The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid won’t arrive in Australia as early as we originally thought, with a Hyundai spokesperson stating that the car is now scheduled for the second half of 2022.
The Santa Fe Hybrid was originally meant to launch in the second half of 2021, however for unspecified reasons – likely related to COVID-19-affected supply issues – the right-hand-drive Australian model has been delayed by 12 months.
The hybrid version of the Santa Fe is intended to compete with cars such as the Toyota Kluger Hybrid as well as the smaller Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and potentially even the Volvo XC40 Recharge plug-in Hybrid.
The Santa Fe is likely to get 169kW/350Nm when the Hybrid system arrives
What will the Santa Fe hybrid bring to Australia?
The Santa Fe Hybrid will use a series-parallel hybrid system related to the Kia Sorento’s plug-in hybrid set-up. This pairs a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine that produces 132kW of power and 265Nm of torque with a 44kW electric motor.
The 1.6-litre turbo is the same engine used in the Hyundai i30 N-Line, as well as the Kia Cerato GT, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. In the Santa Fe hybrid, it is mated to a six-speed torque-converter automatic and includes a proper driveshaft to the rear.
That brings total combined outputs to 169kW/350Nm. In comparison, the Sorento plug-in hybrid uses a bigger 67kW/304Nm electric motor with total outputs rated at 195kW/350Nm.
You can still buy either a petrol V6 or a turbo-diesel engine for the Santa Fe.
What other engines does the Santa Fe offer?
A 200kW/331Nm 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine with an eight-speed automatic is also available for the Santa Fe if buyers are after slightly more grunt than what the hybrid will provide, though only with front-wheel drive.
If the petrol V6 isn’t to your liking, the Santa Fe is also available with a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that produces 148kW of power and 440Nm of torque, powering all four wheels via Hyundai’s own eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.