Could Hyundai jump into the fray with a proper off-roader? Well, they’re at least drawing up concepts in that direction.
Meet the Hyundai Crater Concept — or at least a teaser of what the automaker plans to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this week. Off-roaders have been all the rage in recent years, and virtually every brand is at least making some gesture to expand their lineups to the more adventurous types. In Hyundai’s case, we have the XRT brand, which aims to make some more rugged-looking models of the Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade and Santa Cruz for those interested buyers.
Here’s the rub, though: The Korean automaker’s efforts result in more aggressive looking cars, but not any that are significantly more capable. The Crater Concept could change things up, though, as designers are clearly thinking in a more purpose-built direction with this look. More specifically, we’re looking at a boxy, angular and lifted SUV with huge off-road tires. Obviously, these are just sketches before we see the real thing, but you still get a sense of what’s coming down the pike here.
In terms of size, the Hyundai Crater Concept looks Kona or Tucson-ish, but takes far more dramatic license with the exterior aesthetic. To that end, you get angles and creases across pretty much every surface, while Hyundai is taking a more Ioniq or Nexo-like approach by integrating its now-hallmark pixel lighting, both front and rear. Up top, just past the sleekly raked windshield, Hyundai’s designers incorporated a set of four pod lights, while down below there is plenty of ground clearance and underbody protection for a proper off-roader.
Now, are we looking at an imminent SUV that could take on the likes of the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco and Toyota 4Runner? That remains to be seen as this is just a concept. Something more off-road-worthy could emerge, but we have absolutely no technical details just yet. We don’t know if it’s gas-powered or an electric model, what sort of capability the concept (or vehicles derived from the concept) would have, and so on.
We will have more information from the LA Auto Show in the next few days, though, so stay tuned.
