Hyundai Santa Fe’s full makeover yields boxier look

Hyundai Motor Co. on Tuesday premiered a new look for its steady-selling SUV Santa Fe. The complete transformation — its first in five years — emphasizes angularity in a boxy design, marking a shift away from its previous curvy and bold body designs.  

The South Korean auto giant debuted the previous fourth-generation Santa Fe in 2018.

The All-New Santa Fe conveys simplicity in a boxy design, a more futuristic look than Santa Fe’s first-generation, which featured a rugged, yet redefined look with an urban accent 20 years ago, according to the company. 

Its high hood and voluminous fender is reminiscent of Hyundai’s now-retired masculine off-road SUV Galloper, which debuted on the Korean market amid fanfare in 1991.

The restyled fifth-generation Santa Fe features a new headlamp design, the so-called “H-Light," which is a reinterpretation of the Hyundai Motor emblem, a first in a Hyundai vehicle.

It is longer than the previous generation but its front overhang is shorter, allowing it to offer the most generous interior space among its mid-sized SUV peers.

The revamped Santa Fe features a curved panoramic display for the digital cluster and infotainment system.

This is also the first Hyundai model to offer a dual smartphone charging station.

Hyundai Motor pins high hopes on The All-New Santa Fe after the 20-year-old SUV has seen its global sales decline in recent years to 49,812 units in 2022 from 58,621 a year earlier.

Hyundai has sold some 1.4 million Santa Fe's in South Korea since its launch in 2000. It introduced the second, third, and fourth-generation models in 2005, 2012 and 2018, respectively.

The Korean automaker will disclose core specifications of The All-New Santa Fe in August.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin at binthere@hankyung.com
Sookyung Seo edited this article.