Hyundai tells us of its Prophecy

Hyundai Prophecy EV showcases 'Sensuous Sportiness' design language.

Hyundai has revealed this rather striking-looking thing, which is a concept electric vehicle (EV) called the Prophecy. It expresses the Korean company's design philosophy, called 'Sensuous Sportiness', and suggests what a future EV from Hyundai might one day look like.

An icon brought to life

SangYup Lee, head of Hyundai's Global Design Centre, said of the car: "We have brought to life yet another icon that establishes a new standard for the EV segment, as well as pushing Hyundai's design vision to even broader horizons. A part of that expansion is what we call Optimistic Futurism, a design concept embodied by 'Prophecy'. With Optimistic Futurism, our aim is to forge an emotional connection between humans and automobiles."

The key points of the design are the Prophecy's extended wheelbase and its short overhangs, giving it the proportional yet smooth shape that allows for side sections like 'that of a perfectly weathered stone.' The 'One Curve' streamlined shape extends from front to rear, and it helps the car to possess excellent aerodynamic properties. The wide air intake at the front helps to cool the battery pack more effectively, while the pixel lamp lights (which can display various different patterns and graphics) will apparently be a signature design element in future Hyundai models.

Inside, there's no steering wheel. It's an autonomous vehicle, as all future-gazing EV concepts at motor shows tend to be, but in this instance the control mechanism employed if the squishy human onboard wants to take charge is a pair of joysticks - one on the centre console and one on the door trim. This allows a more comfortable control position, apparently, while buttons on the joysticks control more than just the Prophecy's speed and trajectory. This feature, in turn, means the design of the passenger area can be more fluid, so there's a horizontal pillar-to-pillar display screen mounted in a wing-shaped dashboard.

Finally, the Prophecy has various eco-friendly materials used in its make-up, such as wool-based carpets, and also a Clean Air Technology purification system, meaning air entering the Hyundai's cabin is as fresh as it can be, and then the treated air is circulated back out into the atmosphere as clean air. No word on the powertrain but, as with all these 'far-distant' concept EVs, expect it to have about 12,000hp, a 0-100km/h time in the minus figures and an all-electric range of 3,000km.

Published on: March 3, 2020