The Hyundai Santa facelift has rolled off the assembly line at Sime Darby’s Inokom plant, with units of the updated SUV being sighted on a trailer by paultan.org reader Justin Lee. For now, there’s no indication when the new Santa Fe will be launched, although we have known for a while that it’s coming following an announcement by Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) earlier this month.
The Santa Fe facelift we’re bound to get is still in its fourth generation, which was first launched here back in May 2019, several months before the facelift made its global debut in June 2020. There’s also the very boxy fifth-generation model that was revealed in July this year, but it looks like we won’t be getting that.
As far as changes go, the Santa Fe’s new face omits the small fog lamps in the lower apron so all that remains is a two-tier lighting setup. You won’t miss the new look because the LED daytime running lights now form a distinctive T-shaped signature between the upper and lower light clusters.
There’s also a wider grille between the main headlamps (the lower light cluster) that bears a more eye-catching pattern on the insert. Rounding off the changes at the front is a new bumper with contrasting trim that frames the lower intake.
At the rear, the redesigned LED taillights are linked by a slim illuminated bar to go along with the new bumper that does away with the rugged trim piece. The new body sees minimal change to the dimensions, as the facelifted Santa Fe measures 4,785 mm long (+15 mm), 1,900 mm wide (+10 mm) and 1,685 mm tall (+5 mm), while the wheelbase stays at 2,765 mm.
Inside, the dual-cockpit dashboard looks largely the same, although the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system is new and is without a thick bezel to accommodate buttons and dials. These have been moved to the new centre console, which is raised and angled, while also playing host to the climate controls and switches for the shift-by-wire transmission.
As part of the facelift, the Santa Fe gets a Terrain Mode selector for the first time, which is a control knob for Eco, Sport, Comfort and Smart drive modes, as well as the HTRAC all-wheel-drive system’s sand, snow and mud presets (if specified).
The pre-facelift Santa Fe was previously offered in Malaysia with either a 2.4 litre naturally-aspirated inline-four petrol or 2.2 litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine. The petrol unit came with a six-speed automatic transmission, while the diesels got an eight-speed automatic – front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive were dependent on the chosen variant.
GALLERY: 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe facelift
GALLERY: 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe facelift (United States market)
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