Photo: CarPix
The South Korean manufacturer has just revealed these past days that it plans to have its product design cycles halved in an attempt to keep the brand - and the Genesis luxury marque as well - as relevant as possible in this ever-changing market.
That means cutting the time it takes a vehicle to move from the pen and paper phase to the assembly line from the current three years - which is still short by the industry's standards - to no more than eighteen months. The huge new design studio that's going to open at the company's Namyang R&D Center near Seoul is going to help with that.
Hyundai is currently undergoing a major design change which is meant to help rejuvenate the brand's arguably dusted image. The first model to sport the new looks is the Kona crossover, the vehicle that was revealed earlier this year and is soon to hit Hyundai dealerships all around the world.
The Santa Fe looks set to follow, with this new batch of spy shots showing the SUV's front end in much greater detail than before. The radiator grille is completely uncovered displaying a wide hexagonal mesh pattern and an overall shape similar to that on the Kona (though here it looks more like an hourglass).
The daytime running lights appear to borrow the same slim shape from Kona, being positioned just below the line of the hood, while the main headlights are situated each side of the large radiator grille. There should also be a couple of fog lights but since they're not mandatory during testing, they're completely covered by the camouflage.
Despite the advent of the Genesis sub-brand, it is believed Hyundai wants to position its products more upmarket, and given the interior quality of the previous ones, we'd say there still plenty of room for improvement without the risk of stepping on the toes of any of the Genesis models.
The 2019 Santa Fe will offer seven- and five-seat arrangements as well as a host of propulsion solutions. The latter start with the 2.4-liter gasoline engine for the base model and end with the 3.3-liter V6 units. Diesels will also make an appearance in certain markets, and since Hyundai is pushing strongly for hybrid powertrains, such a setup should make its way under the SUV's hood as well.
These shots are the first time the new Santa Fe has been spotted outside of the Nurburgring track, and the sighting coincides with the removal of the heavier camouflage (which still remains on the back of the vehicle). There's no official timeline, but the SUV should be launched sometime during next year with deliveries starting late 2018 or early 2019.
Hyundai is currently undergoing a major design change which is meant to help rejuvenate the brand's arguably dusted image. The first model to sport the new looks is the Kona crossover, the vehicle that was revealed earlier this year and is soon to hit Hyundai dealerships all around the world.
The Santa Fe looks set to follow, with this new batch of spy shots showing the SUV's front end in much greater detail than before. The radiator grille is completely uncovered displaying a wide hexagonal mesh pattern and an overall shape similar to that on the Kona (though here it looks more like an hourglass).
The daytime running lights appear to borrow the same slim shape from Kona, being positioned just below the line of the hood, while the main headlights are situated each side of the large radiator grille. There should also be a couple of fog lights but since they're not mandatory during testing, they're completely covered by the camouflage.
Despite the advent of the Genesis sub-brand, it is believed Hyundai wants to position its products more upmarket, and given the interior quality of the previous ones, we'd say there still plenty of room for improvement without the risk of stepping on the toes of any of the Genesis models.
The 2019 Santa Fe will offer seven- and five-seat arrangements as well as a host of propulsion solutions. The latter start with the 2.4-liter gasoline engine for the base model and end with the 3.3-liter V6 units. Diesels will also make an appearance in certain markets, and since Hyundai is pushing strongly for hybrid powertrains, such a setup should make its way under the SUV's hood as well.
These shots are the first time the new Santa Fe has been spotted outside of the Nurburgring track, and the sighting coincides with the removal of the heavier camouflage (which still remains on the back of the vehicle). There's no official timeline, but the SUV should be launched sometime during next year with deliveries starting late 2018 or early 2019.
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