Even with the new 2026 Palisade, we can’t overlook one major change to the midsize Santa Fe.
You often hear about and see dual-clutch transmissions in high-performance applications, but Hyundai has insisted on fitting the technology to its relatively everyday SUVs like the new Santa Fe. And honestly? It hasn’t been working out too well, to the point that the automaker recalled more than 12,000 units due to a software-related roll-away issue. For 2026, though, Hyundai is dropping the maligned DCT for both the Santa Fe and the Santa Cruz pickup. In their place, we’ll get a more conventional 8-speed torque converter automatic.
Frankly, the old transmission is a weak point on both vehicles, as it comes tethered to the more powerful, turbocharged engine with 277 horsepower (281 on the Santa Cruz) and 311 lb-ft of torque. The idea with a DCT is that you’re supposed to get snappier shifts, which is good for both uninterrupted power flow for a sportier driving feel and fuel economy. There’s a reason you usually only see them in sports cars, though — they’re really best when going flat-out. Any other driving scenario, and they feel too clunky to truly be satisfying long-term. Volkswagen relented and gave us an updated Taos without their “DSG” (though it works well in the GTI and the Golf R), and now Hyundai is relenting with the Santa Fe/Santa Cruz.
The normal, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter, for its part, already gets a traditional 8-speed automatic, and we’ve recommended going for those models in the past based on that fact. The Santa Fe Hybrid uses a different 6-speed automatic tailored to that application, and hasn’t (so far as we’ve been able to tell) had the same issues as the outgoing 8-speed dual-clutch.
That said, Hyundai isn’t the only brand at issue in this conversation.
Kia also uses DCT on certain models in its lineup, and at the moment isn’t planning to make a change. The two companies, despite often coming up in conversation together, don’t always make decisions for the North American market in lockstep. So, you’ll still be able to buy a Sorento with the 8-speed dual-clutch, though we’ll have to see if that situation changes in the 2026 or 2027 model years.
