Hyundai says the new Santa Fe evokes the assertive grace of a speed skater with a relatively long wheelbase and short overhangs. Certainly if you squint your eyes and look at the side it has more of a profile of a sporty station wagon than that of a traditional body-on-frame SUV. Some would say it looks like a smaller version of the Volkswagen Touareg, which is not a bad comparison.

The most noticeable attribute of the Santa Fe's front is the complete absence of a bumper. Instead the front valence curves around from beneath the body to encompass the large grille and wrap around headlights. The hood slopes up toward the raked windshield and the wedge shape continues along the lower edges of the side windows that sweep up dramatically toward the tailgate.

Even the rear has distinctively curved lines with high mounted taillight clusters that are partially mounted on the main body and the tailgate. The easy to see and easy to grab tailgate handle is definitely a Santa Fe design cue.

Although the new Santa Fe is slightly larger than the previous model, it looks smaller because its styling is more refined and it looks less like a truck.