Hyundai's Magnetic Roof Could Make Taking the Top Off Much EasierAutoblogSebastian CenizoSat, September 19, 2026 at 1:15 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleAutoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Earlier this year, Hyundai revealed the extraordinarily butch Boulder concept, and now it's taken another step towards building a more rugged image with a clever patent for a removable hardtop roof, implementing a system that may be better than those found on other serious off-roaders like the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and GMC Hummer EV. Discovered by Car and Driver, a patent for a Modular Canopy Assembly System was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and it could make removing and reinstalling roof panels much, much easier.Hyundai Wants to Patent Magnetic Roof CatchesHyundaiAs the title of the patent application states, the roof panel system is modular, so users wouldn't need to remove and replace an entire roof system at once. Instead, Hyundai's patent imagines that the side panels are placed on the vehicle, with strategically placed magnets helping align the panels and prevent them from falling over. Then the rear panel is added, but before the roof panel goes on, large plastic nuts are spun into place. Then the roof panel is placed, locking itself into the correct position with more magntets. Now the user can climb inside and turn the securing latches (said to be similar to those used on Bronco and Wrangler hard tops), and that's it. The idea is that everything fits into place so easily and each panel is so light that the removable hard top can be installed or uninstalled in just a few minutes by one person.United States Patent and Trademark OfficeView the 2 images of this gallery on the original articleAdvertisementAdvertisementNaturally, there could be various interpretations of the design, and presumably, one could leave off some roof panels while still securing others. For example, the cabin could be left open while the cargo area is covered to keep groceries relatively cool, or the middle section could be covered to let an infant in the second row avoid the sun. We also imagine there could be further expansions of the design to accommodate accessories, like awnings or tents, or framed soft-top panels.Autoblog's TakeHyundaiWhile patent applications are never any guarantee that an invention or idea will make production, this has a good chance of doing so. The patent sketches depict a boxy SUV, and the idea would be a perfect fit for a production version of the Boulder. Hyundai is also working on a pickup that will share the same body-on-frame underpinnings as the real-life Boulder will if and when it arrives, and this patent's magentic roof panel system could probably work just as well there, offering a direct alternative to a Jeep Gladiator. With plenty of XRT and XRT Pro variants planned for Hyundai's lineup, features like these could help the badge gain further credibility and street cred.This story was originally published by Autoblog on Sep 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.