Even when it comes to towing capacity, the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe stayed mostly unaltered compared to some of the previous model years, according to Hyundai. If your SUV was equipped with the appropriate equipment and your trailer was equipped with its own brakes, you could still attain an astounding 3,500-pound maximum rating with these vehicles.
I want you to be aware, however, that if your trailer and vehicle were not equipped with these accessories, the maximum capacity that you were able to tow was considerably less.
I strongly advise you to thoroughly go through your Santa Fe's owner's manual in order to become acquainted with your vehicle, and I also encourage you to adhere to all of Hyundai's instructions.
Overall Capacity: The overall towing capacity for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe range from 1,653-3,500 pounds and was primarily dependent upon the engine that you had equipped in your vehicle. There were two other variables that affect the numbers as well, which were whether you had the optional trailer package equipped on your SUV and if the trailer you were using had its own brakes.
The Tow Chart:
It was a fairly straightforward chart that the 2010 Santa Fe's used, but there were a couple of pieces of data that I want to go through to ensure that everyone who looked at it understood what was going on. On the right-hand side of the chart, we can see that there are two distinct engine choices, the 2.4 L engine and the bigger 3.5 L engine. These are the two engine options that were available.
In the center of the chart, you'll see brake systems, which relate to your trailer and then two sections regarding trailer packages. There was a trailer package available for these vehicles, but I couldn't find any info on the details of these packages, so I haven't written a section about them yet.
Finally, listed at the very bottom of the table are weight specifications for the maximum tongue loads, which Hyundai refers to as static vertical loads.
Comparing The Data:
By Trim Level: The Santa Fe was still offered in three different trim levels, but the data is somewhat different compared to other earlier model years. In order to obtain the ranges that are listed below, all I had to do was take the engines that were supplied for each trim level and transfer that information over.
- GLS: 1,653-2,800 lbs.
- SE: 1,653-3,500 lbs.
- Limited: 1,653-3,500 lbs.
By Engine Options: When I looked at both engines (side-by-side), I was surprised to find that the bigger 3.5 L engine only had an extra 700 lb of total capacity over the smaller, less powerful 2.4 L engine. The unbraked trailer rating was the same for both engines, hence they had the same low-end rating.
- 2.4L (4 cylinder): 1,653-2,800 lbs.
- 3.5L (V6): 1,653-3,500 lbs.
Other Important Information...
There was a brief mention of trailer brakes and how they must be fitted in accordance with federal and local regulations, but that was about all there was and no other substantial pieces of information were provided. That 1,653 pound unbraked trailer weight restriction is the only additional piece of information we have about trailer brakes.
On another note, I was looking into the tongue load ratings a bit closer and noticed that they were specified at 10% of the weight of the trailer (trailer weight and cargo). It was noted in the chart that the maximum tongue load weight ratings were set at 10% of the maximum weight ratings for each engine; It does, however, apply to smaller loads as well.
A Few Helpful Links:
Only two sources were used for all of the material you see in this article, which means that there was not a lot of research that had to be done on my end, which I like. Anyone who wants to delve a bit deeper into the information might be interested in the two sites I've listed below. There is a ton of more information that I didn't cover and they are worth reading.