2022.07.08 Hyundai Motor Company
The design story behind the EV brand IONIQ
IONIQ, Hyundai Motor Company’s EV-dedicated brand, introduces the IONIQ 6, a mid-size electric sedan. Here are the stories revealing the innovative design of the IONIQ brand, and the features contained in the sleek and streamlined design of the IONIQ 6.
Hyundai Motor Company’s eco-friendly EV brand, IONIQ, started as an innovative organization ‘Project IONIQ’ that predicts future mobility and lifestyle changes and implements freedom of movement. The name ‘IONIQ’ is a combination of ‘Ion’, which generates energy with electric power, and ‘Unique’, which represents Hyundai’s originality. In 2016, it introduced the IONIQ model lineup consisting of only three eco-friendly powertrains: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicle.
In 2020, IONIQ has been reborn as an EV-dedicated brand leading an eco-friendly lifestyle. Innovation that will expand the diversity of life and redefine eco-friendly mobility, such as the 800V system that supports super-fast charging based on E-GMP, an EV-dedicated platform that contains the essence of Hyundai Motor Group’s technology, and the V2L that can supply energy to external devices. It was a new start for the IONIQ brand full of technology.
IONIQ aims not only for new technologies that will change lifestyles, but also for spaces that will be transformed into living spaces beyond means of transportation. So the automaker has included various forms of mobility in its product lineup, which will be introduced one after another by 2024 - the crossover IONIQ 5, the mid-size sedan IONIQ 6, and the large SUV IONIQ 7 currently under development. Another element that expresses IONIQ’s brand identity is its design. The pure and refined design of IONIQ reveals its goal of creating the ultimate mobility design that harmonizes with our daily lives regardless of era or generation.
The future-oriented design of the IONIQ brand in the EV concept
The design pursued by IONIQ can be confirmed through the concept model that can predict the future of the brand. The EV Concept 45, unveiled in 2019, is a model that hints at the identity of the IONIQ 5, a tribute to Hyundai’s first unique model, the Pony, and a futuristic retro design. In other words, it contains the intention to connect the past and future of Hyundai Motor’s design. The parametric pixel, which expresses a futuristic retro design by applying geometric pixels to the lamp, has established itself as a unique design element of the IONIQ brand.
Prophecy (2020) and Seven (2021), which were showcased after Concept 45, which left a strong first impression of the IONIQ brand with simple lines and geometrical design, were also concept models with distinct design features. Prophecy reinterprets the streamlined silhouettes of cars of the past and features a flowing silhouette inspired by aerodynamic designs. In addition, by emphasizing the three-dimensional effect of pure feeling like a single smooth pebble, the ultimate form in which beauty and function are in harmony was pursued.
The large electric SUV Concept Seven is a model that suggests the future direction of the SUV in the future electric vehicle era by expressing the aerodynamic design and the strong image of an SUV with pure formative beauty. Both concept cars also have a parametric pixel design, which was used to complete the sedan’s agility and the SUV’s bold-looking impression.
Another common feature of the concept cars - 45, Prophecy, and Seven - is the interior space. The mobility space to be introduced by the IONIQ brand aims to be a living space that supports various activities such as daily life, leisure, and work, not just a boarding space for transportation. To this end, by taking advantage of the structural strength of E-GMP, in which batteries are widely placed on the floor, the indoor floor is made flat, and the front and rear of the indoor space are extended to complete a spacious and comfortable space. Here, the ergonomic design is added to create a cozy living room-like space so that passengers can experience various indoor activities comfortably.
Of course, depending on the purpose of the car, the interior configuration and features vary slightly. The main interior elements of Concept 45 were developed to look like furniture in the living room, focusing on creating a comfortable living space. Prophecy provides a new and enjoyable driving experience by operating the joysticks on both sides of the driver’s seat instead of the familiar steering wheel. The large SUV Concept Seven presents a vision of a comfortable lounge space where multiple passengers can work together or individually in the car, such as a spacious living room, in the era of autonomous driving.
Bringing glamorous imaginations to reality: the IONIQ 5 and 6
The future-oriented design of the IONIQ brand, which received attention through several concept cars, led to the successful first fruit of the IONIQ 5. The IONIQ 5 led the expansion of the mobility lifestyle with a futuristic retro design that seems to have brought Concept 45 into reality, a spacious and comfortable interior space, and advanced convenience features. As a result, the IONIQ 5 won the Car of the Year, Electric Vehicle of the Year, and Car Design of the Year awards at the 2022 World Car of the Year Awards. In addition, it was crowned the 2022 German Car of the Year and 2022 UK Car of the Year. Its outstanding design was recognized in various car design awards such as Car Design Review and IDEA Design Awards.
Now it’s time to talk about the IONIQ 6; Hyundai once again sets a new level in automotive design with its mid-size electric sedan, the IONIQ 6. The second model of the IONIQ brand, the IONIQ 6, is a real version of the Prophecy concept that boldly reveals a seductive silhouette.
The streamlined design of the IONIQ 6 is innovative in that it presents a new representation of mobility design in the electrification era. The design of the IONIQ 6, which has an emotional silhouette and aerodynamic design to maximize efficiency, can be described as an ‘Electrified Streamliner.’ Streamliner, in aerodynamics, refers to the contouring of an object to reduce its drag, or resistance to motion through a stream of air. Thanks to its neat and streamlined design, the IONIQ 6 is expected to have the best aerodynamic performance of Hyundai Motor Company.
The parametric pixel, a design element unique to the IONIQ brand, also shows a further evolution through the IONIQ 6. About 700 parametric pixels on various parts of the body - such as front and rear lamps and rear spoiler - reinforce the identity of the IONIQ 6 and its brand, while drawing attention to its new features. In addition, ‘Inside Out,’ Hyundai Motor’s future mobility design theme, introduced through Staria, is applied to the interior to create a user-centered ‘mindful cocoon’ with infinite possibilities. Of course, the ample interior space completed based on the long wheelbase, which is one of the advantages of E-GMP, is an essential feature. The full version of the IONIQ 6 will be revealed on June 29; We will know what other innovations the IONIQ 6 will bring, and what new lifestyles the IONIQ 6 will offer us.
