High-quality spy shots of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe reveal more details about exterior, interior! Release date set for September 2011?

Hyundai has been making a concerted effort to re-design their brand and update their entire vehicle line-up, but there have been a few of their cars, most notably the Santa Fe and the Veracruz, that seem to have been left out of the makeover mix. It looks as though that will change judging by some leaked pictures of the 2013 version of the Santa Fe.

This is a move that is long overdue, as Hyundai, which is well on the way to leading the market in all categories, is missing a modern take in the mid-size crossover segment.

Judging by the pictures, the new version of the Sanata Fe SUV looks to be sporting a new, more stylish body that has been modeled after the new Tuscon, and the feeling is that the 2013 Santa Fe will get the sportier sounding name of the ix45 (in Europe only!), again similar to the Tuscon which received the ix35 moniker in Europe.

While it was obvious that the overall body design had changed, the smaller details are still something of a mystery given the heavy camouflage sported by the test vehicle.

What was apparent though were the changes to the interior with the dashboard receiving a makeover that focuses more style than function, although that is likely to change as Hyundai work to make the look less button heavy and a little more streamlined. It’s also believed that the latest version will come in two versions, including a seven seat model that will look to challenge the Ford Edge and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Hyundai is remaining very quiet on the engine front, but it’s widely believed a 200-horsepower 2.4 GDI four-cylinder will likely be offered, as well as a possible move back to a manual transmission option, and a 4-cylinder diesel version in Europe.

2013 Santa Fe release date… All details about the new Hyundai Santa Fe will be revealed in April when the vehicle makes its official public debut at the New York Auto Show. Confirmed by Hyundai!

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe spy shots:

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 7:00 am and is filed under Hyundai. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.