Hyundai dreams away from its historic models and has crept behind the drawing board with brand new inspiration. The result is this electric Grandeur EV, a car that combines the eighties with the present.
With some melancholy, Hyundai dived into the archives. That Hyundai can hardly let go of the past, was already apparent with the Hyundai 45 Concept. This conceptual harbinger of the Ioniq 5 was clearly inspired by the Pony Coupé Concept shown 45 years earlier. At the beginning of this year, Hyundai once again put the original Pony in the spotlight by presenting the Pony EV Heritage, an old model that was laced with modern techniques. Now the Grandeur is undergoing a Heritage treatment.
Like the Pony EV Heritage, the Grandeur EV Heritage is a resto mod: an old model that is translated into the present with modern design elements and at least such modern technology on board. The Grandeur EV Heritage is therefore a completely renovated primal Grandeur, a model with blood relatives also known in the Netherlands. For example, Hyundai delivered the third generation Grandeur in our country named simply after the model code of the car as XG (and later XG350) and the fourth generation – elsewhere called Azera – was actually sold as Grandeur in the Netherlands.
Hyundai Grandeur EV
The Grandeur EV Heritage obviously does not have a four-cylinder or V6 under the hood like the Mitsubishi Debonair-based original, but an unspecified electric powertrain. Like the Ioniq 5, the Grandeur EV gets Ioniq signature pixel LED lighting on both the front and rear. The bumper work and grille are apparently made of aluminum, just like the side mirrors. At least as striking is the interior. That is almost unrecognizably different. Inside, digital displays predominate. Not only do the huge screens that serve as infotainment display and instruments stand out, the screen in the center console is also a real eye-catcher.
Hyundai Grandeur EV
The same goes for the materials used. For example, the strikingly designed and apparently velvet-covered front seats are finished at the back with beautifully knotted leather. Nice design detail is the huge selector lever for the automatic transmission, with which Hyundai brings a small wink to the large selector stick in the primal Grandeur.
Hyundai Grandeur EV
Will the model name Grandeur return soon? Well, that name has never disappeared from the scene. The Grandeur has been working on its sixth generation since 2016. That type underwent a thorough facelift in 2019.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl