#Hyundai Unveils Retro-Futuristic "45" At Frankfurt #AutoShow [Auto Styling News]

Hyundai Motor has unveiled a stunning look at the future with it's retro "45" Concept.

The 45, envisioned as an electric vehicle signalling a more electrified future for the Korean automaker, was unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt auto show. The angular concept looks in many ways like something the German hosts would create, especially those at Volkswagen.

But it's not a 1970s era VW Rabbit or Golf they're evoking. "To Define Future Through Heritage" is the slogan the company used to highlight the car, which has many visual cues to the company's 1974 Pony Coupe concept.

The concept, "reimagines the in-car experience in the age of electrification and autonomous technologies," says Hyundai. And does so by evoking "emotional connections from the past to create a consumer lifestyle brand for the future of mobility."

The angular and stunning 45 foreshadows a new era of Hyundai’s automotive design focused on electrification, autonomous technologies and intelligent design. The progressive 45 puts a twist on a 45-year-old icon, the 1974 Pony Coupe Concept, and of course looks thoroughly like a 21st Century vehicle.

In fact, the sharp angles are a radical departure from the current extremely curvaceous lineup. The front view is dominated by beautiful, squared off headlamps, that look a bit like the car is rather impatient with us for not buying it right away.

The iconic character of 45 is defined by its monocoque-style body, aerodynamic and light-weight design inspired by aircraft of the 1920s. The car’s name also owes itself in part to the 45-degree angles at the front and rear, forming a diamond-shaped silhouette that further foreshadows the design direction of future EV models.

"As an icon of Hyundai, the 45 clearly reveals how Hyundai heads towards the future through heritage," said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and the Head of Hyundai Design Center. "Through the 45 built upon our design language 'Sensuous Sportiness', Hyundai wants to present our vision on how we want to reshape people's in-car lifestyle in the era of electrification and autonomous driving."

The 45 reinterprets the concept’s distinctive lattice radiator grille with a ‘kinetic cube lamp’ design. The iconic front-end presence with the kinetic cube lamps evokes analogue emotions, while at the same time applying cutting-edge technologies. It also takes Hyundai’s lighting architecture to the next level, allowing people to instantly recognize the vehicle at a distance.

By exhibiting a modernized fastback profile, 45 epitomizes stability and dynamism, characteristics accentuated by the vehicle’s significant width and forward-oriented posture.

As a progressive electric vehicle, new technology is visible in 45’s design. At the bottom of the door, a special garnish highlights its long-distance battery capability and, through active LED lights, drivers can intuitively know how much longer they can drive even before they get in the car. These thoughtful elements are designed for a user who is experiencing an EV for the first time.