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Hyundai is betting on a bold new look for the new-generation Santa Fe, blatantly borrowing some design cues from off-road icons such as the Land Rover Defender.
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe seems set to adopt a bolder, boxier look when the fifth-generation of the SUV is unveiled in the second half of 2023.
New images of the Santa Fe published by KindelAuto show Hyundai testing the new model in heavy camouflage, sporting new five-spoke alloy wheels and ‘H-pattern’ daytime-running lights in the headlamps.
The ‘H’ design theme also extends to the tail-lights – as seen from spy photos taken in September 2022.
The box-like Hyundai Santa Fe appears to echo the shape of the latest Land Rover Defender – inside and out.
The theme continues in the cabin, with a Range Rover-style steering wheel, a curved double-wide screen across the dash – combining both the digital instrument display and the infotainment system – and an more upright design compared with the current model.
The prototype was spotted on the road in California wearing Michigan number plates, likely originating from the Hyundai America Technical Centre in the Michigan city of Ann Arbor.
A second prototype was also seen with a set of aero type alloy wheels, similar to those typically fitted to the Santa Fe Hybrid.
South Korea media outlets are reporting the SUV will be offered with a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine – likely paired with an electric motor and battery for the hybrid variant – and a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder.
There’s no word yet on whether the Australian market will retain the 3.5-litre petrol V6 and 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines currently on offer.
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is expected to be unveiled in the second half of 2023, with the first batch of vehicles to reach showrooms in 2024.
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