Hyundai is teasing a new 4x4 model with a concept called the Crater. The Crater will debut at the Los Angeles motor show and these sketches are our first indication of what it will look like.
What's the styling of the Crater like?
Pretty chunky. These sketches seem to show a really serious 4x4, as opposed to a family-focused SUV, with enormous squared-off wheel arches and tonnes of ground clearance under the bodywork.
At the front, there's a new interpretation of the Hyundai 'face' which seems to mash up the upright squareness of the Santa Fe with the slim lighting signatures of the likes of the Kona and the updated Ioniq 6. There's the expected heavy emphasis on 'Pixel' lighting too and for the first time, the front of the car features the 'Four Dots' motif which Hyundai has been using for its interiors recently - four dots being Morse Code for H.
There's also a substantial roof rack and boxy LED auxiliary lights atop the windscreen.
Is this a serious production model?
That remains to be seen. Hyundai has a huge presence in the US market of course, and this could potentially preview a new rugged SUV designed to compete with the likes of the Ford Bronco Sport or the Jeep Compass. Hyundai has had success with its big US-only Pallisade SUV, so there's plenty of incentive to dip downwards in the market.
Hyundai is saying that the Crater is designed almost specifically for its off-road-focused XRT sub-brand, which hasn't found its way to this side of the Atlantic yet.
Which also means it could be that Hyundai is planning a rival for seriously-off-roady models such as the full-sized Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler. The fact that Hyundai itself refers to the Crater as 'a compact SUV' concept seems to favour the former, though.
So it's not designed for us?
Not necessary. It could also be that the Crater is a more general concept, designed to preview a new design language for Hyundai's SUV models. We know that the next-generation Tucson will be a much more style-led model, and it's likely to adopt the chunkier, squarer style of the Santa Fe, so there could well be some clues within the Crater for the next-generation of Ireland's best-seller.
When will we get a better look?
We'll see the Crater concept in full when the LA motor show opens on 20 November.