Monolith on Wheels Hyundai Santa Fe Seen in Public, It Is a Black Ink Version

The Hyundai Santa Fe isn't exactly a people-pleaser. When the carmaker dropped the photos two weeks ago, it sure raised some eyebrows. It is Land Rover Defender-ish boxy, it doesn't look like anything Hyundai-branded, it is a monolith on wheels, and it does not have a single curve a single curve on that angular body. Those may all be true, but the Santa Fe has surely got the spotlight it was after.

So far, all those who have seen it in public claim it looks better in reality than in the official press images. This time, the SUV was filmed in a parking lot, standing tall right next to some other Hyundai models, but it seems that it can nearly fit between the lines. Furthermore, it looks like Gulliver in Lilliput next to a Hyundai Sonata and a Genesis G70.

The car wears the range-topping Black Ink trim over a contrasting Creamy White Pearl exterior. Customers will also be able to choose a Creamy White matte. It is a paint combo that highlights all the drama that the 2024 Santa Fe comes with in terms of looks.

The Black Ink trim involves some blacked-out elements. This is especially visible up front, where Hyundai chose to tint the headlights and LED light bar, while the radiator grille has also gone black. The grille with a honeycomb pattern is different from the one with rectangular formations worn by the model spotted in traffic earlier this week. The H theme is everywhere up front, headlights and grille included.

At the opposite end, the taillights are black as well, while glossy cladding surrounds the entire vehicle. The badges are – as you have probably guessed – also black.

Defying any sense of proportion, the car, which is already quite tall, rides on gigantic multi-spoke 21-inch wheels in gloss black finish with ventilated brake discs.

The HTRAC lettering at the rear indicates that we are dealing with an all-wheel drive Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe in the video sports a single exhaust, so it might be a hint that the Black Ink trim is not exclusive to the range-topping powertrain.

From the side, there is so much glass that looking at it gives you the feeling that you are actually looking at a glass-made skyscraper. The pillars are just as straight as anything on the car.

The footage also shows a little of the interior with a three-spoke steering wheel and physical buttons that drivers have been longing for since all controls moved inside complicated menus, mini-menus, and commands that they can't find unless they take their eyes off the road.

The Korean carmaker is reportedly going to release more information on the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe on August 10. The SUV will hit showrooms in the United States this fall as a 2024 model year.