2015 Hyundai Santa Fe SR revealed

Range-topping performance flavoured SR model to join the Hyundai Santa Fe family SUV range early next year.

Hyundai has revealed a new sports-themed Santa Fe SR to sit atop the large SUV’s Australian lineup.

Ready to join Hyundai’s growing stable of ‘SR’ badged performance cars in the first quarter of 2015, the Santa Fe brings a more aggressive look and promises improved handling.

An aluminium-look sports body kit and a set of 19-inch matte-finish OZ Racing Versilia alloys headline the list of cosmetic changes. The wheel dimensions are identical to those of the standard Santa Fe Highlander, but offer more clearance for the SR’s upgraded Brembo brakes front and rear.

The front calipers are four-piston items, while the rears use a two-piston setup - and both sets are painted red for a sportier look. 

The SR also wears high performance Michelin tyres and rides on stiffer and lower H&R springs, which promise significantly improved dynamics and more cornering grip.

These handling benefits come on top of the improvements already made across the entire 2015 Santa Fe SUV range, which include new front and rear dampers, new bushes and redesigned front steering knuckles.

The SR will stick with the standard Santa Fe Highlander powertrain, featuring a 145kW/436Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine connected to a six-speed automatic gearbox. The SUV’s standard all-wheel drive system is also unchanged.

The new performance model also gets the hands-free tailgate, blind-spot monitoring system and auto park function introduced by the 2015 Santa Fe range.

Pricing for the range-topping Santa Fe SR is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be dearer than the existing top-spec $53,240 Santa Fe Highlander.