Refreshed 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Debuts in China

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe (Credit: The Korean Car Blog)

As is typical with the South Korean automaker, Hyundai has debuted the updated Santa Fe at an event in its home country instead of waiting for a major auto show.

This new Santa Fe, which should hit the U.S. market as a 2017 model year vehicle, will feature an improved chassis that uses high-strength steel for added safety. Atop this chassis is an updated body that features a new front grille, new bumpers, headlights, LED running lights, taillights, and new alloy wheels. On top of the new look, there are also three new colors to choose from.

In Korea and other markets outside the U.S., the new Santa Fe will have two available diesel powerplants, according to The Korean Car Blog. The base oil-burner will be a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 137 kW (184 horsepower) and 297 pound-feet of torque. The 2.2-liter diesel four-pot will deliver 149 KW (200 horsepower) and 325 pound-feet of torque. Both diesel engines will mate to a six-speed auto transmission.

In the U.S., we’ll likely continue on with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder base engine in the Sport trim, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the Sport 2.0T trim, and the 3.3-liter V-6 in the seven-passenger Santa Fe. All three engines will likely receive a small bump in output for the new model year. The chances of us seeing a diesel engine are about slim to none for now.

I mentioned the high-strength steel chassis for added safety in the event of a crash, but Hyundai has also added a good amount of technology to prevent crashes in the 2017 Santa Fe. These systems include a 100-megapixel rearview camera, a 360-degree Around View Monitor, Smart Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Detection, and Autonomous Highway Safety Driving.

One final new feature or the 2017 Santa Fe is a new lineup of JBL audio systems.

We’ll likely see the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe make its American debut later in 2015. It’ll arrive in showrooms sometime in 2016.