Key highlights
- Hyundai Australia has confirmed the Santa Fe EREV for local showrooms.
- The extended-range electric SUV is expected to offer around 966km of driving range.
- A facelifted Santa Fe with updated styling and new infotainment is also on the way.
If you’ve been eyeing off a Santa Fe but wondering whether Hyundai will ever bring something a bit more electrified to the range beyond the current hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, here’s some good news. Hyundai Australia has confirmed the new Santa Fe EREV, that extended-range electric vehicle, will make it to local showrooms.
The catch? Nobody’s saying when. Hyundai Australia PR boss Bill Thomas has confirmed the Santa Fe EREV is coming, but local launch timing remains under wraps. That’s about as firm a commitment as we’re going to get for now, but it’s still a meaningful update. When Hyundai first revealed the Santa Fe EREV last week, CEO and President José Muñoz only confirmed it would launch in North America first, leaving Australia’s fate genuinely up in the air. Local confirmation, even without a date, moves things forward.
Read more: 100 new Hyundai cars to launch by 2030 globally
What exactly is an EREV?
For anyone not across the acronym soup of modern car powertrains, an EREV works a little differently to the hybrids and plug-in hybrids Aussies are already familiar with. Rather than the petrol engine driving the wheels directly, an EREV uses two electric motors to do all the actual driving, similar to a regular EV. The combustion engine’s job is simply to act as a generator, topping up the battery when needed rather than sending power to the wheels itself. Think of it less like a traditional hybrid and more like an EV that carries its own personal charging station along for the ride.
The battery on the Santa Fe EREV is said to be less than half the size of what you’d find in a full electric vehicle, which keeps weight and cost down. Despite that smaller battery, Hyundai reckons the combined system will deliver a very healthy 966km of range between stops, useful if you’re planning long country drives or just don’t fancy visiting a bowser too often.
A facelift is coming too
The EREV isn’t the only change in store for the Santa Fe. The wider range is set for a solid exterior refresh, with narrower headlights and a cleaner, simpler front grille and bumper giving the big SUV a subtly different face.
Around the back, Hyundai is ditching the current Santa Fe’s distinctive low-mounted tail-lights in favour of more conventional vertical units, joined by a horizontal light bar, a look that’s becoming something of a signature across the brand’s newer models.
Inside, expect a larger centre touchscreen, which points to the Santa Fe adopting Hyundai’s new Android Automotive-based “Pleos” operating system. If it follows the pattern set by other recent Hyundai and Kia releases, that should mean smoother software, built-in app support, and a more modern-feeling cabin overall.
Why does this matter for Australian buyers?
Australia already gets the Santa Fe in petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms, so the EREV would slot in as a genuine electrified flagship for buyers who want serious range without the charging anxiety that can come with a full EV, particularly for those living regionally or towing.
It’s also part of a broader shift happening at Hyundai. The automaker has confirmed a Genesis flagship SUV will get its own EREV version, reportedly targeting a combined range beyond 1000km, while a range-extender version of the Ioniq V is set for Chinese showrooms in 2027. Hyundai and its Chinese partner BAIC have committed roughly A$1.6 billion toward developing more electric and extended-range models, which could open the door for further EREVs to eventually reach Australia.
For now, there’s no confirmed local launch date, pricing or full specification for the Santa Fe EREV. But with Hyundai Australia openly confirming it’s on the way, it’s one to keep firmly on the radar if long-range electrified motoring is on your shopping list.
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