Hyundai introduces bold new Santa Fe for 2024

Fresh off the introduction of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 ‘N’ at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Korean automaker has struck again with a preview of the 2024 Santa Fe, the fifth generation of the nameplate with a bold new design language and a new market placement.

First, a brief look at this year’s Santa Fe (shown in the first picture below) for comparison. Among the best designed in its class, it shows tailored, disciplined styling, and an upscale placement. The interior seems a little less disciplined, but still nice in its appointments.

For 2024, Hyundai has struck out in a new direction, adopting a blockier, “chunky” design language that eliminates many curves, or buries them within the new blocky styling. The contrast between the old and new is striking indeed. Take off that Hyundai badge and you might mistake the Santa Fe for a Ford or Land Rover vehicle, two other brands that have adopted the bold “chunky” styling in recent years. But the Hyundai goes all in on the blocky massing and reinforces it with clever details.

A quick look at a front three-quarter view confirms this. Strong rectangular and blocky massing makes for a bold initial statement. The subtle hood bulge relieves some of the blockiness of the front end and conveys a sense of power. The wheel arches are more chamfered than arched, not a bad touch with the overall blockiness of the styling. The huge wheels are the circular counterpart to all the blocky styling riding above.

The front mask is an exercise in ‘H’-shaped elements and horizontal body and grillwork. The headlights are ‘H’ shaped, a nod to the Hyundai brand name, with a horizontal light bar connecting them. Below, where a license plate will attach, another horizontal bar connects two vertical elements for another ‘H’ shape. Keep looking and you will find ‘H’s within ‘H’s all over the front mask (and interior, see below).

So unrelenting is the ‘H’ motif at the front, that the Hyundai badge, with its slanted ‘H’ and oval border, seems out of place on the car.

At the interior, upscale materials and detailing signal Hyundai’s intention to continue to progress the Santa Fe up the food chain from family hauler to luxury utility, a positioning move shared by many other makes in the midsize SUV class.

Horizontal lines dominate the IP, with vents and controls artfully integrated into the overall composition. Naturally, ‘H’ motifs are found everywhere, though many are subtle and enfolded into the overall design of the IP.

Hyundai’s curved panoramic screen has most of the controls, though some environmental and entertainment controls, with a few actual buttons and knobs, are located at the center console.

At the center console, wireless charging for two devices is available. Just behind are the obligatory cup-holders and a storage box under an armrest cover. There is even a small storage area under the charging station for that extra water bottle or umbrella.

The model pictured seats eight in a three-row configuration, the minimum standard for the school carpool set. The second and third row fold flat, allowing the rear of the car to become a “terrace” (Hyundai’s term) for lounging and socializing. A more generous tailgate of the 2024 model allows for easier access and more generous “terrace” space.

With the tailgate closed, the ‘H’ motifs, particularly in the broad taillight graphics, are immediately apparent, and reinforce the design statement of the front mask. The overall blockiness of the massing is on full display here, in this case, a good thing, as it reinforces the overall design statement. In many SUVs the rump of the vehicle is its design weak point.

For years, automakers have tried to animate the box to increase interest and deflect attention from the overall blockiness of SUVs, CUVs, and trucks. Now the trend is to embrace the block, to express the inherent boxiness of these formats – no apologies. With the new Santa Fe, Hyundai has signaled a willingness to join the ‘chunky’ crowd, and given the sophistication of the design, should find itself well-positioned in the midsize SUV class.

“The all-new Santa Fe is an SUV that finds a perfect balance between city life and the great outdoors, handling everything from busy family itineraries to car camping adventures,” said SangYup Lee, executive vice president and head of Hyundai Global Design Center in the official press release. “With its longer wheelbase, roomy interior and terrace-like tailgate space, the new Santa Fe leans into its SUV strengths to offer more versatility than ever before as well as a premium customer experience.”

The official reveal of the Santa Fe is scheduled for August and will be broadcast on Hyundai’s YouTube channel. We will bring you more information and a design development story in the coming months.