All-new Hyundai Santa Fe revealed

• The 2020 Santa Fe uses a new platform and comes with a 7-seat layout

• It will also get a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the international markets

• The interiors have been thoroughly updated with a new design and more tech

Hyundai has released the first details of its new Santa Fe SUV for international markets. The new-gen Santa Fe comes with bold styling, hybrid powertrain options and an all-new platform in a bid to enhance the model’s premium appeal. 

What’s new under the skin of the 2020 Santa Fe?

The 7-seater uses Hyundai’s ‘third-generation’ architecture, which already underpins the Sonata sedan on sale in the US market. The brand claims the new platform will offer “improved performance, efficiency and safety”. 

Headline features include a new ventilation system that improves air movement through the engine bay, allowing heat to dissipate and improving the Santa Fe’s stability. Heavy components are also located lower in the chassis for a lower centre of gravity. 

The SUV’s dynamic performance is also claimed to have been improved by relocating the steering arms. Reinforced sound and vibration absorption material throughout the chassis should aid refinement.

What’s new on the powertrain front?

The 2020 Santa Fe will be available with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains for the first time. Although technical information is yet to be released, the SUV is likely to be offered with the same 265hp PHEV powertrain as its recently refreshed Kia Sorento sibling. A hybridised petrol motor and conventional diesel will also be on offer.

What’s the 2020 Santa Fe look like? 

The new Santa Fe has  been completely overhauled visually as well, bearing a bold new design. The front grille, which has been significantly enlarged to span the entire width of the car, features a new 3D mesh pattern and is flanked by a pair of distinctive T-shaped daytime running lights. The lower air intake sits within a new skid plate, while side vents are now vertically orientated.

At the back, the Santa Fe has gained a new reflector bar that stretches between redesigned brake light clusters and a new lower bumper in the same style as the front end. The external redesign is finished off with wider wheel arches and new alloy wheel designs.

What’s new on the inside of the 2020 Santa Fe?

Inside, the new platform is said to allow for enhanced comfort and convenience over the outgoing car, with a focus on premium, soft-touch materials throughout. The dashboard and centre console have been redesigned, and the outgoing car’s 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen has been swapped out for a 10.25-inch unit, which is standard. The gear selector is gone, too; it’s been replaced by a shift-by-wire button arrangement on the new floating centre console. 

A new Luxury trim has been introduced at the top of the Santa Fe range, bringing bespoke 20-inch alloy wheels, along with a colour-matching bumper and wheel arch trim, rather than the black items found on lower-spec cars. 

Closer to home, Hyundai did offer two generations of the Santa Fe in our market. However, due to poor demand for the SUV, the model was dropped from the carmaker’s India line-up. Additionally, no official announcement has been made regarding any plans to bring the SUV back to our market. It is worth noting that Hyundai is evaluating the larger Palisade for India. The Korean carmaker is also set to launch the Hyundai Tucson facelift quite soon.