Hyundai has announced details of a new turbocharged petrol / electric hybrid version of its
family sized seven-seat Santa Fe SUV.
Due to go on sale later in November, Santa Fe Hybrid will introduce a first-ever turbo-
charged petrol/electric hybrid powertrain that delivers an impressive combination of
dynamic performance and fuel efficiency.
Santa Fe Hybrid will come with the two highest trim levels, Elite and Highlander the lower-
spec Elite priced at $63,000 and Highlander at $69,550. These prices are each just $3000
more than the equivalent AWD diesel models.
A new centre-seat option for the Highlander variant brings a pair of second-row captain’s
chairs, offering more interior flexibility at no extra cost.
Power for the Santa Fe Hybrid comes from the combination of a new 1.6-litre T-GDi
Smartstream engine and a 44.2 kW electric motor, which draws power from a 1.49 kWh
lithium-ion polymer battery.
Combined outputs are 169 kW of power with 350 Nm of torque. Santa Fe Hybrid produces
more power than the 2.2 CRDi turbo-diesel Santa Fe and greater torque than the 3.5 MPi
variant across a broader rev range.
Fuel consumption is listed at 6.0 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s marginally better (0.1
L/100km) than the diesel but significantly so (4.0 L/100km) when compared to the V6
petrol.
The hybrid powertrain is paired with a newly developed six-speed automatic transmission
together with all-wheel drive.
Efficiency-enhancing aero type machined-face 19-inch alloy wheels are standard in both
the Elite and Highlander Hybrid variants.
Importantly for those on the RAV4 Hybrid waiting list, Hyundai reports that there are
currently around 400 units available for immediate sale. Potential buyers will need to move
quickly though with demand is expected to exceed supply well into 2023.
We’ll be road testing the new Santa Fe Hybrid early in the new year and will report our
findings then.
