Auto News 5

Opel strategy chief Thomas Sedran will be the new head of Chevrolet and Cadillac in Europe, taking over for the departing Susan Docherty. Sedran faces a tough task boosting Chevrolet's falling sales in the crisis-hit region.

Opel management board member Thomas Sedran will be the new head of Chevrolet and Cadillac in Europe. Sedran faces a tough task boosting Chevrolet's falling sales in the crisis-hit region.

So-called 'Active Multibeam LED' headlights will be launched by Mercedes-Benz in 2014, the company has revealed.

Toyota has announced that a robot - or 'robonaut' - in which it has played a key development role, has been been cleared to take part in the first robot-human conversation experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Shareholders have voted to retain both CEO Carlos Ghosn and the board of Nissan Motor for a further two years.

News 26 Jun, 2013

Nissan gives Micra the Nismo treatment, but it won't be coming to the UK

Pictures 26 Jun, 2013

News 26 Jun, 2013

Kia are set to launch a range of high-performance models under the 'GT' brand if it proves a hit with buyers

General Motors has confirmed the appointment of Alan Batey as senior vice president, Global Chevrolet, which accounts for more than half of GM's sales worldwide. Batey will also serve as the head of US Sales, Service and Marketing for Chevrolet, Buick and GMC.

The XV Hybrid, the first Subaru with a petrol-electric powertrain, has been launched in Japan.

The XV Hybrid, the first Subaru with a petrol-electric powertrain, has been launched in Japan.

Renault has high hopes for its new Twingo minicar, which will switch to a five-door layout in a move that may help the automaker win customers downsizing from larger vehicles.

Renault has high hopes for its new Twingo minicar, which will switch to a five-door layout in a move that may help the automaker win customers downsizing from larger vehicles.

Videos 26 Jun, 2013

We have a mashup of four, six, eight, 10 and 12 cylinder engines in an orchestra of car sounds

Ford, the fastest-growing major foreign automaker in China this year, said its sales gain will outpace the industry in 2013 as customers buy new models.

Ford, the fastest-growing major foreign automaker in China this year, said its sales gain will outpace the industry in 2013 as customers buy new models.

Chery Automobile has divided its models into four series, Arrizo, Fulwin, QQ and Tiggo, as part of a brand reorganisation.

Read Part I and Part II of our long-term test time with the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport.

Parting is such sweet sorrow
That's right, it's over. Our long-term test of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE has come to an end, and truthfully the entire office is a little bummed out at the prospect. For five months the Santa Fe Sport made the rounds from kid-packed families to singletons; this crossover satisfied many and all. However, it wasn't all roses and smiles, which is why we've put together this final update.

After covering roughly 10,000km in our 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport long-term tester through two seasons (winter and spring) and with multiple drivers behind the wheel, we discovered that this crossover is as utilitarian as it is sporty.



Comments from the peanut gallery
A long-term road test is an ideal means to give a greater number of people access to a given product. In our time with the Santa Fe Sport, we handed the keys to a number of staffers after which we collected their comments.

Here are a few that summarize the overall impressions of Team Auto123.com.

Maxime A. (current owner of a 2009 Santa Fe): We're not talking about a breath of fresh air or a mere evolution, but rather a revolution! While I enjoy driving my 2009 Santa Fe, the sporty nature of the 2013 model feels like driving a luxury sedan! You'll love the completely new interior and the jet-set exterior!

Suzanne G.: The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE is not only competent on snow- and slush-covered roads, but also safe and confidence-inspiring thanks to ABS brakes and stability control. Visibility is great. I enjoyed a nice view of the road, was sitting high and feeling warm, listening to the Rolling Stones, and revelling in the vehicle's cocoon-like interior. This is one good-looking crossover which also made me look good behind the wheel.

The report card
After tabulating scores and comments from all those who gave the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE long-term tester a go, we've come up with the final report card.


The Highs

Styling to fall for
As we said in Part I and II, the highest marks of all go to the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's exterior looks. Truly one of the best-looking crossovers currently on the market, not one negative thing was said about the vehicle's exterior design. In fact, so good-looking is this crossover, that a few of its shortcomings (which we'll get to in a moment) can and were even forgiven by a few testers.

It's true what they say: If you like your car's looks, many other things will be forgotten.

