SangYup Lee, head of Hyundai and Genesis design, knows the difference between a designer and a stylist. The latter puts a hat on the work of engineers, while the former thinks about how a product is going to be used. It's aesthetics, yes, but also functionality. Which is why he's a big believer of real buttons in car interiors.
"Design is for helping others, I strongly believe" Lee tells Motor1 in a New York Auto Show interview. "Haptic [buttons] are cool, but if it's not helping others, it's not a good feature."
We're sitting in the interior of the newly revealed 2026 Palisade, and while there's a screen for secondary HVAC controls, there are knobs for temperature, and shortcut buttons for many infotainment functions and vehicle functions for drive modes. The steering wheel has real buttons, and there are real buttons for mirror controls, too. Lee is also quite proud of the leading edge of the center console, which is shaped to be a pad to rest your hand while operating the switches.
The idea is that you don't have to lift your shoulder to change any settings, and more importantly, you can do so while keeping your eyes on the road. There are other thoughtful touches, too. Lee points out that many cars now have panoramic gauge clusters and infotainment screens integrated into a panel that sits proud on the dashboard. In the Palisade, they're under a trim piece so they're not affected by glare.
"It's important because this car is for family," Lee says. "We really study what you do with a family, you pick up the kids from school, all the activities, and we design based on customer lifestyle... it has to be easy to drive, the car should not be complicated."
The usability also affects the exterior design, too. As Lee told us before, the traditional two-box SUV shape helps maximize interior space, but the design team did subtle things like playing with the tumblehome—the curvature of the windows—to free up headroom. Something you might not see unless Lee points it out, but something you'll appreciate regardless.
It's a refreshing approach, and a good reminder that great designers aren't concerned only with how things look. Previously, Lee told Motor1 about a conversation he had with car-design icon Giorgetto Giugario. Lee asked the Maestro to name the favorite of his designs, figuring Giugario would say the Lotus Esprit, or something else spectacular and sporty. Giugario surprised Lee by picking the original Fiat Panda, because it was the one he felt had the biggest impact on how people lived.
In speaking to Lee only briefly, you can tell the impact that lesson had on him. And it's why Hyundai is a design leader in every sense—not just aesthetics.
