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As the electric future of transportation becomes ever more certain, Hyundai is showing itself as a strong contender in the race towards greener cars. Not only are the company’s offerings so far impressive, but its production and concept EVs are striking to look at—in a good way. Today, the Korean automaker released a new concept electric SUV, and it follows that trend. Called the Ioniq 7, it’s Hyundai’s idea of future people haulers.
The Ioniq 7 follows the styling trend of a few other Hyundais revealed recently. Cut from the same cloth as the Ioniq 5 and retro-remake Grandeur, the concept SUV has pixelated headlights and taillights, marking a departure from the conventional styling elements of more conservative EVs like the Volkswagen ID.4.
We’re specifically talking about features like the entirely glass tailgate, or the interior seating that looks more like the waiting area at a fancy restaurant. The “Lounge” concept for future vehicle interiors, seen on other concepts like the Mini Urbanaut, is alive and well here. There isn’t a seatbelt nor a steering wheel in sight; just eco-friendly materials, some fanciful future-facing furniture, and cavernous cove-lit doors.
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Above, you can see the interior layout as well as its funky lighting scheme. Those lights can supposedly be set to a UV mode to sterilize the interior—Hyundai has really made quite the effort to keep this car clean. It claims the Ioniq 7 can self-sterilize without any human intervention. There’s also a small fridge, plenty of storage compartments, and the headliner is a video screen. Classic concept car fare.
Per the automaker, the Ioniq 7 “previews Hyundai’s future sport utility electric vehicle.” And judging by other Hyundai models being built now, a stylistically similar production model wouldn’t be the biggest surprise, either. Drivetrain-wise, Hyundai says we can expect around 300 miles of range, and charging from 10 to 80 percent in roughly 20 minutes with a 350-kilowatt charger. That all sounds well within the realm of possibility.
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As for the interior, I think we’ll have to wait a bit longer on that. Unless they plan on selling the Ioniq 7 as a grey market vehicle exclusively in New Hampshire—where seatbelts are not compulsory—changes will have to be made there. Realistically, we can probably expect some unique interior lighting and finishes, plus three rows of seats, but not anything so lounge-like.
In all likelihood, this vehicle will be called the Ioniq 7 when it’s introduced as a production model. It’d likely be built on the same basic platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Genesis GV60.
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