Hyundai reveals a new, face-lifted Santa Fe in the US

Hyundai Motor Corporation revealed the new face of the Santa Fe during the 2016 Chicago Auto Show. We're loving the subtle updates on this Korean 7-seater, except that we're not sure when will this land the local showrooms.

Upfront, the first thing you'll notice is the vertical fog lamps and huge trapezoidal grilles that are prominent among the upcoming Hyundai models. This, plus the sharp head lamps with LED running lights, gives the overall front fascia a luxurious and authoritative appeal. One thing we’ll miss, though, is the meshed air intake on the bumper of the outgoing model.

At the side, the most notable change is the 3rd panel window near the C-pillar. It's now bigger than the narrowing type of the old one. The character lines are the same for both models while the rims have changed a bit from curvy edges to the star-looking 10-spoke alloy wheels.

It's a different story at the back of the face-lifted Santa Fe. The bold design upfront isn't really complemented by the rear design specially with the bigger tail lamps. It looks like they went back to the 2013 Santa Fe with this new styling. Nevertheless, it still looks great with the more defined rear bumper and separated exhaust pipes.

Aside from the upgraded looks, the new Santa Fe will also have safety features that weren't present on the outgoing model. Lane departure warning, automatic high beam assist, and auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection are now standard which will make it a competitor to watch out for in its class.

As for the engine, the US version Santa Fe will have the 3.3L Lambda II V6 engine. However, we're not entirely sure if this would be the power plant included in the new Santa Fe. We’ll have to wait until Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) brings it here.

For now, the current Hyundai Santa Fe is still available in the local showrooms. To view its full specs and features, visit the AutoDeal Car Guide.