Hyundai has again previewed its Frankfurt motor show star car, a retro-styled electric concept.
Called the 45, it's said to feature styling references to the brand’s first production car, the Mitsubishi-powered Pony hatchback, which was launched in 1974.
The first preview image of the EV showed off an LED bar across the rear that will display a matrix flourish upon start-up. Now a rear-side view reveals the car's large wheels and minimalist profile.
Elsewhere, we can see hints that the 45 will bear a resemblance to sibling brand Genesis’s recent Mint concept, with a rakish roofline, a narrow rear window, extended wheel arches and a low, wide stance.
As well as paying tribute to the brand’s historic design work, Hyundai says the 45 will “act as a symbolic milestone for Hyundai’s future EV design”.
There's currently no production intent for the 45; it acts as a design study, rather than a preview of a particular future model. However, a Hyundai spokesperson said the concept is based on a new EV platform and will “preview the potential for EV designers in the future”.
The 45 will make its first public appearance alongside an all-new version of the i10 city car and the limited-run i30 N Project C hardcore hot hatch.
Luc Donckerwolke, Hyundai's design chief, said earlier this year that the firm’s styling language needs to be further differentiated from that of sibling brands Genesis and Kia.
He said: “Our core task is to differentiate the design philosophy of the three brands, not least because we have a big share in Korea.
“We need to differentiate each model, otherwise the landscape is too homogenous.”
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