This is the Hyundai Concept Three, unveiled today at the Munich Motor Show, and it can talk. Sort of – it has lights in the grille that can spell out messages, an evolution of the eight-bit ‘Parametric Pixel’ aesthetic we’ve already seen on cars like the Ioniq 5.
This, frankly, feels like a bit of crowd-pleasing motor show gimmickry, but the rest of the Concept Three has us rather intrigued. See, Hyundai is the first company to properly wow us with an electric performance car, and while the Concept Three isn’t explicitly pitched as one, it seems pretty clear to us that the company has sporting aspirations for it.
Hyundai Concept Three – rear
Look at that deep chin spoiler and the ducktail flick on the rear, for a start. Then there are some centrelock wheels and a beefy diffuser on which ‘May the downforce be with you’ is printed. Cheesy, but we like what it’s signalling.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. This is just a concept for now, and – praise be! – one that’s not a crossover. Instead, it’s what Hyundai calls an ‘Aero Hatch’ and what we call a funky electro-Veloster complete with that car’s asymmetrical door arrangement. Incidentally, Hyundai calls this design language ‘Art of Steel’, and says it celebrates the raw forms of said metal.
Hyundai Concept Three – interior
You’ll have your own opinions on its looks, but we happen to think it’s superb, and more evidence of Hyundai’s currently unstoppable form for churning out great-looking cars. Doesn’t look like it’d take much toning down for production, either.
Not on the outside, anyway – the interior, with its floating instruments, featuring customisable widgets in a setup that Hyundai calls ‘Bring Your Own Lifestyle’ (bleurgh), and those sci-fi bucket seats, might hit showrooms looking a bit less futuristic. The use of eco-friendly materials like fabrics made from recycled ocean waste and aluminium foam, though, is something we’re likely to see plenty more of on production cars soon.
Hyundai Concept Three – detail
There’s also a tiny ghost character motif that shows up again and again throughout the Concept Three. His name is Mr. Pix, and we love him very much.
Hyundai says the Concept Three signals its “future expansion into a new vehicle category, complementing its existing midsize and large EV models,” with Europe touted as a major market for it. In other words, we’re most likely looking at a slightly concept-ified interpretation of a future Ioniq 3. With its prior form with the Ioniq 5 N, and how racy this little tearaway already looks, we’re keeping our fingers very firmly crossed for an N version.
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