Hyundai stunned the 2018 Geneva Motor Show when it previewed its new "Sensuous Sportiness" design language in the form of the impossibly sleek HDC-1 Le Fil Rouge design study. Now it's providing a second peek into the future with the HDC-2 Grandmaster. This concept SUV isn't quite as effortlessly stylish as its predecessor, but is indeed a dramatic departure from contemporary Hyundais. The future at Hyundai will be nothing if not interesting.
"The Le Fil Rouge sedan provided a clear direction for Hyundai's design philosophy, while the new SUV concept vehicle further proved the versatility of this design language that will be portrayed in future Hyundai vehicles, opening up new possibilities for an even wider spectrum of attractive designs," Hyundai said in introducing the concept at the Busan Motor Show.
"Versatility" is the operative word there – save for the cascading grille and some shiny silver trim, the HDC-2 Grandmaster looks very little like the HDC-1. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing, since you don't really need your large SUV looking like a dramatic, swept-back 2 + 2.
The HDC-2 does share with the HDC-1 a stretched stance and strong character lines that appear to rush back toward the rear, but the Le Fil Rouge's teardrop roofline and generous curves dissipate in favor of a much sturdier lines and angles.
It's a much more upright take on Hyundai's future styling direction, showing throwback SUV strength prettied up with modern touches like the narrow headlamps, oversized polished grille and vertical daytime running bars. While it's a "sporty" design in its own right, "sensuous" appears like an adjective that's lost its home.
At the rear, the giant, haunch-capping boomerang taillights are begging to be trimmed down into something more practical, but the forward-angled C pillars and wraparound glass lend to the old-school utility vehicle robustness. We won't miss the snowflake-like concept wheels if and when Hyundai tones down the Grandmaster into a production-ready full-size SUV.
As with the Le Fil Rouge, Hyundai has little detail to provide beyond the photos. It does clarify that the concept name comes from chess, and "just as the sum of all chess pieces completes the game of chess, all forthcoming Hyundai vehicles will come to form a harmonious vehicle line-up demonstrating the Hyundai look while each maintains distinctive character and role."
So yeah, keep your eye out for that.
You can compare and contrast the lines, curves and volumes of the voluptuous HDC-1 and rugged HDC-2 in the photo gallery.
Source: Hyundai
