HYUNDAI’S SANTA FE HAS PROVEN a hit with Australian buyers with its combination of practical size, clever design and value for money. The new model, premiered online, that shows the model’s radical transformation centred on its new wide tailgate.
To commemorate the heritage and iconic significance of Santa Fe brand, which spans from its first generation to the fourth, culminating in the recently launched fifth generation, the global launch event and the world premiere filming took place in the beautiful region of Santa Fe in New Mexico, the source of inspiration for the Santa Fe brand. In the World Premiere Film, the all-new Santa Fe’s wide tailgate seamlessly connects the inside with the outside, expanding consumers’ everyday experiences. The tailgate area, once a storage space, now becomes an open terrace that can be used to enjoy the outdoors.
The fifth-generation Santa Fe enhances the midsize SUV’s (officially a large SUV in Australia) city-friendly, adventure-ready appeal with a class-leading, terrace-like living space made possible by its longer wheelbase and larger tailgate opening. The longer wheelbase also allows the new model to offer enhanced third-row seating.
“Since the first-generation Santa Fe’s debut 23 years ago, this iconic SUV has won the hearts of millions of customers around the world,” said Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. “The All-New Santa Fe’s bold and powerful identity, which encompasses the boundless outdoors and urban landscape, will establish an unrivalled presence in the SUV market.”
Exterior design: Bold SUV’s powerful presence reflects a growing outdoor lifestyle trend
For Santa Fe’s first full-model change since 2018, Hyundai Motor adopted an unusual design strategy by starting from the enlarged tailgate area to better facilitate the enjoyment of the outdoors and then moving on to design the exterior.
The new model’s efficient, boxy shape and long wheelbase help convey a powerful presence while the strong yet delicately crafted external design is well-suited to both urban and nature-focused settings.
“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 camping adventures,” said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Center. “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 with a premium customer experience.”
The all-new Santa Fe’s front makes a strong first impression thanks to its high hood, H-shaped headlamps and sharply-defined fenders. Together, the H-shaped headlamps and lower front valance design draw inspiration from the Hyundai emblem to produce a bold and distinctive image.
The longer wheelbase gives a sense of grandeur, its clean side sculpting complemented by a bold roofline, generous volume around the fenders, robust wheel arches, a shorter front overhang and bold designed 21-inch wheels.
The rear view, distinguished by its wider tailgate, reinforces the sense of solidity while creating a simpler, sculptural look. The H-shaped taillights harmonise with the front H-lights to provide a distinctive presence on the road.
In global markets, the new model is available in 10 exterior colours, including Abyss Black Pearl, Creamy White Pearl, Creamy White Matte, Typhoon Silver Metallic, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Ocado Green Pearl, Terracotta Orange, Cyber Sage Pearl, Earthy Brass Metallic Matte and Pebble Blue Pearl.
Interior design: Horizontal and vertical design elements for a solid SUV character
Santa Fe’s all-new interior contrasts with the exterior by emphasising horizontal and vertical design elements and matching the tone and mood of the exterior. An H-shaped design is applied to the dashboard and air vents to enhance the sense of openness and create a unique design balance.
The new interior comes with useful convenience features, such as a UV-C Sterilization Tray and dual wireless charging system for smartphones, to create a sophisticated user experience with SUV-like practicality. The first-in-class Panoramic Curved Display encompasses the 12.3-inch digital cluster and infotainment system, enhances driver visibility and creates a sense of luxury.
With the longer wheelbase, the all-new Santa Fe offers class-leading interior space. Fully foldable second-and third-row seats create a terrace-like space at the rear with the wider tailgate open, enabling users to enjoy the outdoors effortlessly. This appealing design feature reflects Hyundai Motor’s use of big data to identify customers’ interest in the latest outdoor lifestyle trends, such as car camping and gear-intensive adventures.
Eco-friendly materials are used throughout the interior for soft surfaces, such as the headliner, BCF car mats and seatbacks and coverings, such as the crash pad, door trim and seats. In particular, the leatherette seats are made of materials that minimise human health hazards and are certified as Class 1 in Europe – safe for infants up to 3 years old.
The use of eco-friendly materials extends to the exterior as well. The glossy black paint applied to the exterior trim uses recycled carbon materials. Among the exterior colours, the Ecotronic Gray for North American markets uses a natural bamboo charcoal coating method.
There’s a choice of five interior colours, including Obsidian Black, Supersonic Gray, Pecan Brown, Forest Green, and Black Ink.