The current offer of the Hyundai brand is really very varied, not only across segments, but also in shapes. In the spirit of the existing “chess piece” design strategy, each model has its own distinctive look, which often matches the rest of the range only with iconic pixel lights, a logo and a few small details.
This is a big plus for the brand, as it offers cars with a design that no one else has on the market. And customers can perceive it just as positively. Nevertheless, the brand is aware that its offer lacks homogeneity. And he wants to fix that in the future with a modified design style that will unify the models more.
“Maybe in the past there wasn’t this systematic sense of belonging between our vehicles,” said the brand’s general manager for Europe Xavier Martinet in an interview with Autocar. “It’s something we’re working on, but we’re never going to be a copycat and we’re not going to go in the opposite direction. We’ve seen some brands that have gone maybe too far in that direction.”
Even in the future, each model should have its own unique character, similar to a piece on a chessboard. At the same time, however, there is a need to offer a sense of “belonging” to the rest of the model family. Despite the uniqueness, the new models must feel that they belong to one brand.
Photo: Hyundai CR
SUVs and crossovers may be more inspired by the rugged look of the Santa Fe in the future.
For example, new generations of crossovers and SUVs expect a more robust style, taken from the current generation Santa Fe and Nexo models. On the contrary, more compact and sportier models could adopt the design style indicated by the concept of the future electric model Ioniq 3.
At the same time, the boldness of the shapes also determines the segment to which the car is headed. The bigger the car, the more important its design plays, because the customer can choose. On the contrary, for smaller cars, customers focus primarily on price, as the brand boss stated. The brand must therefore find the right balance for each model.
