Hyundai’s polarising new Santa Fe is already on sale in hybrid guise, but there’s another powertrain coming to Australia that may offer a lower base price.
The company has confirmed a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine will arrive in Australia from late in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The petrol lineup will mirror the hybrid lineup: a base grade with either front- or all-wheel drive, plus up-spec Elite and Calligraphy models offered exclusively with all-wheel drive.
The turbocharged engine produces 206kW of power and 422Nm of torque, up 6kW and 91Nm on the naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 which opened the previous-generation Santa Fe range.
Overseas models shown throughout
It’s mated with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission, and is available with both front- and all-wheel drive.
That’s in contrast with the outgoing V6 Santa Fe, which was front-wheel drive-only.
Hyundai Australia has yet to confirm pricing for 2.5T models. The hybrid lineup is priced from $55,500 to $75,500 before on-road costs.
The base and Elite models feature seating for seven, while the Calligraphy offers a choice of six- or seven-seat configurations, the former with second-row captain’s chairs.
Hyundai hasn’t detailed any specification differences between petrol and hybrid models. You can view our detailed price and specs article on the hybrid lineup here.
The new Santa Fe is 45mm longer and 60mm taller than its predecessor on a 50mm longer wheelbase, with the front overhang shrinking by 30mm and the rear overhang growing by 25mm. The tailgate opening is also 145mm wider than before.
There are a total of four ISOFIX and five top-tether anchor points for child seats across the second and third rows.
New features include dual 12.3-inch screens in a wraparound display, plus a 6.6-inch climate display, Bluelink connected car services and a digital rear-view mirror.
Hyundai already offered a turbo 2.5-litre petrol four in the outgoing Santa Fe, but it never made its way to Australia.
Instead, we were one of the last markets to stick with the older petrol V6, and as with the Palisade and Kia Sorento it was only offered here with front-wheel drive. That’s despite this engine being available with all-wheel drive in left-hand drive models.
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