The 8 Best Looking Hyundai Models Ever Designed

Around 20 years ago, there was an episode of "Top Gear" in which Jeremy Clarkson and James May tested a handful of cars from what they called the Pacific Rim — Korea and Malaysia. They were pretty harsh on the Kia and Hyundai vehicles, criticizing the styling, the build quality, and the powertrains. Indeed, Hyundai and Kia vehicles weren't exactly a favorite for many people for a long time. Nobody seemed to actually like them, and the only reason they did well was because they were cheap.

Things couldn't be more different now. You've probably heard the ugly duckling story about the Hyundai Motor Group before, so I won't bore you with that. One of the biggest differences between Hyundai vehicles from 20 years ago and today is unquestionably the styling. Hyundais are some of the sharpest looking normal cars on the road today, and that really is saying something.

And while most of the lookers from Hyundai come from the present day, a few cars from further back in the brand's history definitely win points in the styling department as well. Let's take a closer look.

The Azera was actually sold in North America for a little while, intended as the bridge between the lower-priced Sonata and the luxurious Genesis. Ultimately, it was unable to survive the corporate axe, going away after model year 2017. Meanwhile, in Korea and other Asian markets, Hyundai continues to offer the Azera, or as it's known in Korea, the Grandeur.

While the Azera that North America got looked pretty restrained, the latest one is a totally different story. Hyundai's newest design language translates so well to a mid-size sedan like this, from the boxy overall shape to the Horizon Light front daytime running light strip. It's an incredible looking thing, and if you ask me, North America should have gotten this instead of the latest Sonata.

In most markets, the Grandeur is available with a 3.5-liter V6, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, and as a hybrid with a 1.6-liter turbo four as the internal combustion component. All of them have more than enough power to propel the 198-inch long Grandeur. Take away the Hyundai badges, and most people wouldn't believe who made it.

While most current Hyundai models look pretty serious, that's not the case at all with the latest Inster.This is Hyundai's contribution to the rising wave of small affordable electric cars currently setting the European market on fire. Not in the literal sense, thank goodness. Look how cute it is!

The Inster has actually been available in Korea for a considerable amount of time, with an internal combustion engine and the name Casper, and the same styling that's as friendly and lovable as the fictional ghost it's named after. Frankly, the Casper name would have worked just as well, but that's a different topic.

Look at the massive circular headlights in the front, the tiny rear light bar, the wheel-at-each-corner look and that absurdly long wheelbase. Hyundai absolutely nailed the tiny European city car aesthetic here, and we applaud the design team for it. Being a Europe-focused model, the Inster is a full EV, because they love that sort of thing over there. The Citroen C3 and Fiat Grande Panda definitely have something to worry about, at least in terms of looks.

If any car brand did the whole North America-focused massive family SUV thing right, it was the Hyundai Motor Group. For the adventurous, there's the Kia Telluride, but those who prefer subtlety and luxury should look to the excellent Hyundai Palisade. The first generation Palisade was already a pretty handsome thing, but for the second generation, Hyundai went the extra mile.

The new Palisade borrows a bit of the boxy design from the controversial new Santa Fe, but smooths things out just a little bit. It's similar to the first gen in that regard, but you can immediately tell this is a completely new model. Just have a look at those segmented headlights and that massive towel rack grille.

The fender character lines are a nice touch, and the taillights also carry the segmented motif that the fronts have. The interior also appears to be even more luxurious than ever, with acres of leather everywhere. Somehow, Hyundai's designers have managed to find an interesting balance between bravery and subtlety, and that fits with the whole character of the Palisade as well.

Retro styling is experiencing a second boom in the car industry, and one of the frontrunners of the revival is undoubtedly the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Launched a couple of years ago, it takes heavy inspiration from the Hyundai 45 concept car, and it's a textbook example of retro styling done right.

Where stuff like the Chrysler PT Cruiser took inspiration from the 1930s, the Ioniq 5's design is straight from the groovy 1980s, dude. A boxy design inspired by Hyundai's own Pony is pretty '80s as it is, but the design team doubled down on the decade inspiration with the pixelated headlights and taillights.

As well as being a brilliant piece of design, the Ioniq 5 is also just a brilliant car. It's supremely comfortable— even on 20-inch wheels — has excellent range, plenty of room inside, and of course, all the tech you could ever need. Plus, as I learned after driving one, it has one of the most effective one pedal driving systems in the entire car industry. Hyundai realizes that in the world of electric cars, you have to look the part as well. It has really pulled out all the necessary stops with the Ioniq 5, creating an electric crossover that's all show, but also all go. To sweeten the deal even further, the Ioniq 5 is also the basis for one of the best electric performance cars currently on the market.

