Hyundai has debuted the new-gen 2020 Santa Fe which comes with bold new styling and new PHEV powertrains as well. There are however no talks of it coming to India.
Hyundai has finally taken the wraps off the 2020 Santa Fe for the international market. The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe sits on an all new platform with very bold styling and now, it also gets hybrid powertrain options. The new Santa Fe sits on a ‘third generation’ architecture which also underpins the new-gen Sonata that’s on sale internationally. Hyundai claims the new platform offers “improved performance, efficiency and safety”.
But let’s start by how the SUV looks like because the design has completely been overhauled. This is the best version of Hyundai’s cascading grille we have seen so far and it really looks eye catching. The grille now spans the entire width of the car and features a new 3D mesh pattern. The new split headlamps are also very attractive and feature a new T-shaped LED DRL element. The bumper below features a very wide air intake with a very stylish looking skid plate and there are new vertically oriented side vents as well.
The profile of the car has been kept fairly simple but the rear of the SUV is again quite boldly designed. There’s a new reflector bar that stretches across the tail gate, joining the two redesigned tail lamp. The rear bumper gets a similar treatment as the front. The wheel arches have been designed to be wider than before and the exterior look has been finished off with new stylish looking alloy wheels.
The interiors also receives its fair share of upgrade. Hyundai says the new platform allows for enhanced comfort and convenience. There’s extensive use of premium soft-touch materials everywhere and the center console and dashboard also look a lot more premium. There’s a new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system in place of the older 7.0-inch unit. The center console gets a new floating effect where the gear selector has completely been replaced by a new shift-by-wire button arrangement. There’s an extensive stack of buttons but at least its better than a touchscreen.
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There’s also a new top-end Luxury trim that has been added to the Santa Fe lineup which comes with bespoke 20-inch wheels and color-matching bumper and wheel arch trim instead of the blacked-out elements found in the lower-spec cars. The Santa Fe continues to be a seven-seater SUV and one of the headline features of the new SUV is new ventilation system that improves air movement through the engine bay, allowing heat to dissipate and improving the Santa Fe’s stability. Heavier components of the car have also been located lower in the chassis for improved center of gravity.
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Hyundai claims that the dynamic performance of the SUV has been much improved from before and reinforced sound and vibration absorption material throughout the chassis should make it a lot more refined as well. Hyundai hasn’t released any technical data about what’s under the hood of the 2020 Santa Fe but there will be hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains for the first time. We expect it to be offered with a 265hp PHEV powertrain that recently debut on the Kia Sorento. There will be conventional petrol and diesel engine options as well. There are however no plans of Hyundai bringing this SUV to India, primarily because earlier two generations of the Santa Fe in India saw poor demand.
