Hyundai Santa Fe (2012) first official pictures

Hyundai will unveil its new Santa Fe SUV at the New York motor show in April 2012. The Koreans have committed to the Santa Fe name for its full-sized SUV, following on from its DM codename.

That's no surprise: Hyundai has shifted 2.6 million Santa Fes since launch in 2000.

Hyundai issued a couple of teaser shots a few weeks ago; today it published a heap more photos of the new 2012 Santa Fe.

Not a huge amount yet. Hyundai waxes lyrical about a new sub-division of its Fluidic Sculpture design language, dubbed the opaque Storm Edge.

As no real details are available about this design philosophy (beyond it 'captures the strong and dynamic images created by nature during the formation of a storm'), we'll grab a large pinch of salt and put that down as one of the trashier labels attached to a company's stylistic influence.

The third-generation Hyundai Santa Fe adopts the company's latest hexagonal grille and a barrage of styling lines along the flanks to make it stand out more.

Hyundai promises 'refinement, smartness and practicality' too, but otherwise, we'll have to wait until the New York auto show for more details.

Its April unveiling in the US points to a UK debut in showrooms here in autumn 2012.

Expect its market positioning to reflect today's model, which starts at just shy of £24,000 for a five-seat model. But many buyers in this segment plump for the seven-seat option, making these SUVs a viable alternative to a people carrier.

By Tim Pollard