Third-gen Santa Fe caught testing in USA

Hyundai’s first SUV, the Santa Fe, was originally introduced to Australia in 2000. It has been sold in its current form in Australia since 2006 and is almost overdue for an update. If these spy photos are any indication, the next-generation Santa Fe appears to be on track to debut in Australia either late in 2012 or early 2013.

The new Santa Fe – which is expected to remain badged Santa Fe and not migrate to something like ix40 – is a bit difficult to decipher from these Carparazzi spy photos but you can bet it will pick up the trendy themes established by its smaller sibling, the Tucson-replacing ix35.

Even if the details are impossible to glean from these Carparazzi photos, the distinctly up-curved side window line helps give a decidedly more swoopy appearance than the current Santa Fe. Similar to the ix35, the side window line has been narrowed, changing the glass-to-metal ratio and giving extra visual weight to the doors.

The current Santa Fe went to all-diesel power in 2009 with an impressively torquey 2.2-litre ('R Series) four-cylinder engine producing 145kW/436Nm and driving an on-demand all-wheel drive system through six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Fuel consumption figures for a relatively large SUV are pretty good too, with the manual returning 6.7L/100km and the auto 7.5L/100km. CO2 figures are 176g/km and 197g/km respectively.

At various times the Santa Fe has been available with petrol V6 engines and with two-wheel drive variants. Whether this strategy will follow into the new model remains to be seen, but it’s a certain bet any driveline decisions by the company will be influenced heavily by fuel consumption and emission figures.

It is expected the new Santa Fe will follow a facelift of the current version due this year.

— with Carparazzi

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...