Hyundai Prophecy and 45 concepts confirmed for production
1930s-inspired Prophecy sedan and 1970s-look 45 compact SUV to be unveiled within the next 18 months.
Two of Hyundai’s most recent concept cars, the Prophecy and 45 SUV, are headed for production, and once launched will form part of the brand’s 23 new electric vehicles by 2025.
Confirmation comes courtesy of SangYup Lee, Hyundai senior vice president and head of Hyundai Global Design Center, who confirmed the models’ showroom arrival in an interview with British publication Auto Express: “There will be a production version of Prophecy coming after a production version of the 45 concept”.
Auto Express claims the production Prophecy will arrive in 2021 as the replacement for the current Ioniq Electric liftback, and will share Hyundai’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) architecture with the production 45, which is set to be unveiled before the year is out. It was also spied testing in February.
The electric duo will be the first Hyundai models to showcase the brand’s new design philosophy, where each model will have its own unique look, in a bid to avoid the ‘Russian doll’ look seen in other manufacturers’ ranges.
“Our cars will be more like a chess board where you have a King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, ” explained Lee. “They all look different and function differently but when they’re together they come as one team. This is what the Hyundai look is all about – diversifying our design to fulfill our customer’s lifestyle.”
However, Hyundai designers will use lighting technology to bring the range together, said Lee: “The family look will come from the lights… We have consistency in detail – in the pixel graphic [seen in the headlights and tail-lights of the Prophecy and 45 concepts].
"It’s like a hidden charm that brings the consistency between the two cars, the pixels are one of the main things.”
Details of the production Prophecy and 45’s final styling, interior design and powertrains will be announced in time, prior to their 2021 and late 2020 arrival dates respectively.
It’s unknown whether either model will make their way Down Under.
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