The new car is based on the Hyundai Santa Fe. The crossover replaced another vehicle built on the basis of the Mercedes-Benz ML SUV. As church representatives claim, the current head of the Catholic Church does not like luxury and is very unpretentious in everyday life, which is why he switched to a more modest vehicle.
True, when it comes to the Popemobile, the word modest is not entirely appropriate here. The Pope's new car is a specially built convertible based on the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. The key word is specially. It has two comfortable seats in the front and three in the back. A retractable step makes it easier to get into the main cabin. Handrails are installed around the perimeter of the cabin to make it convenient to hold on while moving. It is unlikely that a custom-made vehicle can be called modest, no matter what brand it bears. But still, it is significantly cheaper than its predecessor. If only because the new Popemobile does not have the glass bulletproof superstructure that was installed on previous cars for the Pope. This refers to the Mercedes-Benz ML and Gelandewagen vehicles.
In addition to the two Mercedes, such a cap was also installed on the Popemobile based on the all-wheel-drive Isuzu D-Max pickup. It was built specifically for Pope Francis's visit to the Philippines in January 2015. That vehicle was still equipped with the bulletproof cap over the main cabin, which is customary for such cars.
