Hyundai Motor Philippines surprised the motoring media during their thanksgiving celebration by not only giving great raffle prizes, but by showing Santa itself. It’s also clad in red, but this one isn’t your white-bearded gift giver. 2 units of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe were displayed and of course we took our time in looking around.
We know what you’re thinking so here are the answers. 1 – There’s no price yet, 2 – no final specs yet, and 3 – they’re coming at Q1 2024. With those out of the way, let’s have a closer look at this boxy behemoth of an SUV.
The all-new Santa Fe was created with an ‘Open for More’ concept. The exterior is big, bold, and boxy that reflects the new outdoor lifestyle fad that’s becoming more popular lately. Inside is a more spacious cabin with emphasis on the rear. It’s not simply a cargo area but a place to hang out, which is why they moved the taillight to the lower section in order to accommodate a wider tailgate and lower entry point.
What’s surprising is despite its boxy nature, the all-new Santa Fe has a lower drag coefficient of only 0.29 surpassing the 0.33 of its predecessor which looks sleeker.
Sizing is 4,830mm long, 1,900mm wide, 1,780mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,815mm. All of these put the all-new Santa Fe as larger and wider than a Toyota Fortuner, but still shorter in height.
The display units shown sport two different interior themes – one black and one white. Both have segmented panoramic sunroofs, a unified screen for the gauge cluster and infotainment system, twin wireless chargers at the center console, and flat-folding third row seats.
The powertrain options aren’t final yet but in the US and its home country of South Korea, the Santa Fe comes with two options. First is the 2.5-liter turbo with 8-speed automatic that has 277 horsepower, and a 1.6-liter hybrid with 235 horsepower and 6-speed automatic. Front wheel drive is standard though all-wheel drive is also available. Hopefully, we get the latter too.
Again, the all-new Hyundai Santa Fe is promised for a Q1 launch next year, though that may extend a bit to enjoy the limelight at the 2024 Manila International Auto Show.