Hyundai Santa Fe spied with revealing fascia

Our spy photographers came up close with a heavily camouflaged Hyundai Santa Fe recently. Despite the extensive masking, the portion around the grille was surprisingly left exposed which discloses some unique design elements. For one, the front fascia section above the grille and the head lamps look to be inspired by the brand’s compact SUV, the Kona.  

The current Hyundai Santa Fe was last updated in 2013, and the next-gen model is expected to be larger, more rugged with a longer wheelbase and feature-rich. It will also be more capable of competing against models from rival manufacturers like Honda, Nissan and Toyota. Sources state that the car maker is also looking to build a variant that will accommodate eight passengers. Currently, the Santa Fe has the capacity to seat seven passengers. 

Hyundai USA’s CEO, Dave Zuchowski, said, “It’s not just about adding new vehicles, it’s about doing a better job of positioning a family of CUVs (crossover utility vehicles).” The Korean brand told reporters that while they plan to launch two new small SUVs between 2018 and 2020, the current medium and large offerings will also be revised to further diversify the line-up.