Report - Hyundai Santa Fe facelift begins testing

A test prototype of the Hyundai Santa Fe facelift was recently spied on public roads in Europe by spy photographers.

The car is fully camouflaged, and connotes that plans have moved forward to bring out the refresh within 12 months. For a mid-cycle change, the test mule is sporting a lot of camouflage and wrapping.

European news websites give the Santa Fe refresh new front and rear bumpers, a modified grille, new headlights and taillights, and a different interior design. Changes won't be just skin deep, as the Korean manufacturer reportedly is looking to launch new engines as well.

The Santa Fe launched in India at the 2014 Auto Expo at INR 26.3 lakhs and went on to gather over 600 orders. All Indian variants get power from a four-cylinder, 2.2-liter CRDI engine producing 197 PS at 3,800 rpm and 42.9 kgm of torque in the manual variants and 44.5 kgm of torque on the automatic variants.

Transmission options are a 6-speed manual and automatic. Both, two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models are available in India.

The Santa Fe facelift could be launched at the Paris Motor Show or at the Geneva Motor Show next year. As observed on past CKD product actions, Hyundai India will be in no hurry to introduce the refresh locally. We don't expect the Santa Fe facelift in India at least until the end of 2015 or early 2016.

[You can see the spyshots at WorldCarFans.com]