Hyundai previews future 'fluidic precision' design language

By Tim Beissmann
July 23rd, 2012

FIND DEALS

Hyundai has revealed its upcoming ‘fluidic precision’ design language will be “less extroverted” and more conservative than the current styling theme, with the next Hyundai i45 to become the first to sport the new look.

Hyundai USA CEO John Krafcik told Automobile magazine the car maker’s next generation of new vehicles will take an evolutionary step forward from the existing ‘fluidic sculpture’ design philosophy with the creation of a more understated and mature model range.

“I think if you look at the progression from Sonata (i45) (pictured top) to Elantra to Azera (Granduer), you can see the design mature over time,” Krafcik told Automobile.

“You’ll see even more maturity with the new Santa Fe, and future cars will feature something we’re internally calling ‘fluidic precision’, where the forms might be a little less extroverted. You’ll see that with the next Sonata, the design of which has just been frozen.”

Hyundai’s current fluidic sculpture design theme first appeared on the Hyundai ix-onic concept (pictured above) at the 2009 Geneva motor show and made its showroom debut later that year in the form of the ix35 compact SUV. The theme has since been applied across the range, with the upcoming Santa Fe to become the last mainstream model to adopt fluidic sculpture in Australia in the final quarter of this year.

While putting Hyundai on the map from a design perspective, not everyone has been a fan of the brand’s fluidic sculpture design language.

Ford group vice president, design, and chief creative officer, J Mays, earlier this year said Ford’s next generation of vehicles would have a much more premium look than Hyundai’s.

“I’m not criticising Hyundai,” Mays said, “it’s just a different philosophy, but their [fluidic sculpture design language] is really all over the map, it’s really loud and fussy. I don’t think that’s premium and I really don’t think it’s sustainable.”

The design has worked for Hyundai Australia, however, with 45,306 new Hyundais sold in Australia in the first half of this year, compared with 43,430 Fords.

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Mike

I really like J Mays mouthing off here – if there is one car maker with uglier designs than Hyundai, it’s Ford.
- JHP
  
  he’s so wrong, what about ssangyong? honda? subaru?
- pixxxels
  
  Tell me one ugly current ford design
  - Paul
    
    The kuga
  - F1M
    
    The upcoming ecosport. SMH
- bd
  
  Funny comment considering the Fiesta has the headlight design from the Hyundai HED-2 concept and greenhouse from the HED-3 concept.
Sumpguard

i45 dated quickly but most of the range is modern and fresh. Elantra looks fantastic as does the i40 and the ix35 is still as modern and fresh as the day it landed.

   On to bigger and better things for Hyundai!


    I have to agree with Mike also regarding JMays mouthing off. Ford don’t have much to be proud of at the moment. The Australian arm is their best and yet they are ignoring it!!!!!
- Before we post, Who are you?
  
  The article was about styling, not sales. Mays is quite correct about Hyundai styling, there is no theme or coherence to their range. Whoever styles (for want of a better word, you certainly can’t call them designed) the Hyundai range has no idea of restraint. Less is more. They seem to think that the more chrome you decorate it with and more swoops and curves, the better. The i45 is ugly, iX35 looks like a cartoon with its silly grin, Elantra looks like a i45 that has been through the hot wash cycle and shrunk and the i20 is plain boring vanilla. New i30 is OK, but nothing special. Modern and fresh? No, rather approaching their use by date. Whereas the Fiesta, Focus, Kuga (New one) Mondeo, Falcon and Territory are all very well styled cars, which will look good for many years. Oh and they have class leading ride, handling and steering too, something that Hyundai don’t seem to regard as desirable.
  
  I think the poor sales has more to do with Ford’s lousy marketing and dealers rather than the styling.
  - Sumpguard
    
    The Focus is very poorly styled with not a cohesive line in sight, the Kuga is very poorly executed and the mondeo is just ok. Territory is a poor attempt at new panels on an old frame that doesn’t quite gel .I do agree the falcon is a good looking car though. As is the ranger.
    
