2021 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid could be the end for diesel

The hybrid version of the Hyundai Santa Fe could kickstart the beginning of the end diesels for the number three selling brand in Australia.

Locked in for an Australian arrival in the second half of 2021, the new Santa Fe hybrid is expected to instigate a reshuffle of the Santa Fe range, taking advantage of increasing interest in fuel misers that don’t compromise on performance expectations.

As with the upcoming Kia Sorento Hybrid, the Santa Fe hybrid uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo with a 44kW electric motor. Combined outputs are 170kW and 350Nm, which compares favourably with the Santa Fe V6 (200kW/331Nm).

Indeed that’s a big part of the appeal of the hybrid drivetrain, which would be used on multiple model variants across the Santa Fe lineup.

Hyundai Australia product planning manager Andrew Tuitahi says the hybrid has “a level of petrol performance that we’ve never had in Santa Fe, so it’s equivalent to a traditional V6 petrol”.

As part of the hybrid system there’s a 1.5kWh battery pack, which provides very short term electric-only running and electric motor assistance to the petrol engine, in turn reducing fuel use.

As with Toyota hybrids, that battery pack (which is about double the capacity of what is in a Prius) would be charged and discharged regularly depending on driving conditions.

Toyota has already confirmed it will begin selling the Kluger Hybrid – the most direct rival for the Santa Fe hybrid – in 2021. Sister company Kia is also gearing up to sell both the Sorento hybrid and plug-in hybrid.

Whereas the V6 Santa Fe drives only the front wheels, the hybrid drives all four, prompting Tuitahi to suggest it could become the dominant petrol powertrain.

“We’ll definitely have to look at what we do with the V6,” says Tuitahi. “We’ll potentially maintain it as entry-level only.”

Tuitahi says the popular upper grades of Santa Fe – such as Elite and Highlander – are heavily skewed towards the diesel engine, in part because it’s available with an all-wheel drive system.

“So, the success of the front-wheel drive V6 [up against an AWD hybrid] is going to be limited.”

Hyundai also quietly admits the four-cylinder turbo diesel engine could be phased out in Australia within years when the current generation Santa Fe is replaced around 2023.

The company says it is discussing the future of the Santa Fe diesel, suggesting the hybrid could make a solid alternative with superior fuel savings and cleaner running.

While diesel-powered small and mid-sized vehicles have been mostly phased out in Australia, in large SUVs and utes they’re still the dominant powertrain.

So it says something that Hyundai is considering switching to hybrid over diesel.

As for the plug-in hybrid version of the Santa Fe, there’s nothing confirmed for now. It appears getting hold of them is a challenge.

“Always under study,” is how Tuitahi responded when asked about the PHEV. “We’ve got to look at it from a global perspective, what kind of supply we have available, which countries need to achieve their average emissions targets.”

And, of course, there’s the issue of cost, with the Santa Fe PHEV set to be more expensive than the regular hybrid model.