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It won’t be due to either of those issues, as it’s not a luxury car and it’s too soon for a refresh. I suspect that as they were only offering the base model and the AP was very high there was very little demand for it. Hyundai have a habit of periodically offering very keen prices on certain models, so hopefully it may return at some stage at a more reasonable price, but it’s anybodies guess!
Hopefully it does return, I can understand the higher AP for it, but not for the base Premium model
A refresh could be happening as it’s approaching 3yrs old this year for this current version
Hopefully Hyundai refresh the battery etc too if it is being refreshed
I'm blunt and straight to the point and I make no apologies for it!
Bipolar, OCD and a multitude of other MH issues and physical disabilitiesIs it really 3 years old? Blimey, that’s gone quickly. I thought that it had only just come out when we were looking at the Tucson 18 months ago!
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.
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.
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.
Good news if correct. I like the front of the Santa Fe and the side profile is OK, but the back end is awful IMHO. The light clusters are far too low. If they can sort that it could be a nice looking car. It reminds me of a previous generation Discovery.
The PHEV battery needs an upgrade. Our Tucson (with an identical battery and engine) struggles to get more than 30 miles out of it. The range vanishes very quickly on the motorway if you drive in the 70-80 mph range.
The petrol engine sounds strained and holds on to revs too long, which makes it sound unrefined. I would think that it would be inadequate for the heavier Santa Fe, so they really need to upgrade the engine as well.
Is it not strange that BMW that have Renault engines and Audi are classed as Luxury cars and I think they are not anymore only Rolls Royce and Bentley are Luxury cars. And why the Mini Cooper 2ltr is on the scheme but VW Polo is not seems it is as strange as Tango Strange Soda.
I am the same thought it had a refresh recently it was 2024 that was a major one the next one is 2027 but only a light refresh.
It won’t be due to either of those issues, as it’s not a luxury car and it’s too soon for a refresh. I suspect that as they were only offering the base model and the AP was very high there was very little demand for it. Hyundai have a habit of periodically offering very keen prices on certain models, so hopefully it may return at some stage at a more reasonable price, but it’s anybodies guess!
The 5th gen Santa Fe was revealed in August 2023 and went on sale in 2024. The 5th gen car is getting an early refresh, which is (was) anticipated is to debut in the second half of 2026.
However, the Santa Fe facelift 2026 prototype cought fire during road testing in South Korean on 17th January with flames erupting from the engine bay forcing the test driver to evacuate safely before emergency services extinguished the blaze. The incident involving camouflaged mid-cycle refresh prototype raises questions about development progress along with the potential UK launch delays for the updated seven-seat SUV. An Investigation underway.
A bit of AI searching confirms what I thought, that the current Santa Fe (which was an all new model, not a refresh) went on sale in the U.K. in April 2024 and deliveries commenced in Summer 2024. That makes sense, as when we went to collect our Tucson in August 2024 the dealership had just taken delivery of their first showroom model. Hyundai do their mid life refreshes much sooner than other manufacturers (2 years is very quick) and they are often substantial. The interior of the facelifted Tucson (that @kezo and I have) was like an all new car, rather than a refresh. The description of the Santa Fe refresh above makes me think that it’s going to look quirky (like some of the other current Hyundai’s), which is a shame, as I like the more conventional frontal styling of current Santa Fe.
Just to clear up this ‘luxury’ car thing, Audi, BMW and Mercedes are not Luxury brands. They are Premium brands. The Luxury segment covers brands like Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin etc. Premium brands have been removed from Motability. Luxury brands have never been part of the Motability offer, nor will they ever be!
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