Although Hyundai with the Kona and Ioniq Electric of course already takes a slice of the EV cake, we are still waiting for a model developed purely as EV. That will be this “45”. It heralds a new chapter, with a nod to the past.
When a brand comes up with its first car fully developed as an electric model, that is of course a milestone. That is why we often see that the introduction has a strong nod to a previous pioneer of that brand. Think, for example, of the Honda E, which is strongly inspired in appearance by the first-generation Civic. Hyundai is going for a slightly different approach to the car that we will continue to indicate as 45 for the time being, but the South Koreans are also referring to their past. After all, the concept version of the 45 was a tribute to the Pony Coupé Concept signed by Italdesign, which had appeared 45 years earlier. It all started with that for Hyundai.
The production version of the 45 has since been spotted, albeit firmly camouflaged, in public. Long detective work is not necessary to see that the 45 remains largely true to the 45 Concept. The carriage looks a little less stretched and wide than is the case with the study model, but the sharp and rather minimalist lines have survived the drawing board. All in all, it results in a car that not only distinguishes itself in terms of drive, but also in terms of design, from what we know so far from Hyundai. The body shape does take some getting used to; the 45 is a five-door hatchback that sits relatively high on the legs, with plastic accents around the wheel arches and sills. Not a hundred percent a crossover, not a hundred percent a regular hatchback.
Electric offensive
The 45 is Hyundai’s first car on the new modular EV platform E-GMP. On this basis, the brand will roll out a fully electric model range in the coming years. They share not only the architecture with this 45, but also the design language. The sharp lines of the 45, according to Hyundai, are characteristic of what a range of future electric models will look like. The 45 will probably kick off in 2021 and will follow the second model a year later. Later this year we will undoubtedly get some information about the expected range and further specifications. For now it is just looking at coffee grounds.