Hyundai has been having fun exploring some older designs reimagined as modern electric vehicles, and the internet is abuzz with excitement for these retro concept cars. The latest is long, cool and classy looking, while earlier this year, a sleek economy car with a hatchback returned from the past to garner similar interest. Retro styling seems to be hot at the moment, and Hyundai is joining in on the excitement.
Reinventing old classics might become a new automotive trend. For example, Volkswagen launched a retro VW Beetle in 1997 and it has proved to be a valuable addition to the lineup, continuing to be made until 2019. More recently, the VW Microbus is being reinvented as an electric vehicle with a launch planned as soon as 2023. U.S. manufacturers are joining in on the fun as well with electric versions of the Hummer, Ford F150 pickup and Jeep Wrangler. All have electric versions available or coming soon, retaining the classic look while sporting the newer and greener technology.
Hyundai's 2021 retro concept cars reach back decades to remind us of some cool and funky design choices that resonate with modern styles. Thirty-five years after the 1986 Grandeur flagship sedan rolled off the assembly line turning heads with its classic low, long and sleek styling, it has been reborn as an electric car. The new design features Hyundai's Parametric Pixel LED headlights, similar to what's found in the Ioniq 5 EV. In addition, however, it digs into history to cover the inside with burgundy velvet and Napa leather. The second Hyundai retro concept car is an economy hatchback with a unique design.
Hyundai Pony Concept EV
In 1975 Hyundai produced a hatchback called the Pony, its first car and one of the first cars manufactured in Korea, preceded only by a Jeep-like truck that was made in 1955 called the Sibal. The Pony, naturally, holds a special place in Hyundai's history, and it's exciting to see it reimagined as an electric vehicle. The company was not satisfied with simply adding an EV powertrain. Hyundai updated the style with rounded corners on the fenders while retaining the clipped front end that gives it a sporty look.
The interiors of both concept EVs are updated with technology appropriate for 2021 with a widescreen infotainment dashboard on the Grandeur and steampunk-like Nixie tube display on the Pony. As enticing as these retro electric vehicles might be, it's essential to recognize that Hyundai has framed them as tributes and concept cars. That means they might never be manufactured as modern cars that can be purchased. Instead, Hyundai remembers these great styles from the past while pointing toward the future with cars designed from the ground up with aerodynamics and structural advances to be the best electric vehicles possible with modern technology.