Hyundai has previewed what design direction their future electric vehicles will take with the 45 EV Concept, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor show. The concept draws inspiration from the 45 year old Pony Coupe Concept (hence the name 45), and in addition to being a design study, it introduces a new in-car experience envisioned by Hyundai.
A lot of the visual design of the 45 is drawn from the Hyundai Pony Concept from 1974. Another inspiration for the 45 was the aircrafts from the 1920s, according to Hyundai. The other reason for the 45 in the name is the fact that the car has 45-degree angles at the front and rear of the car giving it a diamond-shape silhouette. The front of the car has been given a ‘kinetic cube lamp’ design to evoque ‘analogue emotions’, while being completely modern. It gets aggressively raked C-pillars giving it a fastback shape. Tiny details hint at new technology, like the lights on the flanks that show the battery’s state of charge. The car is also equipped with cameras that make it ready for autonomous technology, when it becomes available. The cameras also clean themselves so dust doesn’t affect their ability to function. A necessity for Indian conditions, one would think.
The interiors of the 45 take in to account the fact that this car can probably drive itself — freeing it from the traditional ideas of the interior as we know it. The interior has been inspired by furniture designs, with the seat backs and the dash finished in wood, with fabric and leather being used liberally elsewhere. The seats are like lounge chairs, and the back seat resembles a sofa. The dashboard gets a single screen touchscreen, and passengers can interact with it with a projection beam. Storage spaces have been redefined with transparent covers designed to hold books and tablets.
The 45 is a car that draws on Hyundai’s past to give a direction for the future. Drawing on the Pony concept, the 45 showcases what future Hyundai EVs will look like — futuristic, without losing sight of the past. Not bad, eh?