When we first spent time with the fifth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe in 2023, we felt that it was a radical departure with its bold, boxy design.
While still relatively new in the U.S. market, Hyundai is already preparing a mid-cycle refresh expected to arrive for the 2027 model year with updated styling and more advanced equipment.
Beyond the redesigned front fascia that has already been widely reported, here are six new features we expect in the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe:
1. Vertical taillights
One of the fifth-generation Santa Fe’s most oddball design bits is the low-set, horizontal taillights. Spy shots suggest Hyundai will replace them with vertical taillights with the mid-cycle update. Another new feature at the rear could be a slim light strip between the vertical tail lamps, leading to an H-shaped motif.
2. Larger center touchscreen
The 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe is expected to feature the new 17-inch center touchscreen, replacing the current model’s 12.3-inch unit.
While the latter comes integrated with the instrument cluster in a curved panel, the former should be a standalone unit designed to look like a tablet floating above the center of the dashboard. It may have a squarer, 16:9 ratio that makes reading information easier.
3. Smaller gauge cluster
While the current midsize SUV has a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, the new one will likely come with a compact 9.9-inch driver information display that has a sleeker look.
4. Pleos OS
The infotainment system of the 2027 Santa Fe will run the new Pleos Connect operating system. Based on the Android Automotive operating system, Pleos will have a smartphone-like user interface with split-view and multi-window functions. It will feature a marketplace that allows users to download and update native applications as well.
5. EREV powertrain
Hyundai stopped offering a plug-in hybrid system in the Santa Fe in the U.S. when it discontinued the fourth-gen model. The company will finally have a solution for American customers seeking a more practical EV-mode range than the hybrid variant in the fifth-gen model following the facelift.
A new extended-range electric powertrain, essentially a series-hybrid system with plug-in capability, would be the highlight of the 2027 Santa Fe. Hyundai will likely use a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine as a generator and a front-mounted electric motor to drive the wheels in the first-ever Santa Fe EREV.
With the engine only used as a generator, it would operate at optimal speed at all times. This should make it more efficient than a conventional hybrid system.
Hyundai uses a 1.49 kWh battery pack in the Hybrid variant of the current Santa Fe and a 13.8 kWh unit in the plug-in hybrid variant sold in Europe. In the Santa Fe EREV, expect a large battery, possibly one with an energy capacity of over 40 kWh.
This setup could give the vehicle a range of about 600 miles, making the Santa Fe EREV especially appealing to buyers in spread-out metro areas like Phoenix or Denver, where long daily drives are common.
6. More powerful USB ports
Hyundai introduced the fifth-gen Santa Fe with USB Type-C ports capable of charging devices at up to 27 watts. With the facelift, it may introduce higher-power USB Type-C ports with an output of around 50 watts.
This would allow customers, who use their cars as a mobile office, to fast-charge not only smartphones but also laptops on road trips between cities like Dallas and Houston.
Also See: Hyundai Santa Fe XRT Hybrid now exists, but not in the U.S. or Canada
Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s exclusive rendering
International Automotive News Editor since 2014, covering global motor shows, industry events, and test-driving various vehicles, with a focus on hybrid and electric cars in recent years.
