Update: ‘Specifications’ and ‘Price & Release Date’ sections revised.
Two and a half years after Hyundai unveiled the fifth-generation Santa Fe, and barely two years after its U.S. launch, the company had already begun road-testing the facelift for the midsize SUV.
Expected to arrive in the U.S. as an MY2027 vehicle, the new Santa Fe will sport a slew of cosmetic and technical upgrades.
Here’s everything we expect from the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe:
Design
Spy shots of test prototypes confirm that the fifth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe will further distance itself from its predecessor with overhauled front and rear fascias.
The fifth-gen Santa Fe will adopt a radically different lighting architecture with the facelift. The daytime running lights appear to comprise vertical LED strips positioned at the outer edges of the upper fascia, paired with a full-width horizontal LED strip across the top. This layout would create a prominent H-shaped lighting signature.
The primary low- and high-beam units have been spotted lower in the bumper, separated from the DRLs, with a new split horizontal upper grille. This would alter the visual center of gravity and introduce a layered front design. Our rendering shows six distinct H-shaped inserts integrated into the upper panel.
The lower grille appears simplified, with a more uniform mesh pattern. The bumper design looks more squared off with reduced visual detailing.
On the sides, we expect new 21-inch wheels, while at the rear, spy shots suggest there will be new vertical taillamps mounted along the outer edges, and a mid-tailgate horizontal light strip.
Interior
Inside, spy shots suggest the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe’s dashboard will carry a completely new design.
New Dashboard
Spy shots reveal that the refreshed Santa Fe is switching to a new steering wheel with a squarer shape, and slimmer central AC vents.
Pleos Connect
The refreshed Santa Fe will run Hyundai Motor Group (HMG)’s all-new ‘Pleos Connect‘ cockpit, based on the Android Automotive operating system. It comprises a slim digital instrument cluster and an infotainment system with a tablet-style touchscreen featuring a 16:9 ratio.
The instrument cluster measures 9.9 inches diagonally and sits atop the dashboard. Hyundai will offer a head-up display complementing this driver information display in select trims. Considering the Santa Fe’s positioning, we think the company will use the 17-inch infotainment display in the new model.
We’ve tested the new infotainment system of Pleos Connect in three of Hyundai’s latest models, including the Ioniq 3, the 2027 Elantra/Avante, and the 2026 Grandeur. It offers a completely different experience from the outgoing model’s infotainment system, part of the older ccNC cockpit.
The system includes LLM-based voice assistant ‘Gleo AI’ and a marketplace that allows customers to download native apps and games, reducing the need to pair their smartphone.
Redesigned seats
Spy shots suggest the facelifted Santa Fe will come with redesigned seats featuring a simplified H motif, formed by one vertical line on each side of a horizontal line instead of two. That said, the micro check pattern appears to have been carried over.
Specifications
The 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe (rendered above) should continue featuring non-electrified, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid drivetrains with improvements. A major change in this aspect will be the introduction of an extended-range electric powertrain for North America.
We already have prototypes of the new Santa Fe EREV on the line at our plant in Alabama. For a customer who wants the EV experience without changing how they refuel, we now have an answer, and it’s made in America.
José Muñoz, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company, at the 2026 CEO Investor Day, on August 26, 2026
The first-ever Hyundai Santa Fe EREV should have a 2.5-liter turbocharged gas engine under the hood, serving as a generator to charge a battery pack.
From Hyundai’s 2025 presentation, the two-motor system pairs a front motor-generator that can both charge the battery and power the front wheels, with a dedicated drive motor on the rear axle, giving it AWD capability. Hyundai expects 600+ miles of range from its first-gen EREV.
Unlike existing EREVs, Hyundai’s unique system takes advantage of 15 years of hybrid and EV development experience. The ultra-high-performance battery designed by Hyundai engineers produces the same power with less than half the battery capacity compared to conventional EVs. This optimized balance of battery and motor will reduce the cost without losing EV performance.
Chang Hwan Kim, President & Head of Electrification Energy Solutions Tech Unit, at the company’s 2025 CEO Investor Day, on September 18, 2025
Price & Release Date
Extended range EVs arrive in early 2027, and we build them on multiple continents. 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.
José Muñoz, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company, at the 2026 CEO Investor Day, on August 26, 2026
The new Santa Fe is now expected to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2027, with prices ranging between USD 35,000-55,000. The Santa Fe EREV’s launch would also explain why the company never introduced the fifth-gen model’s plug-in hybrid variant here.
Also See: Hyundai Santa Fe XRT Hybrid now exists, but just not in the U.S.
Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s rendering of the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 17 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading global CEOs and vehicle developers.