    You’re right about their marketing department though but it doesn’t stop there. Their sales team have a “i’m the centre of the universe” approach to life!
    
    Meanwhile Hyundai are going from strength to strength and it is clear from your anti Korean posts dotted around these forums that you are a dealer for another brand and I suspect it may be ford To suggest the Elantra looks like the i45 indicates your eyes work about as well as your brain.
    
    Now come out and post under the name we’ve all grown to know and loathe oops I mean love
    - Before we post, who are you?
      
      We obviously have different opinions about the merits of Ford and Hyundai’s styling. Well, good luck to you. You also seem to have me confused with someone else, which I guess is the reason for your lack of manners. Now let me state again that Ford’s problems are largely due to their lousy marketing AND dealers. If I worked for a Ford dealer, I’m not likely to say that am I? Just to be clear, I have never had any involvement with any car dealer except as a customer and I try to avoid that as much as possible. BTW have a look at the sales of the Territory, Mondeo and Focus, they have been on an upward trend for many months, despite the lousy efforts of Ford and their dealers. I’m afraid the Falcon seems doomed and will take the Territory with it.
    - Don Quay
      
      Hello Sumpy my old mate. My ears were burning and I assume it is me you are referring to in regard to the bloke BWPWAY (took me a little while to figure that name out) I have been travelling a lot and just popping in and out here for a quick update. Did you miss me?
      
      Sorry to disappoint you, but there seems to be someone else who isn’t as infatuated with Hyundai’s and Kia’s as you are. He is probably a little harsh on the Elantra though, it and the i40 are the better attempts lately, though still lacking finesse. I would probably tend to agree with you (shocking I know) about the Territory. There are a lot of them around down here and the front and interior are quite good, but I’m not sure about the rear lights though. They look too small now and don’t suit the overall design. I read somewhere that 70% are diesels now, make you wonder why they didn’t do it years ago. FWIW, I reckon the Focus hatch looks great, same with the Fiesta, but the sedans for both are a bit dumpy in the rear. Ford have great cars, but as BWPWAY says they are terrible marketers. When was the last time you saw an ad for the EcoBoost or LPG Falcon? I’m not sure if I ever have. And they have lousy dealers from my experience over the years with fleet vehicles.
  - bd
    
    The front end of the current Sonata is overly busy, but Hyundai is addressing that with the refresh and then the all-new Sonata design, nonetheless the new Mondeo is the better looking vehicle.
    
    The front of the ix35 is the one that is really overly busy (the front end of the
    Hyundai ix-onic concept is so much better), but that’s getting a new grill treatment more in line with the new Santa Fe.
    
    The Elantra sedan, however, has one of the sleekest greenhouses/rooflines within its segment, and is a better all around looking vehicle than the Focus (can’t say the same for the Elantra coupe, where the sedan has the coupe beat).
    
    The Fiesta took its headlight and greenhouse designs from the Hyundai HED-2 and HED-3 concepts and the new Santa Fe trumps Ford’s current CUVs.
    
    Anyhow, doesn’t really matter since the Kia lineup is better looking than both Ford or Hyundai.
    - Sumpguard
      
         I agree on the KIA comment bd (I own one) and am considering the RIO for my partner .
      
           BWPWAY, I checked your posts in other threads and responded according to your own manner .Though I do apologise if you are NOT posting under an alias ,it’s just that your posting style has an uncanny resembloance to another poster’s. You lost me when you said the focus was well styled however and I am certainly not anti Ford. I just feel they have let themselves down with most of their vehicle range.
      
          I suspect Territory sales would be largely the diesel or first time buyers because according to my neighbour who has the latest model (first time owner) the territory petrol is truly woeful around town and not within cooey of ford’s claimed figures. He’s looking at getting rid of it on that basis alone!! The panels don’t suit the box frame it is trying to hide. The original worked better.
      
