As the Hyundai Santa Fe enters its 20th year of production, the Korean car manufacturer has seen fit to give its popular SUV a serious overhaul. The updated model joins its sister model, the Kia Sorento, with new hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and gains a fresh face and interior into the bargain.
Parkers award-winner gets even better?
We like the Santa Fe here at Parkers – awarding it our Best Large Family Car award in 2019, but it’s always been limited by its sole engine choice. Hyundai promises that hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines will join the Santa Fe’s range for this 2020 update.
Though details of the engines haven’t been fully announced, we’d expect them to mirror those on the recently announced Kia Sorento – the equivalent car from Hyundai’s sister brand. That means a more powerful and lighter version of the 2.2-litre diesel engine, as well as a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid engine and an unknown plug-in variant.
Looks even bolder than before
The current Santa Fe is already a pretty striking SUV, but Hyundai’s ramped it up for this model. The upside-down headlight arrangement is even more pronounced than before, with the high-set daytime running lights now very sharp while below, the headlights now flow into a wider grille.
Chunky new wheel designs plus bulky wheelarches give it a rugged edge, while round the back there’s a new full-width taillight element.
The interior, meanwhile, gets a new, high-set centre console that houses most of the car’s main controls. This includes the gear selector, which is now taken care of by an arrangement of buttons rather than a physical lever. The centre stack swoops up to a beefy dashboard with a new 10.25-inch widescreen infotainment display and optional digital instruments.
What this means for you
We’re definitely advocates of the Hyundai Santa Fe, so we’ve got high hopes for this updated model, too. The addition of hybrid powertrains reflects the way the rest of the car industry is leaning and should prove to be a boon for anybody who needs a large SUV but would like to move away from diesel.
We’ll have full details on the car when Hyundai announces them, and will be among the first to drive the updated model when it launches.
Further reading:
> Hyundai Santa Fe full review
