During our week with the Santa Fe, we determined that it’s an excellent SUV for everyday driving and road trips, but it could use some beefy updates. Only a few upgrades would make it possible to tackle the wilderness.
Can the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe go off-road?
Yes, technically, the 2023 can go off-road, but it’s not quite ready to keep up with the Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road or Subaru Forester Wilderness. Upgrading the Santa Fe for wilderness wouldn’t take much.
It has a standard 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 191bhp and 181Nm of torque. Edmunds recommends eschewing this engine and switching to the available 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque.
It helps the Santa Fe accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.6 seconds. It has plenty of power to climb slippery slopes. It could go through slippery mud and ruts with ease.
The available Hyundai HTRAC AWD system moves 50 vehicle inputs over 100 times per second to calculate the required torque at each wheel. If slip is detected, the system diverts power between the front and rear axles and applies light brake pressure to maintain traction.
When driving in automatic AWD mode, the system acts like a normal 2WD vehicle. But power is automatically sent to all four wheels as needed.
You can use the AWD lock button to distribute power to all four wheels in slippery conditions or steep hills. Use the downhill slide control to traverse steep slopes with ease.
The Santa Fe also has a 360-degree surround view camera to assist with parking, and could be useful as a camera to help drivers maneuver around tight obstacles.
How much space does the Santa Fe have?
It’s incredibly spacious. Provides 34.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and up to 72.1 cubic feet total. The seats fold flat to create a level cargo floor or sleeping space.
The hold has four huge, easy-to-access built-in containers. They are great for storing tools and organizing cargo. However, these bins could be replaced by a full-size spare wheel, which is beneficial for off-roading.
Additionally, the interior features soft carpeting with a luxurious feel. Removing the floor mats for cleaning is easy, but we’d love it if it came with rubberized all-weather floor mats. The XRT model should go beyond just appearances.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is engaging, comfortable and capable. It’s perfect for everyday riding, but we want to take it on more adventures. Providing the Santa Fe with beefy upgrades to battle rivals wouldn’t take much.
