Hyundai Sonata’s New Design Ditches Straight Eyebrow-shaped DRL

Hyundai’s family look
Straight eyebrow-shaped DRL
has been boldly removed

The family look has the advantage of creating a sense of stability through a design that represents a brand’s identity and simultaneously creates unity. In addition, it can become a brand’s unique design and have a differentiating factor from other designs.

As cars are expensive products, consumers choose them after careful consideration. In this regard, design is also one of the main purchase decision factors. Since the first thing that catches the eye is the exterior, design is bound to play a large part in purchasing.

Family look design was created to imprint the design

Therefore, designers also find various ways to imprint their designs on consumers. At Hyundai Motor Company, seamless horizon daytime running lights in the shape of a straight eyebrow have become a representative family look and are being applied to various models. This can be found in Grandeur (Azera for the North American market), Kona Electric, Staria, Sonata, etc.

As it was applied to Hyundai’s representative models, it has become a design commonly seen around us. Many consumers express the opinion that this is boring and simplistic. Similar opinions were expressed overseas, and in overseas automobile media, Kolesa created a stir by revealing a design that boldly deleted the Sonata’s DRL.

Removing the straight lamp in the Sonata
made it cleaner, but the feeling of emptiness

Removing the straight eyebrow-shaped DRL significantly changes the impression on the front. The DRL at the end of the existing bonnet disappeared, and the Hyundai emblem was lowered and placed. As the eye-catching DRL has disappeared, the shape of the bonnet appears more emphasized than before. Although the smooth body and angled bonnet lines appear more prominent, they feel somewhat empty.

The family look is critical, as changes in design elements significantly impact the impression. Designers also pay close attention to the composition of family looks. However, the family look has disadvantages. Since the same design is applied, it is bound to feel similar. In particular, the lamp design resembles the human eye and attracts more attention than others.

A design variation was created in the Santa Fe
Efforts for a new design

Vehicles with different personalities are grouped into a family look and evaluated similarly. Accordingly, in the case of Santa Fe, efforts are being made to present a variety of designs, such as adding an H-shaped element. Some say that Hyundai Motor Company’s family look, the Seamless Horizon Lamp, is futuristic and neat, but many others say they easily get bored with simple and similar designs.