New Hyundai Santa Fe engine options – Hybrid, PHEV and Diesel – are announced

Engine options for the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV – revealed earlier this month – are announced, with details of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and diesel options.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe – currently Hyundai’s biggest SUV offering in the UK – was revealed earlier this month, and it’s a more imposing take on the last generation Santa Fe – and looks more upmarket too. Especially if ‘in yer face’ grilles are your thing.

Underpinned by Hyundai’s latest third generation platform, Hyundai told us that it will come with a choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and diesel powertrains. But they failed to tell us exactly what they will be, although we had a pretty good stab at predicting the PHEV would be inherited from the Sorento.

But now Hyundai has managed to cobble together some details so you know which way to go if you do decide to grab a new Santa Fe when it goes on sale in September.

Initially, you’ll only have the option of the hybrid or diesel powertrains, with the plug-in hybrid version not available until 2021. Which seems a shame.

The hybrid version of the Santa Fe combines Hyundai’s Smartstream 1.6 litre petrol engine and a 59bhp electric motor – powered by a 1.49kW litium ion battery – to deliver 227bhp and 258lb/ft of torque with either 2WD or 4WD options available.

The ICE take on the Santa Fe is an improved version of the familiar 2.2 litre diesel, which has been on a bit of a component diet, and now delivers 199bhp sent to the front wheels or all four through an eight-speed dual-clutch auto.

When the PHEV version does arrive next year it will come with the same 1.6 litre as the hybrid but with a 90bhp electric motor for a combined 261bhp – but the same 258lb/ft of torque as the hybrid – and a 13.8kWh battery said to be good for an EV range of 40 miles.