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Hyundai Prophecy Concept Steals The Show At Geneva And Hints At Future

Hyundai has really improved over the last few years. Remember when it brought us the Hyundai Coupe? That never did it for me, or anyone else with any sort of sight. But now they’re releasing things like the i30N and the Kona, and suddenly all is forgiven. Now, during the digital release of Geneva, the marque has gone and stolen the show with its new Prophesy Concept.

This car is a physical map of where Hyundai’s design philosophy is going to take us in the future. They call is “Sensuous Sportiness”. I call it damn sexy. This “ultimate form” of a motor car is curvaceous with a teardrop shape and minimal overhangs. It is, of course, an EV, and runs on a new platform that allows for – this is Hyundai’s words, not ours – “pristine surfaces and pure volume in combination with aesthetic harmony and functionality.” Anyone else think it’s getting hot in here?

“We have brought to life yet another icon that establishes a new standard for the EV segment as well as pushing Hyundai’s design vision to even broader horizons,” director of Hyundai’s design centre, SangYup Lee, says. “A part of that expansion is what we call Optimistic Futurism, a design concept embodied by Prophecy. With Optimistic Futurism, our aim is to forge an emotional connection between humans and automobiles.”

Hyundai has been thinking this way for quite a while, with this concept embracing design hints like the pixel lamps from previous concepts – the 45 in this case. They’ve been implemented across the car in the headlights, rear lights, and spoiler, making this Prophecy look like it’s ten years ahead of its time. These lights will be coming to production cars soon, according to Hyundai.

As you can see from the interior photos, there is no steering wheel. With the future of cars looking towards autonomy, this isn’t a surprise. However, a pair of joysticks that sit either side of the driver’s seat bring “a completely new yet reassuringly familiar and intuitive driving experience.” It also makes it look like something from Star Trek, which can only be a good thing. This interface will allow the driver to control things across the whole car, not only its movement.

Obviously there’s a massive amount of Tesla and even Porsche Taycan in this design, but this is something we can’t complain about. But should Hyundai take on this design language? Let us know in the comments.

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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