more than two sets of Latch connectors for child-safety seats. SUVs that have three sets of Latch anchors or more, like the 2010 Honda Pilot, offer more flexibility for larger families.
100% Russian bling: Gold plated Porsche 911 turbo
If you wake up day after day only to find your bank balance replenished by a few million dollars, chances are at some point, you won’t know what to do with it. Take this Porsche 911 owner for example. He couldn’t find ways to get rid of the fast-accumulating green paper and did this to himself.- A 40- pound pure gold covered Porsche 911.
We find the idea annoying but appreciate the work that has gone into it. The carvings and designs on the surface are brilliant and would have taken weeks to complete by an extremely set of talented and skilled individuals. The polished surface looks nice and should have masked the rear-view mirrors entirely, eliminating the need for a reflective glass and related electronics for adjustments, but maybe next time?!
Driving a Porsche 911 on the streets would grab enough attention leave alone a gold-covered one. Is the Sultan of Brunei reading this?
In Virginia, more people work for __________________ more than any other industry.
Government
themselves (as farmers)
school systems
private businesses
See answer under Car Doctor.
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Air Pressure - Correct, Underinflated and Overinflated
Advantages of Correct Tire Inflation
Maintaining correct tire inflation pressure helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy. Correct tire inflation pressure allows drivers to experience tire comfort, durability and performance designed to match the needs of their vehicles. Tire deflection (the tread and sidewall flexing where the tread comes into contact with the road) will remain as originally designed and excessive sidewall flexing and tread squirm will be avoided. Heat buildup will be managed and rolling resistance will be appropriate. Proper tire inflation pressure also stabilizes the tire's structure, blending the tire's responsiveness, traction and handling.
Tire pressure must be checked with a quality air gauge as the inflation pressure cannot be accurately estimated through visual inspection.
Disadvantages of Under inflation
An underinflated tire can't maintain its shape and becomes flatter than intended while in contact with the road. If a vehicle's tires are underinflated by only 6 psi it could weaken the tire's internal structure and eventually lead to tire failure. Lower inflation pressures will allow more deflection as the tire rolls. This will build up more internal heat, increase rolling resistance (causing a reduction in fuel economy of up to 5%) and reduce the tire's tread life by as much as 25% while increasing the probability of irregular treadwear. Drivers would also find a noteworthy loss of steering precision and cornering stability. While 6 psi doesn't seem excessively low, it typically represents about 20% of a passenger car tire's recommended pressure.
Disadvantages of Over inflation
An overinflated tire is stiff and unyielding and the size of its footprint in contact with the road is reduced. If a vehicle's tires are overinflated by 6 psi, they could be damaged more easily when encountering potholes or debris in the road, as well as experience irregular tread wear. Higher inflated tires cannot isolate road irregularities as well causing the vehicle to ride harsher and transmit more noise into its interior. However, higher inflation pressures reduce rolling resistance slightly and typically provide a slight improvement in steering response and cornering stability. This is why participants who use street tires in autocrosses, track events and road races run higher than normal inflation pressures.
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Government This includes about one fourth of Virginia's workers.
