Hyundai's Concept Three Previews a Future Wicked-Looking EV Hatch

Hyundai

The Hyundai Three is a decidedly futuristic concept, full of screens and steel, but its origins lie in the paper era.
The Three combines sweeping metallic arches and neon yellow windows with a bright interior in a city car that replaces exhaust pipes with speakers.
Hyundai offered no specifics about when we might see a production version, but it’s a sure bet that something similar is on the way.

It’s not often that a simple exchange of business cards leads directly into the first question of an interview. But that’s exactly what happened today at the Munich auto show when we met with Nicola Danza, head of exterior design for Hyundai in Europe, and ended up chatting about the company’s new Concept Three show vehicle.”Everything is digital now,” he said. “Everything is fast, fast, fast. When it was time to develop this car, we went back to the roots, meaning that we wanted to go back to hatchbacks. To find a design language that works, the guys started to do paper models. They cut paper, they started to fold it, bend it, experimented a little bit.”HyundaiThe result of those tactile explorations is a matte steel concept car with a love for neon yellow highlighters, right in line with the brand’s “Art of Steel” design language. Hyundai calls the shape the “Aero Hatch” silhouette, and Danza said the paper experiments ended up revealing a concept with three notable and connected sections: a C-pillar and shoulder that wrap around the body, and a bonnet that extends around the wheel arches. When the front door is open, the diagonal line from the seat is a continuation of the exterior line. Danza said the team referred to the rear-end design as “May the Downforce Be with You.””These [paper] experiments give us the little details of what to do next,” he said. “Inspiration is key to keep going and be faithful to your initial idea. Otherwise, you lose it, and then you start adding stuff. We wanted the car to be extremely simple and pure. But simple can become boring if you’re not careful.” HyundaiAs the first compact Ioniq concept, the Three previews a future Ioniq urban EV, most likely for Europe, but Hyundai provided no details about the powertrain for the design study. As a preview of a future production Ioniq model, the Three couldn’t lean too heavily on old-school materials. Danza said the initial paper shape evolved into a concept with modern Ioniq touches, including parametric pixel lights and Hyundai’s typical design flair, like a smiley face that looks a bit like an electric plug on the rear wheel arch. Hyundai often considers interiors to be more of a lab where its designers can explore more out-there ideas.
For example, the car offers interesting ways for the occupants to connect with the outside world. What look like two racing exhaust ports in the center rear are actually speakers. Two retro screens near each side mirror–actually a slightly incomprehensible camera sphere–can be seen through the window in case the driver wants to send Mr. Pix, the car’s “lively, shape-shifting form that acts as a whimsical co-pilot during rides” on a digital mission to interact with others. Physical versions of Mr. Pix are embedded throughout the interior, which includes recycled and sustainable materials like ocean waste textiles and lightweight aluminum foam. HyundaiWhile more modern than paper, Mr. Pix and the eight modular “Bring Your Own Lifestyle” widgets that bookend the steering wheel were also inspired by early tech gadgets. These chunky, adaptable buttons and the steering wheel extend from the dashboard (and the driver’s seat moves up) when the driver is engaged. On longer straightaways, the seats and widgets retreat away from each other, providing a more relaxed experience.While the fun, bright interior might not see production any time soon, Danza made it clear that if you like what we see in the Three, you’ll probably be interested in the production Ioniq 3, or whatever name it wears, in the near future.”Usually, as you see from our past, every concept car has a meaning,” he said. “The 45 became the Ioniq 5, the Seven became the Ioniq 9. So when we show a new concept, especially the exterior, it hints at the next production car you will see in the near future. We always try to be more experimental in the interior, but the exterior is usually very close to what comes next.”Related Stories