As we said in Part I and II, the highest marks of all go to the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's exterior looks. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

For families
Of course, the second biggest point gatherer was the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE's family friendliness. With plenty of space on board and in the trunk, as well as easy access to all seats, the Santa Fe Sport is the ideal family vehicle. From baby seats to grandparents, the Hyundai was able to handle everything in stride (and comfort). Across the board, we felt the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport was extremely easy to live with.

With plenty of space on board and in the trunk, as well as easy access to all seats, the Santa Fe Sport is the ideal family vehicle. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Value packed
The final high point we'd like to touch on was the overall value of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE. Perhaps this is the most important of all. While not the most obvious, the value of a vehicle is a very big selling point. Are you really getting what you pay for? You never want to get less, but what if you can get more?

Well, with the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE, the feeling that you're getting so much more than what you're paying for was felt across the board. On more than one occasion a driver would guess the MSRP well above the actual cost.

Without really realizing what we were doing, we soon used the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE as a benchmark upon which to measure up other crossovers that landed in our parking lot. Were they as good? Often, no, and yet their price tags were usually higher.


The Lows

Now, the lows... No car is perfect, and the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE, while a fantastic vehicle, was not impervious to faults.

High fuel consumption
The low scores came from an area we were made aware of in the first few weeks of possession: fuel consumption. While this is something we tried to regulate, it's something the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE continued to struggle with.

Fuel consumption numbers hovered in the 13-14L/100km range, well above what they should have been. And while they did decrease ever so slightly over the final week or so of the long-term test, we assume it was because of outside temperatures requiring no heat or A/C be used while we drove.

Good drive marred by steering
What might be a little shocking, as we've said a few times how sporty the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE felt, was the fact that performance and driving dynamics also scored poorly. For a number of drivers, steering feel fell short. Perhaps the Driver Selectable Steering might need a few tweaks on future models.

Transmission teething problems
The last low comes in the form of a transmission that continued to plague us over the months. While it felt the worst in the colder months, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's transmission difficulty with cold starts was a sore point for most and something we even had checked at the dealer.

As we've not heard of any other transmission issues with the 2013 Santa Fe Sport, we are going to assume that this was a teething issue. If you currently drive one and are experiencing otherwise, let us know!

(Photo: Philippe Champoux)

A lasting impression
Overall, our 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE long-term tester was enjoyed by many and for many reasons. And even though most of the lows pertained to driving dynamics, every time the keys were handed back the same comments were made: "What a fun, good-natured vehicle."

Here is a vehicle that's loaded to the gills with amenities and comfort, able to fit five comfortably, has plenty of trunk space, is capable in the winter, and offers a bit of attitude behind the wheel, all for a decent price.

It's safe to say we definitely made the right choice by selecting the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport as our 2013 Compact Utility of the Year at the Auto123.com Awards.

Read Part I and Part II of our long-term test time with the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport.

Parting is such sweet sorrow
That's right, it's over. Our long-term test of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE has come to an end, and truthfully the entire office is a little bummed out at the prospect. For five months the Santa Fe Sport made the rounds from kid-packed families to singletons; this crossover satisfied many and all. However, it wasn't all roses and smiles, which is why we've put together this final update.

After covering roughly 10,000km in our 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport long-term tester through two seasons (winter and spring) and with multiple drivers behind the wheel, we discovered that this crossover is as utilitarian as it is sporty.



Comments from the peanut gallery
A long-term road test is an ideal means to give a greater number of people access to a given product. In our time with the Santa Fe Sport, we handed the keys to a number of staffers after which we collected their comments.

Here are a few that summarize the overall impressions of Team Auto123.com.

Maxime A. (current owner of a 2009 Santa Fe): We're not talking about a breath of fresh air or a mere evolution, but rather a revolution! While I enjoy driving my 2009 Santa Fe, the sporty nature of the 2013 model feels like driving a luxury sedan! You'll love the completely new interior and the jet-set exterior!

Suzanne G.: The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE is not only competent on snow- and slush-covered roads, but also safe and confidence-inspiring thanks to ABS brakes and stability control. Visibility is great. I enjoyed a nice view of the road, was sitting high and feeling warm, listening to the Rolling Stones, and revelling in the vehicle's cocoon-like interior. This is one good-looking crossover which also made me look good behind the wheel.

The report card
After tabulating scores and comments from all those who gave the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE long-term tester a go, we've come up with the final report card.


