2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

[GranTurNismo]

The fifth-gen Hyundai Santa Fe midsize CUV has been unveiled, riding on an all-new platform, a more premium feeling interior, and a bigger grille.

Thoughts? I actually quite like it, definitely one of the better looking cars in its class even with its large face. Hyundai has been getting better and better with every redesign lately, and this one will definitely be a strong seller. Glad to call myself a Hyundai owner, lol.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Hyundai has been getting better and better with every redesign lately,

Eh, yes and no. They ruined the Elantra in 2019 and the '21 model isn't much better.

 

[Tornado]

The new Sonata is hideous. Even worse in person than it looked in pictures.







This looks fine, if only because it appears they put the damn turn signals back.

 

[TrdScionxB2]

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe
The Fast Lane Car Article

 

[05XR8]

Compared to the current model, I'm digging this.

 

[Darla Starch]

Scootch the tail lights up to about the name plate and I'm surprisingly in.

 

[Omnis]

Back of it looks like an 8-bit Ssanyong Rodius. Shockingly bad.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I actually like the back - it looks like the front of a cab-over semi. The rest feels pretty anonymous though...almost Ford Flex at the front.

 

[lilcat89]

I actually like the back - it looks like the front of a cab-over semi. The rest feels pretty anonymous though...almost Ford Flex at the front.

The back has a feel of the new Grand Wagoneer to it, but a little more awkward with where the light bar is located. The front is very Ford Flex, which I do like.

 

[Keef]

This thing is so weird and excellent I love it.

 

[05XR8]

I see more of what the Land Rover discovery and Ford Explorer should have become.

 

[MedigoFlame]

Feels like Hyundai has been doing the futuristic design we all expected we'd be at decades ago. Rather enjoy where they've been going. Curious to see how big it is in person and see how the taillights are in person. Looks like they'll at least have the reverse lights in the lower part of the bumper, something that always annoyed me with previous gen Hyundai/Kia products and sadly doesn't look like it's really changed. I hope the indicators aren't also below the taillights.

 

[lilcat89]

Looks like they'll at least have the reverse lights in the lower part of the bumper, something that always annoyed me with previous gen Hyundai/Kia products and sadly doesn't look like it's really changed. I hope the indicators aren't also below the taillights.

That's been the trend now with the newer SUVs. I think it has something to do with the tailgates now starting to fully incorporate the taillights. There is probably some regulation about if the rear hatch is open, you have to still have visible lights.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

The taillights are at the bottom of the car because they wanted the rear hatch opening to be as wide as possible, which required longer struts

Here's Why The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe’s Taillights Are So Low

Hyundai wanted to make the tailgate as wide as possible, and that necessitated some fairly low taillights.

jalopnik.com

I spoke with the Santa Fe’s lead designer, SangYup Lee, and he explained that the taillights are positioned low down on the crossover in order to make the tailgate as wide as possible, and it’s definitely wide. It almost looks like it covers the entire rear of the car. In order to make the tailgate that wide, you need to make the struts holding up the tailgate as long and skinny as possible. It’s all about making the “gray zone” – the area between the shut line and the sill of the Santa Fe’s trunk – as small as you can.

In fact, those struts are so long that they are actually mounted where taillights would usually be placed, according to Lee. They’re situated in a much more upright way than struts on other tailgates. That means the taillights gotta move, and lower down on the body is the answer Hyundai designers came up with.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I don't get the correlation. Why can't they just own it and say they wanted to make it look like that? Reminds me of the M3/M4 grill. There's not a believable engineering constraint there, its a design choice with a weird/awkward retcon.

 

[GranTurNismo]

It’s really a shame about those taillights. The new Santa Fe was literally sooooo close, both inside and out, for being a total home run. You’re basically getting Defender 130 styling for half of the price. But the awkwardly low taillights are the elephant in the room.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

It’s really a shame about those taillights. The new Santa Fe was literally sooooo close, both inside and out, for being a total home run. You’re basically getting Defender 130 styling for half of the price. But the awkwardly low taillights are the elephant in the room.

I prefer the Sante Fe rear to the defender to be honest. It looks fresh and interesting.

 

[Keef]

Am I the only one who actually prefers this taillight design? I think it makes the truck look lower and wider, more like a boattail design which is always more luxurious. It's also got a bit of a retro vibe, as vintage cars from the 1950s and earlier almost always had very low-mounted taillights whether they were cars are trucks.