Hyundai is putting the finishing touches on the redesigned Santa Fe, and it will be a radical departure from its predecessor as the model adopts a boxy design and a more upscale interior.
While spy photographers have already snapped a handful of prototypes, SangYup Lee talked about the upcoming crossover in an interview with MotorTrend. Fresh off being named 2023 World Car Person of the Year, the head of global design for Hyundai and Genesis said the next-generation Santa Fe wasn’t created in a traditional fashion.
As he explained, “People buy SUVs because of the cargo space at the back” so they developed the model around that idea. This is particularly true of how the interior was designed as they started in the cargo area and then moved forward. That’s the exact opposite of what typically happens.
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Officials told the publication the gear selector will be moved to the steering column, while the badge on the steering wheel will be replaced by four dots that are Morse code for ‘H.’ Previous pictures have shown the Santa Fe will also have a curved digital instrument cluster and infotainment system. They’ll be joined by slender Palisade-like air vents, dedicated climate controls with digital displays, and a connectivity focused center console.
Outside, the Santa Fe will adopt a boxy and squared off design that looks like a cross between a Land Rover Defender and a Discovery. Prototypes have been heavily camouflaged, but the model will have an upright front fascia, a relatively flat hood, and blacked out A-pillars which meet a ‘floating’ roof.
While spy photographers haven’t gotten a good look at it, Lee confirmed the model will have a “seamless horizon lamp” like the Sonata and Grandeur. However, it won’t be a simple horizontal line as it has been given more of an H-shape according to Lee.
