On a visit to Hyundai’s design heart in South Korea final summer season I received to see previews of 5 upcoming fashions, one in all which was the rad new Santa Fe. Its unexpectedly squared-off styling was a shock to me and the opposite journalists on the journey, in a really constructive manner. There are tons of cool particulars, from the H-pattern mild signatures to the large tailgate opening, however one element particularly has been on my thoughts ever since.
As an alternative of a boring, typical pillar design, the Santa Fe’s C-pillar has a vertically oriented matte black rectangle set into the window glazing on all sides of the automotive. In Korea, Hyundai’s designers advised us that these rectangle have been hidden seize handles, however because the automotive was only a clay mannequin, we couldn’t strive them out for ourselves or see how they labored. At the Los Angeles Auto Present final week I used to be lastly ready to try the Santa Fe’s hidden deal with, and I feel it’s very cool.
![Close-up shot of the Hyundai Santa Fe's hidden C-pillar grab handle](https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_60,w_645/ab78a80361df6b7cf22d276ed17f892b.jpg)
The highest third of the rectangle is separated by a seam to delineate the deal with, with a small raised mark on the prime and backside so your fingers know the place to land. Press within the backside of that top-hinged panel and it flips inwards, permitting you to grip the highest of the mounted backside part together with your hand. It’s a large enough opening that individuals who have bigger arms or are carrying gloves will nonetheless be capable to get a very good grip, however shallow sufficient which you could’t actually drop something in there by accident.
Utilizing this deal with makes it manner simpler to hoist your self up and entry the roof rack, whether or not by stepping on the Santa Fe’s rear tires or the door sills. The deal with itself feels correctly sturdy, one of many advantages of it being a built-in a part of the Santa Fe’s construction, and the deal with may be locked closed from the within of the automotive.
Hyundai says the brand new Santa Fe’s boxy design, elevated cargo area and outdoorsy focus are the direct results of buyer demand. Extra homeowners than ever earlier than are taking their SUVs off-roading or tenting, even patrons of crossovers and smaller autos, and the Santa Fe’s seize deal with is a superb instance of a design crew considering exterior the field in a manner that genuinely advantages the buyer.
![Front 3/4 view of a matte bronze Hyundai Santa Fe at an auto show](https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_60,w_645/cbb47fb08a29d9dd9dac9cf3bc6a64a8.jpg)