Hyundai says the car has perfect proportions which is no small claim.
Hyundai is showing us the future, or at least what it thinks the future will look like. And if it’s anything like the Prophecy concept EV, we think it’s going to look just fine.
At first it’s an almost dull shape, with two headlights that just look like rectangles and black paintwork that shows almost no contours. It barely shows any glass. But look closer and a more elegant design starts to show itself. Hyundai says that the Sensuous Sportiness design language drops the overly complex designs that can hinder modern vehicles for clean lines and minimalistic structures.
While at first glance the headlights are square, look more closely and they’re a teardrop shape that’s perfectly integrated into the bulging front fenders and enclosed EV nose. The shape then rushes toward the rear where it tapers far more sharply than you’d expect from any modern car. It might come at the expense of headroom in the rear as well as trunk space, but this is a concept, so we don’t care about those things. Hyundai calls it a One Curve streamlined shape, “like that of a perfectly weathered stone.”
The boat tail gives the Prophecy the appearance of movement when sitting still, but is also excellent aerodynamically, crucial for electrics like this. Even the propeller-shaped wheels work to flow air more smoothly around the car.
Lighting comes from pixel lamps like on the previous Hyundai 45 concept, a new lighting element Hyundai says is for “calling to mind the abundant energy” of the batteries.
Because this is an electric and a concept, it uses some funky controls in place of what you were expecting. Twin joysticks take the place of the steering wheel, mounted on each side of the driver. Thanks to ditching gas in favour of batteries, this is a massive expanse of a cabin, leaving an open space between driver and passenger to enhance the spacious feeling. A screen wraps from left to right in front of the occupants and in Relax mode the display and wing shaped dash are all the passengers see.
The interior uses a wool-based carpet and the seats, with materials designed to “compel passengers to take time to decompress,” are finished in a minty fresh tartan pattern. Air intakes in the side doors send cabin air through Clean Air Technology to purify the cabin experience.
Hyundai says the car has “perfect proportions” which is no small claim, but we won’t argue that the Prophecy is a treat to look at. No driveline specs were provided other than to say it’s electric. We’ll wait to see if this car’s prophecy holds true and if anything like it comes to production.
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Keyword: Hyundai Prophecy is a look at the Brand's Future Design Vision