Blame it on low gasoline prices and the popularity of hybrid/EVs.
If you’ve been waiting in vain for a diesel-powered Santa Fe to come to the U.S., you may want to turn away as this is bad news for you. Hyundai has just confirmed that the diesel version of the midsize crossover won’t reach the U.S. With that, a three-row version won’t make it as well, which is kind of in contrary to the trend that the other automakers like Kia and Subaru have begun.
According to Green Car Reports, the South Korean marque, through its spokesperson Brandon Ramirez, confirmed the sad news for diesel hopefuls. The no-show of the three-row version has been confirmed by Ramirez as well. The spokesperson mentioned that studies have indicated that buyers of the Santa Fe aren’t open to the turbodiesel option anymore.
Moreover, the lack of a three-row version seems to contradict what Hyundai’s sister company, Kia, aims to accomplish. To recall, Kia has just unveiled the Telluride with a bang – a three-row crossover that oozes with versatility. But then again, the Telluride is rumored to be powered by a V6 gasoline engine, so there’s that.
Another automaker that’s into the three-row crossover category is Subaru, which is currently banking on the popularity of the Ascent – a direct competitor to the three-row Santa Fe.
With neither a diesel nor three-row Santa Fe in the picture, Hyundai is left with one option: the Santa Fe plugin hybrid, which the automaker confirmed to come after 2019. As to which version of the midsize crossover will be electrified, your guess is just as good as ours at this time. We might need to keep our eyes peeled for a bit and wait for the automaker’s confirmation.
Source: Green Car Reports
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