The Highs

Styling to fall for
As we said in Part I and II, the highest marks of all go to the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's exterior looks. Truly one of the best-looking crossovers currently on the market, not one negative thing was said about the vehicle's exterior design. In fact, so good-looking is this crossover, that a few of its shortcomings (which we'll get to in a moment) can and were even forgiven by a few testers.

It's true what they say: If you like your car's looks, many other things will be forgotten.

As we said in Part I and II, the highest marks of all go to the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's exterior looks. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

For families
Of course, the second biggest point gatherer was the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE's family friendliness. With plenty of space on board and in the trunk, as well as easy access to all seats, the Santa Fe Sport is the ideal family vehicle. From baby seats to grandparents, the Hyundai was able to handle everything in stride (and comfort). Across the board, we felt the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport was extremely easy to live with.

With plenty of space on board and in the trunk, as well as easy access to all seats, the Santa Fe Sport is the ideal family vehicle. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Value packed
The final high point we'd like to touch on was the overall value of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE. Perhaps this is the most important of all. While not the most obvious, the value of a vehicle is a very big selling point. Are you really getting what you pay for? You never want to get less, but what if you can get more?

Well, with the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE, the feeling that you're getting so much more than what you're paying for was felt across the board. On more than one occasion a driver would guess the MSRP well above the actual cost.

Without really realizing what we were doing, we soon used the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE as a benchmark upon which to measure up other crossovers that landed in our parking lot. Were they as good? Often, no, and yet their price tags were usually higher.


The Lows

Now, the lows... No car is perfect, and the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE, while a fantastic vehicle, was not impervious to faults.

High fuel consumption
The low scores came from an area we were made aware of in the first few weeks of possession: fuel consumption. While this is something we tried to regulate, it's something the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T SE continued to struggle with.

Fuel consumption numbers hovered in the 13-14L/100km range, well above what they should have been. And while they did decrease ever so slightly over the final week or so of the long-term test, we assume it was because of outside temperatures requiring no heat or A/C be used while we drove.

Good drive marred by steering
What might be a little shocking, as we've said a few times how sporty the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE felt, was the fact that performance and driving dynamics also scored poorly. For a number of drivers, steering feel fell short. Perhaps the Driver Selectable Steering might need a few tweaks on future models.

Transmission teething problems
The last low comes in the form of a transmission that continued to plague us over the months. While it felt the worst in the colder months, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's transmission difficulty with cold starts was a sore point for most and something we even had checked at the dealer.

As we've not heard of any other transmission issues with the 2013 Santa Fe Sport, we are going to assume that this was a teething issue. If you currently drive one and are experiencing otherwise, let us know!

(Photo: Philippe Champoux)

A lasting impression
Overall, our 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SE long-term tester was enjoyed by many and for many reasons. And even though most of the lows pertained to driving dynamics, every time the keys were handed back the same comments were made: "What a fun, good-natured vehicle."

Here is a vehicle that's loaded to the gills with amenities and comfort, able to fit five comfortably, has plenty of trunk space, is capable in the winter, and offers a bit of attitude behind the wheel, all for a decent price.

It's safe to say we definitely made the right choice by selecting the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport as our 2013 Compact Utility of the Year at the Auto123.com Awards.

No less than eight IZOD IndyCar Series teams were present this Tuesday to do some serious testing at Pocono Raceway which will welcome back IndyCar racing for the first time since 1989.

Were present: Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay and E.J. Viso (Andretti Autosport), Sebastian Saavedra (Dragon Racing), Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing), Ryan Briscoe (Panther Racing), Simona De Silvestro and Tony Kanaan (KV Racing Technology), Helio Castroneves and Will Power (Team Penske) for Chevrolet.

Representing Honda were James Jakes and Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing while Sarah Fisher Hartman racing was represented by Josef Newgarden.

Photo: Pocono Raceway

Another test open to everyone will also be held July 4 in advance of the Pocono IndyCar 400 on July 7.

Apart from Helio Castroneves and Will Power, who had the chance earlier to try the Pocono Raceway for a Firestine tire test, it was a first encounter with the oval for all the others.

"Pocono is pretty incredible," Josef Newgarden said.

"I've never been to an oval like this. It's a challenge and unlike anywhere we've been. It almost combines a bunch of ovals."

The race will be the middle leg of the Fuzzy's Triple Crown, which carries a $1 million bonus if Kanaan can sweep the races at Indianapolis, Pocono and Auto Club Speedway in California. A driver who wins two of the three will receive a $250,000 bonus.