Hyundai began building its utility vehicle lineup all the way back in 2001, but it didn’t start really ramping things up until 2016, the first model year for the third-generation Tucson and the calendar year in which the Kona was introduced. But back in 2001? The lineup started with the Santa Fe. Now nearly two decades later, the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe remains one of the most popular models on the lineup, thanks it part to its recent redesign. How does it fare against one of its biggest competitors? We thought we’d find out by pitting it against a much younger vehicle, the 2020 Honda Passport.
Technically speaking, the Passport is much older than the Santa Fe despite what we just said. It was first introduced all the way back in 1993 as a traditional SUV but was discontinued around the time the Santa Fe came onto the market. Then in 2019, the brand resurrected it as a midsize crossover, leading to the youth we mentioned.
So, how do the two storied crossover nameplates measure up to one another? Well, we put together the table up above with several of the most important specifications to take into consideration when shopping in the class, kicking things off with fuel economy. Through city streets, the Santa Fe can travel two extra miles per gallon. That’s not a huge advantage, but it will lead to some minor savings in the long run. On the highway however, the Santa Fe increases its advantage to 7 mpg, which is a much bigger deal.
Unfortunately, the Hyundai CUV pays for this in power, as the third row shows. The Passport’s powertrain generates a full 95 horsepower more than the Santa Fe’s does. This advantage is diluted a bit by the fourth row, which looks at curb weight. The Santa Fe weighs 368 pounds less than the Passport, meaning it doesn’t need quite as much power as its competitor. However, with an advantage of nearly 100 HP, that’s not going to cut it by a whole lot.
However, the Hyundai crossover has plenty of other great features and technology to get excited about, such as Hyundai SmartSense or the brand’s incredibly warranty. Check out more information around our website or give us a call with any questions!
