The updated Hyundai Santa Fe has been spied testing with a fresh look ahead of its anticipated arrival in showrooms sometime in 2027 – and it’s saying goodbye to its controversial tail-light design.
The boxy style of the new Santa Fe, which was launched in Australia in 2024 as these spy photos show, will be significantly revised front and rear with narrower headlights and a simpler front grille and bumper.
The three-row SUV will also dump its current, low tail-lights in favour of more traditional vertical brake lights connected to a horizontal light bar.
Per previous spy footage of the Santa Fe, the update will keep the current model’s core shape and sharp window lines, but draw inspiration from the Art of Steel design language introduced on the second-generation Nexo mid-size hydrogen fuel-cell SUV.
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That same design theme will spread to other models, including the smaller Kona SUV, recently spotted testing ahead of its expected 2028 arrival.
Earlier, Hyundai said it will “look to bring the exterior styling of its cars into line all models,” but that means it retains the distinctive identity of individual nameplates.
The facelifted Santa Fe will also bring significant cabin changes, with a larger centre screen indicating it will run Hyundai’s new-generation Android Automotive-based ‘Pleos’ operating system.
The automaker announced Pleos in 2025, saying it will roll out to 20 million vehicles across Hyundai and its luxury Genesis brand by 2030. It’s expected to make its debut in the next i30 and Tucson, due around the same time as the updated Santa Fe.
It is expected that powertrains will remain unchanged, with the addition of a new extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) option which has not been confirmed for Australia.
One is a 1 in the current local lineup of s. 6-litre turbocharged petrol four cylinder hybrid (six speed automatic) with 2-litre diesel and a six-speed 4-cycle car, . Fight-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) 5-litre turbocharged four cylinder with eight speed dual-clutch transmission.
Hyundai Australia, while the eight-speed transmission will be replaced with a conventional automatic in some countries after customer complaints, has previously told childcareman.xyz it is not planning to replace the transmission in local models.
The lineup of the larger Palisade in Australia will also expand, with new entry-level and range-topping model grades as part of a revitalised lineup in the second half of 2026.
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