Hyundai is a car company from South Korea that makes many different types of vehicles, including sedans and SUVs. They are known for making reliable and affordable cars.
An off-road concept is a type of vehicle made for driving on rough surfaces like dirt, rocks, and mud. They are built to be tough and can go places regular cars can't.
Tie-downs are straps that help keep things in place on your car so they don't move around while you're driving. They're important for safety when carrying stuff.
Recovery points are special spots on a vehicle where you can attach ropes or hooks to pull it out if it gets stuck. They're important for off-road vehicles.
Ambient lighting is the soft light inside a car that makes it look nicer and more comfortable. You can often change the colors or brightness to make it feel more cozy.
A head-up display is a feature that shows important information right on the windshield, so drivers can see things like their speed without looking down at the dashboard. It helps keep their eyes on the road.
Locking the differential means that both wheels on the same axle turn together, which helps the car grip the road better, especially in tricky conditions like mud or snow.
And like Ionic 5 XRT, there's digital camo, a little bit larger since Crater is the next size up.
And the exterior color is this beautiful greenish gold called Dune Gold Matte.
And it was inspired by sort of the sun-faded sage brush in California.
It's a strong shape with broad shoulders.
Details include recovery points with a bottle opener, a roof rack designed to mount accessories like lights,
tie-downs reminiscent of Ford's Bronco, plus cabling to protect the windshield from tree limbs.
The wheels have their own story.
Think meteors.
Right, like a small object making a big impact.
That was the idea behind the wheel, like there's some impact and then it creates this sort of metallic crater form.
For anyone not quite sure if this is a concept or not,
the doors pretty much say it all.
The pre-briefing described a lot of what's happening inside.
We start every interior with this idea of curve of upholstery.
We want to make sure that anything you touch is comfortable and fitting to your form.
And as Sumuk explained with the steel, exploring the limitations of that material
and not forcing it into unnatural forms, same thing goes for the upholstery, right?
We want to wrap these comfortable forms in a way that we're not torturing the leather,
we're not torturing the material.
So for me, I start to focus when I see the interior, all the comfort spaces where the arms are touching,
where the seat and back are touching, the armrest, and then the steering wheel.
Everything else is this really cool technical gear that you would expect in an outdoor experience.
The ambient lighting is beautiful.
These four screens can be changed up to display what's important to the driver.
Hyundai describes the interior as a well worn jacket designed to patina over time,
but what's really cool is the head up display.
It's immersive and I'm impressed that it's functional.
Generally, this would just be static graphics on Plexiglas.
I'm going to let the different modes play out.
Music on.
Do like, maybe camping mode?
Right.
Music on.
Last but not least, there's Crater Man.
This little icon is all over the vehicle.
And I do mean everywhere, even in the buckles and the studio for inspiration.
And then there's little hidden ones in the side of the IP that can kind of appear and disappear.
But even subtly and abstractly, you can see like in the skid plate design,
like his teeth kind of biting down.
So always sort of focusing on this idea of connection and interlocking.
The team even made a board game.
It's Candyland-ish.
Isn't that fun?
And check this out.
These aren't just side view cameras.
If we go to the production, it should be easier to attach and detach,
but we can use it as like a flashlight.
And then at the same time, like we are using as in the car,
like an outside camera mirror.
And then like when you want to like taking good memory with your family,
you can take a movie with this one.
That was kind of our idea.
Back to the interior and the back seats.
Even if it's just a dirt road, this light off-roading,
you're always holding onto something.
And the driver has the benefit of holding onto the steering wheel
and feeling like they have some brace.
But everybody else in the interior is reaching for stuff to grab onto.
So they've incorporated that into the roll cage within the vehicle.
But maybe a couple of important things also to point out.
They've also thought about entry for your small ones into the back seat.
So using the roll cage to provide little grabbing areas
and indicating that with a little hand graphic.
So they have some thing to grab onto and climb into the back of the car.
As concept cars go, Crater is surprisingly functional and detailed.
The driver's side door gets a fire extinguisher.
The passenger can play nurse with the first aid kit.
One of the most prominent elements inside the interior is this cross car beam.
That becomes your, let's say your IP.
Which houses all the integral function like shifting the car,
locking the differential, going into four-wheel drive.
And then you have this digital zone on the high brow
where it has these four pixel displays that are modular
and can be adjusted and turned into whatever you'd like.
Want to see this up close and personal?
You can check out the Hyundai Crater concept at the LA Auto Show
that runs through November 30th.
Remember, Crater is a concept vehicle.
You're not going to be seeing it on the Hyundai Show,
whom floors anytime soon.
But the designers on hand do say that the art of steel language
is going to start showing up in Hyundai vehicles very soon.
So watch out for it.
Hey, this is very different from the car reviews that I normally do.
Check those out.
People seem to like them.
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For Driven, I'm Tom Volk.
About this episode
Hyundai's new concept vehicle, Crater, was unveiled at their Design North America studio, showcasing an innovative off-road EV design. The Crater features a unique blend of functionality and aesthetics, with real metal components, a striking Dune Gold Matte finish, and thoughtful interior design aimed at comfort and usability. Designers emphasized the vehicle's rugged capabilities, including recovery points and a roll cage for safety. With elements inspired by nature and a playful character named Crater Man, this concept hints at future Hyundai models while remaining a prototype for now.
