The Defender is the one the Santa Fe looks like, not that old Discovery. I said that to you several posts above.

Not competitors, but Hyundai is definitely trying to reach people who want that look and can't afford it...

Personally I don't like cars that try and be something else...Hyundai can come up with some amazing unique designs, your Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6, the Palisade...they don't need to make their cars knock offs like they used to.

 

Exactly. It's just annoying to see from any brand

 

and as motorola pointed out, the defender has been compared to other vehicles that it supposedly copied. and around it goes.

'enthusiasts' love to see how one car is like another and some for clicks/likes/views will make those claims even if there's no there there.

you can tell me as long as you like that the santa fe looks like a defender and i won't agree. interior, front, and back are massively different for a start.

perhaps the sonata is actually a rip off of the s-class now.

 

If I recall correctly, I always thought Hyundai copied this front. Especially the shape

 

Again...I don't see how you don't see that the Santa Fe is clearly designed to look like that Defender, and all the people who do see it aren't wrong...

Nobody would say the Sonata looks anything like an S Class. Nobody believes the Defender was made to look like an old Honda Element. When people write articles about how the Sonata looks like an S Class like they do about how the Santa Fe looks like a Defender, we'll talk.

Hyundai has a long history of copying vehicle designs to make their cars seem more premium. They really don't need to do that anymore...

 

not entirely surprising...

 

Exactly...they are so focused on making their cars look like established luxury brands they hired their designers.

 

 

People on the internet accused the Ioniq 5 of being a Golf knockoff, the 6 of being a Porsche knockoff, and the Telluride of being a Range Rover knockoff. All of Genesis is accused of being Bentley knockoffs. The Hyundai N Vision 74, based on an 80's concept designed for Hyundai by the guy who designed the DeLorean, was accused of being a DeLorean knockoff. You can say any car is a knockoff of another car if you don't like the brand lol. People like throwing this accusation at Hyundai and Kia specifically because many people still hate the brand and refuse to get over the old days of the Kia Amanti.

The Santa Fe came out only 3 years after the Defender so there's no way they would have had enough time to knock it off because car development takes at least 5 years from completion of design to retail release. I don't see that many similarities besides the boxy shape and blacked out roof pillars which is one of the hottest trends in car design right now.

Remember when the Japanese brands arrived on western shores, people accused all their vehicles of being copycats including the LS even up until the 430. But because that generation has mostly died off or gotten too old to keep voicing their opinions, the internet now loves Toyota products and will rarely if ever accuse their cars of being "knockoffs" even with blatant examples like this of their latest models:

 

posts of the day jill and motorola.

people, especially elitists, will always try to put lesser things down as bad or knock offs, etc.

steve can't even stand that mercedes has front wheel drive models (GLA, GLB, CLA, etc).

of course all luxury brands do, but steve sees it as diluting the brand so it's not as exclusive. if you want exclusive, you have to pay for super high end luxury, like bentley, rolls, etc.

the reality is, hyundai/kia/genesis is doing remarkable things. is every model a big success? no. but i applaud them mightily for rapid innovation and YES, unique styling. and yes, i acknowledge they have a lot of recalls... when you're moving as fast as they are, it's impossible to test everything to the n'th degree so there will be problems. but they're not hiding from them, they're fixing them. the dealers will be a mixed bag, because, dealers. at some point i plan to visit my new local genesis dealer. i'm sure it's amazing.

the santa fe is in fact, nothing like anything else on the road. yes it's boxy and has 4 wheels, but that's about where it ends. H headlights, 'odd' rear low tail lights. great modern interior. great usable space. unique colors. is it ready to go in a major road rally somewhere? no. meanwhile, they'll continue to sell 10k+ of 'em a month.

 

All of those Audi's were released after the Hyundai. So maybe they're the copycats?




And I guess Lexus must love Hyundai to base their entire signature grille off of an old Hyundai concept car.

 

I wish they were. Their new hot rod EV looks like a blast, and I certainly wouldn’t mind a used G90. But I don’t want to be hitching rides when my motor goes in a giant pile in the back lot with the others and I wait 5 months for a new one.

I really like their styling, their infotainment UI, and the fact that they take a lot of chances tying to reach various buyers. But so many people I know didn’t make it 3 years with their Hyundai and they prefer not to talk about the experience in fear of reliving it.

 

Would I be surprised if the Sonata was modeled after the Mercedes CLS? No.

No, I call things that are clearly knock-offs, knock-offs lol. I have no problem with mainstream cars.

I can't stand that they are terrible. If they weren't terrible I wouldn't have an issue with them.

They are doing remarkable things, which is why this kind of knock off styling is beneath them at this point. The recalls though, they need to slow down if they can't build cars that don't have that level of issues.



I like Hyundai and Kia a great deal...I would buy a Hyundai or Kia without reservation, in fact I did have a Kia.

There is truth to all of the things you mentioned. The shape of the Ioniq 5 is very Golf-esque but the Golf existed so long ago IMO that doesn't count. They definitely have tried to echo Bentley in all the Genesis lineup. I don't think any of them are as blatant as the Santa Fe though.

Quote:

Remember when the Japanese brands arrived on western shores, people accused all their vehicles of being copycats

The LS430 was a blatant Mercedes knock off.. Its one of the reasons why the LS430 is my least favorite LS. The LS400s had Mercedes cues for sure but they weren't as blatant as the 430. Lexus thankfully grew out if that, Hyundai needs to also.

 

‘Except the fact that it was a copy cat rip off of Land Rover







someone copied someone…. My $$ is on KIA as the offender


 

You forgot one.