2023 Hyundai Santa Fe facelift launched in Malaysia – CKD three-row SUV to be built at Inokom’s Kulim plant

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) will launch the facelifted fourth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe in Malaysia soon. This is after he recently announced on his LinkedIn page that Sime Darby Hyundai Integrated (SHDI) had signed a mass production certificate with Inokom to begin production of the heavily refreshed three-row SUV.

The fourth-generation Santa Fe was first launched here in May 2019 as a CKD model, months before the Korean automaker revealed the issue in June 2020. When it went on sale, the Santa Fe was offered in both. differences between petrol and diesel.

Currently, the Santa Fe has been removed from HSDM’s official website, which, last time we checked, listed two diesel variants, namely the Executive SE 2WD which was priced at RM196,888 on the road without insurance and the Executive Plus SE. 2WD at RM215,888.

Changes that come with the facelift include a new front end that sees two layers of light instead of three, while the small fog lights in the lower part of the grille have been omitted. The grille has also been redesigned for a full-width look by visually merging with the headlamps, which have vertical light strips that form a T-shaped signature and higher daytime running lights.

At the rear, the LED taillights are joined by a narrow illuminated bar that replaces the chrome bar, while the design of the rear bumper is also new and has a long reflective strip. Hyundai also showed a switch to the N3 platform (previously Y7), which is surprising for a facelift, and along with stylish adjustments, it brings small changes to the dimensions, which are as follows.

• Length: 4,785 mm (+15 mm)
• Width: 1,900 mm (+10 mm)
• Height: 1,685 mm (+5 mm)
• Wheelbase: 2,765 mm (unchanged)

Inside, the dashboard design is still familiar, but the raised and angled console is completely new, as are the controls and the shift-by-wire system that uses buttons to put the car in gear. It’s more modern as a result, and the Santa Fe gets a Terrain Mode selector for the first time, which is a control knob for Eco, Sport, Comfort and Smart drive modes, as well as the HTRAC all-wheel drive system. sand, snow and mud presets (if specified).

Underneath the new “floating” dashboard is additional storage space, while other changes in the cabin are a new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch full digital cluster.

The pre-facelift Santa Fe was initially offered in Malaysia with a reliable 2.4-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine or a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine. The petrol unit comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, while the diesel gets an eight-speed automatic – front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive depending on the variant chosen.

It is not known if this configuration will be returned or if there will be more eco-friendly options, since the switch to the N3 system allows for hybrid powertrains and hybrid plug-ins. With the mention of N3, the facelifted fourth-generation Santa Fe is not the latest version of the nameplate, as Hyundai revealed the fifth-generation (and very unique) Santa Fe in July this year which is based on the same platform.

GALLERY: 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe facelift

GALLERY: 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe facelift (US market)

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Tags: Call Darby Motors