Hyundai predicted the square design trend of today’s SUVs almost 5 years ago – Photo: Hyundai
When the new-generation Hyundai Santa Fe was first launched in July, the car’s boxy design immediately became the talk of the town. Hyundai must have guessed that while many will enjoy the new styling of the 2024 Santa Fe, some will prefer the old curvy body.
According to Hyundai Sangyup Lee, Design Director, they chose the square box design around 5 years ago. Their design team uses the collected data to predict future trends. The phrase “outside activities” is always mentioned. Therefore, Chasys chose the above approach to fit the idea.
This facelift of the Hyundai Santa Fe brings the car closer to the original square design of the first generation – Photo: Hyundai
Interestingly, Hyundai’s prediction comes before the COVID-19 pandemic. The post-pandemic time when the car was released coincided with the time when the outdoor trend was popular, as many users realized the value of adventure and freedom after being tied to isolation.
Apart from the trend factor, Hyundai also chose a squared off style for the Santa Fe 2024 due to practicality. This design gives a huge amount of space inside the car and also helps in opening the tailgate as wide as possible.
If there is one element that Hyundai is not expecting, it is that when it comes to the square design of its flagship SUV, they think it will be a different style in the market. However, by the time the new Hyundai Santa Fe was launched, it was again a trend that reverted to new SUV design.
The gear lever is relocated to the steering column by Hyundai to smooth the interface of the center console – Photo: The Drive
Another element that is speculated to “break the way” on the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe but ultimately fits the current trend is the gear lever inside the cabin.
In the latest generation, the instrument has been moved to the steering column column, instead of being located in the center console as in other Hyundai cars in previous decades.
Yet according to Mr Sangyup Lee’s explanation, Hyundai wants all the driving instruments to be gathered around the steering wheel for easy manipulation by the user. Thus, all user maneuvers are in front of them, not next to them, and thus avoid distractions.
Due to the absence of a gear lever, the center console position on the Hyundai Santa Fe has now become spacious – Photo: The Drive
Also, changing the position of the gear lever also helps in freeing up a lot of storage space in the center console. The Korean brand also does not face much difficulty in changing the position of the gear lever as the gearshift system has changed to an electronic type instead of using the traditional physical mechanism.
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