Pope Francis goes salt-of-the-earth with Hyundai Santa Fe-based Popemobile

As the leader of the Catholic Church, it’s a bit of an understatement to say the Pope is a high-profile guy. Pope Francis is a different sort than we’ve seen before, though: the media plays up his down-to-earth nature, and his desire to help improve the fortunes of the downtrodden.

So while Frank’s predecessor, the rather stodgy Benedict XVI, got around in a Mercedes-Benz M-Class presented to him in 2012, Frank himself has chosen something a bit more… mainstream: a topless Hyundai Santa Fe.

It’s fair to say the fishbowl-on-wheels look of previous Popemobiles (like Benny’s Benz) never caught on with car buyers as a vehicular trend, but it could be different this time around. Not only is the Santa Fe more affordable than the Mercedes vehicles other Popes have favoured (Benedict—what a gangster!—used a converted G-Class prior to the ML), but its chop-top body style might appeal to a broader audience among church members.