2027 Hyundai Santa Fe is Getting a New EREV version.

The Hyundai Santa Fe still looks pretty new and yet, it is getting what car nerds call a “facelift”. Or a “mid-cycle refresh”. That will include the usuall redesigned front and rear ends. But also a revised interior that will include the new Hyundai Pleos infotainment system. However, the biggest news will be from under teh hood.

The 2027 (or 2028) Santa Fe will be Hyundai’s first EREV model. It will be getting a 600 miles range, combining a gas engine powering the battery, with 2 electric motors. Allowing for AWD.

So far the official word is “The Santa Fe EREV provides more than 600 miles of range, about 1.6 times what the gasoline Santa Fe delivers. Using a new high-performance battery and a two-motor system that drives and accelerates like an EV, we already have prototypes of the new Santa Fe EREV on the line at our plant in Alabama.” The new battery will be built in house by Hyundai.

So far so good, I guess. As we know, EREVS are supposed to mostly drive like EVs but the gas engine allows for refueling (and poluting) just like a “regular” car. The only EREV I drove myself was a Nisan Rogue in Europe last year. And it was just OK. Of course it does feel like an EV, most of the time. But the engine was coming one once in a a while, at weird moments, (not when you accelerate) and was actually pretty coarse and loud. I guess if Hyundai uses a super smooth and quiet engine things could be much better.

When Hyundai revealed the current Santa Fe, it marked a dramatic shift. The previous generation’s smooth, conservative styling was replaced with a boxy, upright design featuring H-shaped lighting and squared-off proportions. The whole thing looked pretty striking in photos. However, many design elements feel pretty cheap in person. And certain materials don’t quite deliver the premium impression.

The previous-generation Santa Fe sold over 131,000 units in the U.S. in 2023. After the redesign, it dropped to around 113,000 units in 2024.

The midsize SUV segment rarely rewards radical design. Boring sells and weirdo looks aren’t that popular. If the Santa Fe refresh doubles down on the more polarizing aspects of the current design, I’m afraid the sales trend may continue. The illustraations above are based on recent spy shots and do show a pretty weird design. Maybe the real thing will look better?

At least, the intersting new powertrain will probably help.