In January, Hyundai announced the new Santa Fe would debut in 2023 but without being more specific about when we'd see it. The premiere is inching closer as the fifth-generation model will break cover later this summer. The announcement was made by the South Korean brand while detailing the changes across the lineup for the 2024 model year in the United States. It implies the US-spec Santa Fe will transition to its next iteration for the 2024MY.
As spy shots have been showing for several months, the Santa Fe will be drastically redesigned. Prototypes seemed substantially larger and with far more angular styling. Test vehicles were seen with chunky roof rails and H-shaped daytime running lights doubling as turn signals. Speaking of which, and typical for a Hyundai or Kia product, the rear turn signals are mounted unusually low, flanking the license plate on the bumper.
Next-gen Hyundai Santa Fe spy photos
Spy shots (as seen below) have allowed us to peek inside where Hyundai will make equally significant changes. It's getting an ultra-wide screen by merging the driver's display with the infotainment while still retaining some conventional controls on the center console. The gear selector appears to have been repositioned on the steering wheel column to free up space between the seats. The prototype our car paparazzi saw also had paddle shifters behind the two-tone steering wheel wrapped in leather.
We honestly can't remember the last time a car went through so many changes from one generation to the next. That said, Hyundai and Kia have a habit of making major modifications even with a car's mid-cycle facelift, so we should be used to this by now. It seems unlikely there will be an electric version since it would clash with the Ioniq 7 due in 2024.
Its sister model, the Kia Sorento, will also be going through some changes in the near future as evidenced in spy shots, but that will be a facelift rather than a next-gen model.