After the Ioniq 5, Hyundai introduced its Tesla Model 3 rival. A Model 3 rival is still considered a rite of passage in the electric car world, and once again, Hyundai did not hold back on this one. The Ioniq 6 has some of the retro styling aspects, like the pixels in the lights, but it takes on a completely different aesthetic.

Inspired by the Prophecy concept car, the Ioniq 6 is an aerodynamic and very well sculpted sedan. People have often compared the dual-layer rear end to stuff like the Saab 900 and the Porsche 911, and that's really no bad thing at all. The photos don't really do it justice, it has so much more presence in real life.

I actually test drove an Ioniq 6 extensively last year, and I truly believe this is one of the best electric cars on the market right now. Easily the best one I have ever driven. It just does everything so well and so effortlessly, from speed to range to equipment to practicality to, of course, the visual design. If you want an electric car that looks fantastic and has no real downside worth noting, the Ioniq 6 should absolutely near the top of your list.

The last few generations of the Hyundai Santa Fe were pretty conservative in terms of design. They mostly ran with the pack, with only a few key differences making it clear that it was a Hyundai product. With the fifth generation, Hyundai said "Screw it" and changed the look completely.

In another bid of Hyundai design bravery, the latest Santa Fe has taken on a completely different shape and a completely new and very bold design language. Gone is the curvy and frankly uninspired exterior design, and in its place is an unapologetically boxy SUV full of sharp angles. Critics have pointed out the obvious similarities to Land Rover vehicles, but what's wrong with looking like a classic Land Rover?

Mounting the taillights so low down in the bumper is the only thing that messes with the Santa Fe's design, but other than that, it's quite the sight to behold. If you're gonna transport a lot of people and stuff, why not do it in spades of style? It may not be as capable off the pavement as a Land Rover, but it's capable of doing everything else exceptionally well. That includes turning heads.

Finally, it's time to look at some older, and sadly mostly forgotten Hyundai models. The brand got serious about taking on the world by the late 2000s, and that included a RWD sports car to challenge the Ford Mustang and the Nissan Z family. The eventual production car that spawned was the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

It was something that we hadn't really seen before from Hyundai: a RWD, 2+2 sports coupe that offered a turbo four-cylinder or an NA V6 engine, along with a manual transmission. The Tiburon, Hyundai's previous attempt at a coupe, was FWD. Clearly, that didn't cut it for the performance coupe market that Hyundai was gunning for, so switching to RWD alone did like, 80% of the heavy lifting. But, there was more.

The Genesis Coupe is also a pretty excellent piece of design. Admittedly, it comes from the time when Hyundai's design language was far more restrained and grounded in reality, but still, the design team did a fantastic job. Excellent proportions, and a sharp overall look that makes it clear "Yes, I'm a sports car." Sadly, while Hyundai had the best intentions and it created a pretty excellent product here, virtually no one remembers the Genesis Coupe. Fast forward to the present day, and it's an excellent left-field sports car choice if you're on a tighter budget. With the right exhaust system, it also sounds absolutely glorious.

Back in the late 90s, Hyundai's flagship model was the Equus. It was the Korean vision of a Mercedes S-Class and Lexus LS rival, although it actually had a lot in common with a Mitsubishi that was only sold in Asia. When the Equus entered its second generation in 2009, Hyundai had a brilliant(!) idea: It would offer the Equus in North America.

First of all, Hyundai already had a luxury sedan in North America, the Genesis. The Equus was intended to sit above the Genesis as the overall flagship car in Hyundai's lineup. It might have looked similar to the Genesis, but that's no bad thing at all. It definitely had presence and authority, it was well proportioned, clean, and it had a pretty distinctive front grille, which is always a welcome addition on a luxury sedan.

The Equus also had some pretty solid powertrains to move it along, and it had all the equipment you could possibly want and need from a luxury sedan. As you'd expect, not many people were particularly interested in a Hyundai-badged luxury sedan, which is why the Equus flopped pretty spectacularly. It said its final goodbye in 2016, a little after Hyundai spun Genesis off into its own brand. Good news though, you can get this attractive and very competent luxury sedan for next to nothing these days.