The 190 hp 2.4L provides adequate motivation and Hyundai’s in-house six-speed auto does its business smoothly and competently. Fuel economy for the AWD Santa Fe with 2.4L four is pegged by Natural Resources Canada at 9.3 L/100 km highway and 12.5 city. On extended highway jaunts I saw 8.6 L/100 km and the wintry week concluded with 11.0 L/100 km.

The Santa Fe Sport AWD runs in front-drive mode until front wheel slip is detected, then torque is sent aft. The transfer case with multi-plate wet clutch (built by Canadian parts giant Magna Engineering) is controlled by an electro-hydraulic actuation system that gets its orders from a very smart control unit. Acceleration forces, steering angle, and yaw rate among other things are continually processed with the aim of anticipating and reacting to road conditions. With the transferal of power to the rear wheels being seamless and essentially instant, the driver is unaware of all these goings on. Which is how it should be.

The system also uses brake-activated rear wheel torque-vectoring (dubbed Active Cornering Control) that brakes the inside rear wheel when accelerating through a corner to help maintain path control.

The Santa Fe Sport offers plenty of cargo flexibility. Thanks to that sliding 40/20/40 rear bench, the depth of the cargo space behind said seat exceeds that of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 (no slouches in their own right). The seat backs fold down nearly flat and there is a useful storage bin under the load floor.

Warranty:
5 years/100,000 km; 5 years/100,000 km powertrain; 5 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 5 years/unlimited distance 24-hour roadside assistance

Competitors:
Chevrolet Equinox
Dodge Journey
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V
Kia Sorento
Mazda CX-5
Toyota RAV4

The 2015 Santa Fe Sport 2.4 Luxury AWD impressed me as being a nicely well-rounded vehicle. It certainly won’t inspire any kind of passion as its power is modest and its handling stodgy, but as a roomy and comfortable conveyance with a lashing of luxury and a dash of style, it makes for a pretty convincing argument. As does its industry-leading warranty.

Pricing: 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4 Luxury AWD
Base price: $34,999
Options: N/A
A/C tax: $100
Destination: $1795
Price as tested: $36,894

Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

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