Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid gets green light

The Hyundai Santa Fe will receive a major shot in the arm next year with confirmation that a self-charging hybrid version will be added and that other powertrains – including plug-in hybrid – are under consideration.

A sporty N-Line model grade is also in the mix for the South Korean brand’s seven-seat large SUV, which will soon be joined by the even bigger US-bred Hyundai Palisade that launches in December.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, with a 169kW/350Nm petrol-electric series-parallel hybrid powertrain, will arrive around July and will go head-to-head with the all-new Toyota Kluger hybrid, also due next year.

“The new Santa Fe Hybrid is confirmed for Australia,” said Hyundai Australia PR senior manager Guido Schenken. “We are targeting a mid-2021 launch locally.”

The new hybrid will be based on the heavily updated Hyundai Santa Fe range that will roll into showrooms from late November this year, bringing with it significant upgrades to technology and luxury.

Schenken said it was too early to talk about pricing for the hybrid SUV but confirmed that a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Santa Fe had also not been ruled out.

“The business case for plug-in variant is still under review,” he said.

The current Hyundai Santa Fe range is priced between $43,990 and $61,660 plus on-road costs and is offered with two engine types: a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (147kW/440Nm) and a 3.5-litre petrol V6 (206kW/336Nm).

The new hybrid powertrain comprises a small 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine (132kW/265Nm) and an electric motor (44kW) to deliver a combined 169kW of power and 350Nm of torque.

The plug-in hybrid powertrain, which has been confirmed for sister brand Kia’s Sorento, gets a similar powertrain set-up except it packs a larger 67kW electric motor backed up by a denser 14kWh battery pack, affording it around 50km of silent EV driving per plug-in charge.

Hyundai has also homologated a naturally-aspirated 134kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine for the Santa Fe in Australia.

This powertrain hasn’t been officially confirmed by the company, but its certification means Hyundai has the option of introducing a new entry-level model for the Santa Fe in a bid to outplay rivals such as the Mazda CX-9 and Toyota Kluger.

There’s also strong potential for a sporty-looking N-Line version of Hyundai’s large SUV, previewed by a hotted-up Santa Fe available in South Korea.

Most likely powered by an unchanged 206kW V6 petrol engine, the N-Line Santa Fe would be in line to receive a sports body kit, a dynamic suspension tune and sporty cabin upgrades.

Hyundai already offers N-Line versions of its Kona and Tucson small and medium SUVs and is looking to expand its sporty N-Line product portfolio.

Related: Hyundai Santa Fe facelift revealed