While Hyundai continues testing the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe with camouflage, Brenthon Design has created a rendering for an early preview of its likely design.

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe will have a design inspired by the Hyundai Kona. This statement is not just based on the details revealed by the spy shots. Introducing the Kona last month, Hyundai had said that the compact SUV’s “bold, daring image hints at the future design direction of Hyundai Motor’s next generation of SUV models”.

The 2018 Hyundai Grand Santa Fe will have space for eight passengers, up from the current maximum of seven. The current model is 4,905 mm long, 1,885 mm wide and 1,685 mm/1695 mm tall.

On that note, the rendering shows the next-gen Santa Fe with the new signature Cascading grille flanked by the two-tier headlamp on the sides. The redesigned bumper looks sharper and sportier, while the fenders get more muscular with a squarish design. Three-row version buyers would appreciate the larger quarter glass illustrated here.

Hyundai will offer the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe with 2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel and 2.2-litre diesel engines, as well as a 1.7-litre diesel engine with mild-hybrid tech in South Korea, suggests the local media reports. Transmission choices will include 6-speed automatic and 8-speed automatic. An all-wheel drive option is a given. In other markets, the company may offer V6 petrol engines.

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe could debut early next year. It should go on sale in South Korea first, followed by the U.S. and other international markets.