2016 Hyundai Santa Fe spied in Australia

The images - sent in by a CarAdvice reader - give away quite a bit about what to expect from the facelifted Santa Fe seven-seat SUV, including its revised front-end.

The new-look model is set to sport similar features to the recently revealed Tucson medium SUV, with revised headlights, a bolder grille and new front bumper all expected.

The rear-end will also see some change, with what looks like revised tail-lights, a new rear bumper and sportier square-tipped muffler.

It's unclear what specification of car the model seen in these images is, but the fact it's wearing black alloy wheels with Hankook Ventus Prime tyres indicates it could be a new iteration of the SR model, which goes on sale next month.

Reports have suggested that the new 2016 Santa Fe will receive a hybrid all-wheel drive technology known as e-4WD, which uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels while the conventional internal combustion engine sends its grunt to the front.

It's unclear if that technology will be offered here, but it is set to reach production in 2016, according to international sources.

What is also unclear is what other drivetrains will be offered in the new Santa Fe. Currently there's a 2.4-litre four-cylinder that is sold in the base model Active only, while a 2.2-litre turbo diesel is available across all model variants.

Hyundai has previously toyed with the idea of losing the 2.4-litre engine in favour of either a 2.0-litre petrol turbo (a la the new Sonata) or a larger petrol V6.

It is unclear whether there will be major changes inside the cabin - we'd expect some new trim options, and perhaps a few revised surface finishes, too.

Base model cars will almost certainly get a new 5.0-inch touchscreen media system with Pandora internet radio connectivity, while upper-spec variants are likely to retain the same 7.0-inch media screen currently offered.

Hyundai Australia sources informed CarAdvice at this week's launch of the i30 Series II model that there will be a revamped version of the Santa Fe hitting showrooms later this year.

Stay tuned for more.