Hyundai has some of the best looking cars on the market right now with creations like the Ioniq 5 and 6, the Elantra N and the excellent new Santa Fe. Not content with resting on its good-looking laurels, the Korean automaker has just unveiled the future of its design language with the unveiling of the Initium SUV.
Hyundai has thrown the covers off the new Initium SUV concept, which it says shows off the company’s new design language – known as the “Art of Steel.” The new design ethos is said to be “solid and safe,” according to Hyundai, which means it’s all about sharp angles, rugged cladding and boxy design.
All of those things are evident in the Initium concept, which takes the design language and runs with it. Up front, the nose of the car is flat with squared off LED lights giving it personality and drawing similarities to the face of the new Santa Fe.
There’s a slight slope to the hood that leads back to the canopy of the car, which has a fleeting similarity to Kia’s EV6 in some regards. Namely, at the back end where the trunk dives down sharply before flattening off with more square lights.
Along the side, there are some details embossed into the doors and all four of the car’s aerodynamic wheels are surrounded by the kind of rugged black cladding that is almost inescapable these days. It’s a sharp looking car that shows how Hyundai isn’t afraid to mess with its current winning formula.
The design isn’t the only thing Hyundai is showing off with the concept, as it’s also meant to herald the introduction of hydrogen power to the brand’s lineup. The concept is a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, meaning owners will be reliant on America’s network of just 59 hydrogen filling stations, which are currently all in California.
That hydrogen power will be used to generate the electricity required to power an electric motor that produces 150kw of power, equivalent to around 200 hp. In addition, the company is targeting a range of more than 400 miles between hydrogen refueling stops for the Initium.
What’s more, the concept isn’t just another pie in the sky design study that’ll never see the light of day. When it goes on display at this year’s LA Auto Show, Hyundai claims the car will preview a new model that it will unveil next year, with a production version of the Initium concept premiering in the first half of 2025.