         The new i30 is out and about in good numbers up here in Cairns so I expect to see Hyundai showing solid sales nationally once the full month figures are up. I’m not surprised at its success as it looks fantastic and whilst it generally has achieved 3.5 to 4 star reviews one motoring writer for the herald sun claims it trumphs even the golf.
      
          On history alone I’d own the i30 because I have yet to find a single sole that has had any issues with the outgoing model.
      
         As for the ix35 I’d proudly own another tomorrow if they tuned the suspension to the level of the Sportage and even more so the RIO. If the RIO’s level of handling is to be had in the upcoming cerato then it will be a cracker car! My car’s not perfect and NO neither are the Hyundais but it appears they are doing a much better job of listening to their customers than most others.
Jerrycan

I agree with Mays about current Hyundai styling, Kia di it better.,Then again I’m old enough to remember flaired trousers and believing they would never go out of fashion.
- Nasal Explorer
  
  What? Flared trousers are out fashion? Why didn’t they tell me!
F1

I guess they want to look like Toyota’s now..

Hahaaaa why is Ford talking? Besides their classic like the 70′s, 80′s etc Mustangs.. Their cars looks very ugly, bland and fit n finish is terrible..

Look at their entire range, they look terrible..
JHP

i really like i45′s styling, everything except for that hideous chrome grill
- nickdl
  
  I’ve never seen a car so boring try so hard to be stylish and fail so badly.
- Mad Max
  
  In the USA they have the hybrid I45 and it does away with the grille, just using an air intake below the bumper. It looks really good and its a shame they don´t use it on the entire range. But then Americans like the big brash chrome grilles and the I45 was designed and styled by Americans for America.
- bd
  
  Hyundai is toning down the grill for the Sonata’s refresh.
Smart US

Kia is still the best looking of all koreans but Hyundai is catching up… the new Santa Fe looks perfect… and US large sedan offering is great looking and good package…
Schn

If J Mays comment about Ford being more premium is referring to the new Fusion then I think he’s pretty blinded. I think Hyundai looks more premium than that. I mean Ford’s new grille I think is even copied from Aston Martin. I wouldn’t give them that much credit for their new designs. And, I do think that some Hyundai’s are overdone in terms of design, but generally they’re all really quite pleasant to the eye. I would agree on the sustainability part though. It’s highly likely this design will age very quickly. But then again, that’s why they redesign cars obviously.
Before we post, Who are you?

“The design has worked for Hyundai Australia, however, with 45,306 new Hyundais sold in Australia in the first half of this year, compared with 43,430 Fords.”What a silly comment. Do you mean that cars only sell on looks and no other reason? If so, we would all be driving Jaguars and Aston Martins. I think there may be a little more to it than just the styling. Regarding the i45, which is truly horrible, then why are there so many more Mondeo’s on the road? That seems to be working for Ford.
- Sumpguard
  
  The previous model Mondeo looked better than the current one imo. Fiesta is the best looking of their imports.
  - Sumpguard
    
    …and yes styling is important. Epica was a bland dud and the results in sales speak for themselves! If you don’t think styling factors into personal tastes you are asleep at the wheel.
    
    Mazda’s new BT50 would be doing alot better if it wasn’t so ugly! It is more important to younger buyers for sure but it is still a major part of buying for many.
    
    ….and Jag and Aston as a comparison? LOL!!
    - Before we post, who are you?
      
      Perhaps you should have read my post more carefully. I never said that styling was not a factor, I said that if cars only sell on looks and no other reason then we would all be driving Jags and Astons. You must agree they are very nice looking cars, but then again you seem to like Hyundai’s styling. Of course styling is important, that is a large part of why the i45 has turned out a bit of a flop, but it not the only reason.
      
      I may be asleep at the wheel, but who is the one with poor reading and comprehension?
Polo

Fluidic, Kinetic. Same difference Mays.
JPH

I hate Hyundai styling. But whoever criticized it for not being “premium”? Since when is Hyundai premium or does it need to appear premium? Once a Hyundai, always a Hyundai.