2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

Smartstream

1.6L Turbo I4 Hybrid

The turbo four pairs with a transmission-mounted electric motor for smooth, responsive pull, and unusually for a hybrid it sends power through a real 6-speed automatic rather than a CVT, giving a more conventional, geared feel.

This is Hyundai's Smartstream G1.6T-GDi hybrid unit, the engine that introduced the group's headline efficiency technology, here powering the boxy current-generation Santa Fe.

• The 1.6 T-GDi was the first engine to use Hyundai's Continuously Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) technology, which varies how long the valves stay open, not just their timing.
• Its hybrid layout places the motor inside the transmission housing (a TMED setup), allowing a true torque-converter automatic instead of the CVT most rivals use.
• The system draws from a compact 1.49-kWh lithium-polymer battery, small enough to preserve cargo space.