Hyundai SUV will have a completely new design language

Hyundai is in the process of trying to attack the SUV segment and the rookie Kona is the one that paves the way for a new design language that the Korean automaker will apply to similar models.

The design on the Hyundai Kona will be applied to many other crossover sibling models.

When Kona was launched, many people only knew it as a completely new compact SUV from Hyundai, but few knew that it was also a pioneer for a new design language that would be applied to similar models later. This is considered one of the efforts of the Korean car company in the context of the increasingly fierce SUV segment, just a little negligence can be left behind by competitors.

Called “Cascading Grille”, Hyundai’s new design language has a rather strange design with low-mounted headlights while the razor-thin LED daytime running lights placed above almost connect to the small air vents above the large polygonal grille below. The fog lights continue to be placed separately close to the front bumper and closer to the center.

Although the LED daytime running light layout is borrowed from the Nissan Juke or Jeep Cherokee, it is undeniable that the overall front of the Kona is cooler. It is known that the Nissan Juke is very successful in Europe and the Jeep Cherokee also sells quite well in the US. This could be a good sign for a rookie like the Kona, especially when Hyundai has made some pretty good "improvements".

It is expected that the SantaFe Sport 2019, which will be launched next year, will be the second model to apply Hyundai's new design language. Information shows that it may have a similar honeycomb grille and headlight layout to the Kona. Perhaps after more than a decade of developing a small urban multi-purpose vehicle, it is time for the Korean automaker to refresh its design in a more unique way.

Luc Donckerwolke, Hyundai's design director, said they would avoid the "Russian doll" phenomenon in design where the cars differ only in size. Therefore, although the design language is the same, each car line will have its own identity. Donckerwolke himself said he was very interested in doing this because following the beaten path is boring, which is something a designer like him does not want to do.

Hyundai is expected to launch a new crossover model smaller than the Kona and a larger one with 8 seats to replace the SantaFe's duties by 2020. The Korean automaker is also trying to widen the gap between the Tucson and the SantaFe Sport in both size and target customers to avoid "fighting each other".

According to TNO