Hyundai to sell new diesel Santa Fe SUV in Canada
Hyundai’s seven-seat 2019 Santa Fe SUV will be available only as a diesel when it launches in Canada, while its five-seater trim will be available only with a gasoline engine, the automaker said.
For the upcoming model year, both smaller and larger Santa Fes will lose their name suffixes, the five-seat dropping the “Sport” badge and the seven-seat no longer being badged the “XL.”
However, Hyundai will continue to sell the older 2018 seven-seat Santa Fe XL alongside the new 2019 models. That vehicle will continue to be powered by the company’s current 3.3-litre V6.
Hyundai will offer three powertrains with the 2019 Santa Fe: a 2.4L four-cylinder engine will serve as the base engine, while a 2.0-L turbo-four will be available. Power is estimated to punch in at 185 and 232 horsepower for the 2.4 and 2.0 turbo, respectively. The new diesel will be a 2.2-L turbocharged unit, producing about 200 hp and 320 pound-feet of torque. That engine will equip the Santa Fe to take on the Mazda CX-5 diesel, and put it leagues ahead of the Chevrolet Equinox diesel for power. All engines will be paired to an eightspeed automatic transmission.
Hyundai also confirmed the eightseat SUV is in the works, though it will not be badged a Santa Fe as first presumed. It is uncertain whether that future model will find its way to Canada.
Additional photos of the new Santa Fe offer an even better look at the vehicle’s revised styling, which is dominated by a face directly inspired by the company’s sedans in its grille, and the new Kona in its headlight treatment. Simple body sides are highlighted by strong shoulders and wheel-arch exaggerations.
Inside, Hyundai added more space, not only by physically increasing the size of the Santa Fe’s footprint, but by enlarging the rear quarter glass and thinning the A-pillars.
The interior as a whole gets an update, highlighted by the splitscreen infotainment system. Santa Fes also gets a host of new active safety systems.
Full details should be revealed in Geneva at the auto show there in March, at least for the global-market vehicle. Canadian specs and pricing might be delayed until the summer.