A much brasher and all-new Hyundai Santa Fe seven-seat large SUV will launch this year, but probably won’t make it to Australia until 2024.
Hyundai confirmed as much in a sales wrap for 2022, stating its three big launches for 2023 will be the new-generation Kona, the Ioniq 5 N electric hot hatch, and the new Santa Fe.
The current Santa Fe only (somewhat) recently received substantial upgrades, with Hyundai claiming the 2021 mid-life update saw it move to a new platform shared with the Kia Sorento.
Various new Santa Fe spy images
Details are thin on the ground for the latest iteration of Hyundai’s three-row SUV, which sits above the two-row Tucson and beneath the bigger Palisade.
Our friends at the Korean Car Blog have run images of the new Santa Fe testing, suggesting Hyundai has thrown out the current design language for a boxy look akin to a Land Rover Defender.
The sides are upright, the C-pillar appears to take inspiration from the Defender’s chunky graphic, and the tailgate is close to vertical beneath that hunchback camouflage.
The next Santa Fe is expected to grow larger than the current model, which is a bit tight in the third row. For context the current Santa Fe is 4785mm long, which is 145mm longer than a Tucson and 210mm shorter than a Palisade.
It’s unclear what powertrains will be offered in the new Santa Fe crossover. The current model has hybrid, petrol and diesel options which will likely continue in some form.
On the electric front, the Hyundai Group has plans for numerous large electric SUVs on a bespoke platform: namely the Hyundai Ioniq 7 (previewed by the 2021 Seven concept) and the Kia EV9. This suggests the Santa Fe will not come as a full EV.
Australia
While Hyundai Australia offered no comment, our sources suggest the new Santa Fe won’t make it here until 2024.
Current Santa Fe 
Hyundai Palisade 
Ioniq 7 concept 
Kia EV9
