- Hyundai plans more consistent styling across future models.
- Brand says designs will match without becoming identical.
- European lineup to include more electrified versions by 2027.
Hyundai’s current lineup reads like a design studio experiment, with each model carving out its own visual identity. Look across the range and you might assume the cars come from entirely different brands, given how distinct they appear. However, the Korean automaker says that is about to change.
Moving forward, it plans to make its models more cohesive, though without adopting a cookie-cutter philosophy like some rivals.
Read: Hyundai’s Smallest Ioniq Looks Like A Veloster From Outer Space
The company describes its existing approach as “chess pieces,” where each car stands apart yet shares subtle styling cues that tie the lineup together, such as pixel-style lighting signatures. One of its latest designs, the new Concept Three, leans heavily into that individuality.
Sharper Cohesion Without Uniformity
Speaking with Autocar, Hyundai’s European chief executive, Xavier Martinet, said the company wants its vehicles to feel more closely related.
“Maybe in the past, there was not this systematic sense of family between our vehicles,” he told the magazine. “It’s something we’re working on, but we will never do the ‘photocopier machine’ and go the other way around. We’ve seen a few brands who went maybe too far in this direction.”
According to Martinet, upcoming models will strike a better balance between identity and individuality. “I would love to show you all these cars coming; you will feel a much stronger sense of belonging to the same brand, but with the specificity of each vehicle, considering the target audience,” he said.
European Expansion
Hyundai Concept Three
This tweaked philosophy comes as Hyundai aims to continue its growth in Europe. Last year, it sold 603,542 passenger cars in the region, a 1 percent increase from the year prior, allowing it to secure a 4.2 percent market share.
By 2027, all Hyundai models sold in Europe will be offered with an electrified version. Five all-new vehicles will be launched locally in the next 18 months, including a new Tucson, Bayon, Kona, and i20, as well as the all-electric Ioniq 3.
“I believe we can do much better than we’re doing now,” Martinet told Car Magazine. “The market share in Europe is below the global market share. We’re trying to invest more, to make a difference. I’m looking to seize these opportunities.”
