Louth Motoring: Hyundai has just dropped its most daring design to date

Where do you look for style and flair these days? A lot of cars seem to be designed by designers who all went to the same school and university and are now unknowingly suffering from collective groupthink. I’ve long said that if you swapped the badges on current cars, no one would know or be suspicious.

Very few stand out on their own, and in an industry where innovation and niche appeal are the holy grail, it’s bewildering that cars aren’t wildly different from each other. Credit where credit is due, Hyundai does offer some distinctive-looking cars.

Their runaway success, the Tucson, looks different from every other car in the sector from any angle, proving that unique design still sells. Their Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 models also carve their own path and are equally successful.

And now we have the Santa Fe. (That sentence should be read with the sound of screeching brakes). What in the name of all things design has Hyundai done? (I’m about to be glaringly contradictory).

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The new 5th-generation Santa Fe looks like nothing else on sale and is deliciously different. It does, however and here’s the contradiction, resemble the Series III Land Rover Discovery, where the only curves allowed were on the wheels and headlights. I also see shades of the US-only Ford Flex—Google it.

Both of these designs pay homage to cubism, which I’m sure has influenced SangYup Lee, the chief Hyundai designer of this new Santa Fe. His brief was to design a car that stands out in an American Costco car park—and he’s nailed it.

There are so many distinctive design features on the Santa Fe, but I’ll focus on two. The lights, both front and back, have an "H" configuration that immediately identifies the car and lets you know it’s a H for Hyundai.

On the side, there are hidden lift handles in the C-pillar to help you step up onto the door sills to load and strap items to the roof rack.

I actually used it to stand on top of the rear wheel for better access—simply genius.

Above:  Interior of the Hyundai Santa Fe

Being a seven-seater makes it ideal for larger families. The second row offers ample space, and even the third row is surprisingly accommodating. With all seats in use, there’s limited boot space, but folding down the third row provides a whopping 621 litres of cargo room.

With both rows down, the boot space expands to an impressive 1,942 litres. The new Santa Fe is available only as a plug-in hybrid. It’s powered by a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, offering a good balance of power and efficiency. The electric-only range is around 58 km, making it suitable for short commutes and city driving.

My test model was white—a colour I’m rarely drawn to—but the cleanliness of the white resonated with the clean, crisp sharp lines of the design, creating a very harmonious look. I loved it, until I saw the all-black version.

It’s called the Calligraphy version and costs €3,000 extra over the €66,995 price tag, and it’s so worth it.

Oh my, if you haven’t seen it on the roads yet and been wowed, be prepared to be. It has the most stealthy look about it, and I can just picture the pilot of a stealth bomber driving home in a new Santa Fe—both designs complement each other perfectly.

Despite its premium features and spacious interior, it remains relatively affordable compared to some of its rivals.

I recall when the Santa Fe was Hyundai’s volume seller, which has now been overtaken and dominated by the Tucson, with the Santa Fe moving upmarket. Hyundai gives you everything you want in this car, with no compromises in terms of technology and safety. Inside, the Santa Fe feels spacious and luxurious.

The quality of materials is excellent, with suede lining the roof and front pillars. The digital technology is seamlessly integrated, with a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a panoramic curved display with navigation. The heads-up display projects key information onto the windscreen, enhancing the driving experience.

The front seats are heated, ventilated, and power-adjustable with memory functions. There’s also a dual wireless smartphone charging pad, a BOSE stereo, a surround-view monitor, and remote smart parking assist. The Calligraphy trim, in that stealthy black, adds Nappa leather and a UV sterilisation tray for added convenience. A what?

Exactly, I never knew I needed one of these, but it’s such a desirable feature. You pop something in the compartment above the glovebox—like a mobile phone or wallet—and press a button that blasts UV light, killing 99.95% of all germs in just 10 minutes.

We took a trip to and from Sligo with the second row occupied by my parents. They never stopped praising how lovely and comfortable the car was. Noise levels are minimal, and the cabin is a serene place to be.

The car gets on with transporting you in complete comfort, and the suspension setup means that road intrusions are practically eliminated. Comfort and quietness are my priorities, and not many cars have this in abundance like the Santa Fe.

The new Hyundai Santa Fe is a strong contender in the large SUV market in Ireland. Its combination of luxury, style, comfort, and advanced technology makes it an excellent choice for families and individuals looking for a versatile and capable vehicle. If your budget allows, there’s little else that compares in terms of overall package.

I’d be thrilled to have one parked outside my house. It’s a car that makes a bold statement, and I can’t help but think it might be the SUV of the year.

A truly daring, individualistic, standout vehicle.