2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid coming in second-half of next year
Hyundai has previously confirmed the Santa Fe Hybrid is coming to Australia, but we now have more details and more accurate timing.
The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid will be in Australian showrooms in the second-half of next year, rather than the middle of the year as previously reported.
In a media briefing today, Hyundai Australia said the Santa Fe Hybrid would have the performance of a V6 and a respectable towing capacity.
The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid will be powered by a turbo 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which drives the front wheels, while an electric motor will power the rear wheels to make it all-wheel-drive.
Power output and fuel consumption have not been confirmed for Australia, and the company says it is yet to determine if the car will run on regular unleaded or premium unleaded.
The updated Hyundai Santa Fe has an upgraded towing capacity of 2500kg, rather than 2200kg previously, however the company has yet to disclose the towing capacity of the hybrid variant.
"It will have a respectable towing capacity, but we have yet to announce exact figures," said a Hyundai Australia representative.
The hybrid version of the Hyundai Santa Fe will arrive in Australia amid record demand for petrol-electric cars.
Sales of hybrid vehicles so far this year have almost doubled, largely due to demand for the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
In August 2020, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid was the top selling vehicle outright. It was the first time a hybrid car had led the market.
Although Hyundai is not forecasting quite the same model mix, the hybrid version of the Toyota SUV accounts for almost 70 per cent of RAV4 sales.
While Toyota is the clear market leader in Australia and internationally with hybrid technology, Hyundai is likely to be the next major challenger. For example, Hyundai is the only car giant globally to offer three advanced drivetrain options in one vehicle.
The Hyundai Ioniq – its rival to the Toyota Prius – is available as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and pure-electric car.
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