Friday, 5 June 2015

Pope Swaps His Bulletproof Mercedes for a . . . Topless Hyundai Santa Fe?

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June 5, 2015 at 6:05 pm by | Photography by Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Hyundai Santa Fe Popemobile

If you abide by the idea that the Pope is really just a normal dude who gets to wear a robe everyday, then the news that he has augmented his predecessor’s special Mercedes parade car with a Hyundai is, well, not really news. But c’mon, people, this is the Pope, the leader of the Catholic church, globally recognized public figure, and all-around guy you wouldn’t expect to make risk-fraught public appearances in an open-topped vehicle. Remember that Kennedy fellow? Exactly.

Hyundai Santa Fe Popemobile

The guys over at Jalopnik noticed that, for a recent event, the Pope was sporting a new, less-flashy ride. But forget the badge on the front, it doesn’t matter that the newest Popemobile is a Hyundai and not something dripping with power, like, say, a Mercedes-Benz. What seems more remarkable is the utter lack of protection. The Hyundai Santa Fe sports rad, Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet style, some grab handles for his Holiness to hold onto, and . . . little else. In fact, it’s a lot like the old vehicles the Pope rode around in decades ago.



More recent Popemobiles have gained the that nickname largely because, well, they looked like normal cars with a bullet-glass Pope display case mounted on the back. This new alfresco vehicle suits this Pope, however, who has made a point of appearing—and actually acting—humble in order to better connect with his flock. It doesn’t get much more down to Earth than a Hyundai, and you have to give Pope Francis some credit for his pragmatism: The warranty on that thing may just carry over to the next pontiff.


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