Hyundai Santa Fe 2026 News

Hyundai has reportedly started preparations for production of its forthcoming Santa Fe range-extender electric vehicle (REEV).As reported by ETNews, the South Korean carmaker currently plans to complete development of the new vehicle’s combustion engine and engine control unit (ECU) by the first half of 2026.It’s reported that mass production of the Santa Fe REEV will commence towards the end of 2026 at the company’s forthcoming Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America facility.The US will be the target initially due to the success of the Santa Fe in that market, with global sales expected for 2027.At this stage it’s unclear whether Hyundai plans to offer the Santa Fe REEV in Australia. It’s currently offered with either turbo-petrol or hybrid powertrains.No details about the Santa Fe REEV’s powertrain have been confirmed yet, but it’s believed to offer double the driving range of the Ioniq 6 (up to 614km of range). This theoretically means a total driving range of 1200km could be on offer.Like other REEVs, it’s understood the primary driving force will come from either one or two electric motors, with a petrol engine acting purely as a generator to top up the battery pack.REEVs are becoming increasingly popular in the Chinese market and while the Holden Volt and BMW i3 REx were among the first REEVs to ever be offered in Australia, there’s now the Leapmotor C10 REEV.It’s understood Genesis is also working on REEV technology and is planning to launch a GV70 REEV in the near future. The brands could be sharing the development work.In addition to this new REEV powertrain for the Santa Fe, it’s expected there’s an imminent facelift due which will address some of the complaints about its exterior design.This could include a redesign of the horizontal low-sitting tail-lights. A recently spied prototype showed what appeared to be vertically oriented units, skirting the edges of the vehicle’s tailgate.New LED headlights and daytime running lights were shown too, ditching the current model's H-shaped look.The updated Santa Fe will likely also introduce the company’s new Pleos Connect infotainment software which is more software-defined than current operating systems and will offer over-the-air updates, among other things.More prototypes of the updated Santa Fe, potentially with the new REEV powertrain, will likely be spied ahead of its expected reveal next year.

Hyundai is already heading back to the design studio for its smash hit Santa Fe large SUV.The South Korean brand has been applauded for the design of its family SUV, which sports a blocky square profile reminiscent of an old Land Rover Discovery.Now the company is prepping some styling tweaks to keep it ahead of the pack.New renders published by Koreancarblog, show a reworked front end with vertical headlights and a light bar that runs the length of the front.A more closed-off grille replaces the big dual grille of the current version. This front end is closer in style to the current Kona small SUV and the soon to be updated Tucson mid-size SUV.The updated Santa Fe is also expected to ditch the current rear tail-lights in favour of vertical LEDs, such as those seen on the new Ioniq 9 electric SUV.A heavily camouflaged version of the updated Santa Fe has been spotted undergoing testing in South Korea, but it isn’t expected to go on sale until 2027.Hyundai is also expected to drop the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission from the current turbocharged petrol variant in favour of a conventional eight-speed gearbox.Sister brand Kia has made a similar move in its Sportage, ditching a dual-clutch for a more city-friendly standard eight-speed auto transmission.The 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol motor makes 206kW and 422Nm and drinks 9.1 litres per 100km of the cheapest unleaded fuel.The Santa Fe will likely keep its hybrid setup and add a plug-in hybrid variant to more markets, as the brand increases its focus on plug-in petrol-electric power.The standard hybrid is already available on the current Santa Fe. It pairs a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor to make a combined 172kW and 367Nm. Fuel use drops to 5.6L/100km.A plug-in hybrid is already available in other markets but not Australia yet. Hyundai is working on the next generation of its plug-in tech, which is claimed to boost electric-only driving range to at least 100km.The Hyundai Santa Fe has been a success in Australia, with sales up more than 20 per cent through the first eight months of this year.Some styling tweaks to tone down its design could give it a boost to chase down the segment's top-selling Kia Sorento and Toyota Kluger.

Sorry, Swifties. While we appreciate the cultural phenomenon that is singer/songwriter, artist and philanthropist Taylor Swift, this is not a paean to a great pop star, but, rather, a reference to the year that marked Japan’s stellar ascension as the biggest threat to the established carmakers of that time. Their fear was existential as well as actual.