Hyundai Santa Fe SUV brought back boxy, now it's getting a new look

One of our favourite seven-seat SUVs is getting a big midlife update later this year, with new images serving as concrete proof Hyundai is working on substantial changes for its Santa Fe. We’re yet to get a full scope of the upgrades, but they will include a fresh look outside, new tech inside and improved hybrid powertrain technology. 

As we can see on the prototype we spied winter-testing, there are a range of exterior styling changes already visible beneath the camouflage. Starting up front, the current car’s Range Rover-like headlight and grille arrangement will be swapped for a more eccentric layout.

This includes low-mounted LED headlights, with thin vertical daytime running lights at the far edges of the nose. These will sit either side of a new grille design, one that on these prototypes look to be concentrated on the lower part of the front bumper. 

The existing boxy shape and black plastic wheelarch extensions are destined to remain, but the rear will pick up another design overhaul, at the same time addressing one of the current car’s more divisive design elements. In place of the thick, low-mounted rear lighting, Hyundai’s designers have now given the Santa Fe thin upright rear lights, possibly joining a thin, technical-looking light bar. 

These, plus the changes up front, will totally change the car’s on-road appearance. New wheels and colour options will complete the transformation, and in some markets such as the USA, Hyundai might also offer a more off-road focused styling package. While we currently don't have any information on any prices for the facelift, you can currently get the latest Santa Fe with an average of £6,387 off the RRP price through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.

Inside is where we expect to see the biggest changes, though. Hyundai is working on a new touchscreen interface, and we expect the revamped Santa Fe to be one of the first models to offer it. This will see the current twin 12.3-inch screen bank replaced for a larger free-standing touchscreen on the central dash, with a separated driver’s display in front of the driver. 

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Most of the car’s dashboard and centre console will also be redesigned to accommodate the new screen, making for a completely fresh interior cabin experience. However, with more screens, don’t expect the removal of too many physical controls. The company has already confirmed that it doesn’t believe in completely minimalist interiors, so will still integrate physical controls for key functions. 

Under the bonnet, we expect a further refining of the brand’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. There won’t be any all-electric options, that’s the remit of the larger Ioniq 9. We don’t know when the new Santa Fe will be revealed in full, but it should be some time later this year, with customer deliveries due a few months after. 

While this model is popular in the UK, it’s one of the brand’s biggest international sellers, meaning UK buyers will have to wait their turn before it arrives in showrooms. In any case, it’s looking like a busy year for Hyundai and its SUV models, with a new compact model called the Venue possibly on the cards. Later in the year or early next, an all-new Tucson will be launched – which isn’t just Hyundai’s best seller, but one of the world’s biggest-selling SUVs outright.  

Are you in the market for a family-friendly SUV? Check out the Auto Express Buy a Car service for all the latest deals.