I have been using a web browser (since Mosaic / Arena) for over 30 years. Never in that time have I wanted the URL bar (and by extension the tabs bar since they're intimately linked) to be any other place than right there at the top of the window in plain view. The URL-bar/swipe-control is a heinous change that ruins literal decades of muscle memory and expectation.
It is not a "good thing", from my perspective.
For similar reasons, I loathe tab groups as well. I like the way tabs worked *anyway*. I have yet to see a single use-case (for me, and how I use them) that works as well as leaving the frigging things alone and letting me manage them as I see fit.
And yes, hiding UI is bloody annoying. I still haven't managed to work out how to use the phone in portrait mode properly yet. Instead of instant availability and instant access to what I actually want to do, I now have to study the damn thing and figure out how the hell I'm supposed to do
This Safari redesign is the first time I'm genuinely thinking of ditching Safari. It's that bad.