Hyundai is a five time winner in the GOOD DESIGN awards, with four cars and one sculpture winning.

• Four vehicles and one art installation honored for successful design
• Judging panel evaluated submissions from thousands of leading manufacturers and graphic design firms from over 47 countries
• Award recognition highlights success of Hyundai Motor’s design-led approach to product development

Hyundai Motor has won five GOOD DESIGN Awards, in recognition of consistent successful application of its design philosophy. The company received awards for the upcoming IONIQ alternative fuel compact vehicle, All-new Tucson, All-new Elantra, Santa Cruz concept model and the company’s ‘Sculpture in Motion’ art installation.

“Being recognized as five-time winners in the GOOD DESIGN Awards strengthens Hyundai Motor’s position as an automotive design leader - not only for traditional combustion-engine vehicles, but also for eco-friendly vehicles and ambitious design concepts,” said Byung-Seob Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of the Hyundai Design Center.

The annual awards program has been developed by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, in recognition of the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product, and graphic designs from around the world. 

The oldest and the most prestigious architecture and design awards program organized worldwide, the GOOD DESIGN Award brought together an international jury of design professionals, architects, experts and cultural leaders in New York in November 2015 to select their favorite designs and graphics.

Among the thousands of world-leading industrial and graphic design firms and manufacturers being evaluated, Hyundai Motor stood out for its products and design approach, highlighting the competitiveness of the brand’s design strategy and output.

The soon-to-be-launched IONIQ, Hyundai Motor’s advanced alternative fuel compact vehicle, was recognized for its class-leading aerodynamics and striking design details. Shaped around the Visual Aero design concept, IONIQ was developed not only with aesthetics in mind, but also with careful consideration of efficiency, aerodynamics and functionality. 

The interior design concept of ‘Purified Hi-tech’ creates a futuristic overall image, with simplified surfaces and intuitive layout of buttons. The world premiere of the IONIQ will be on January 14, 2016 in Seoul, Korea.

The All-new Tucson adopts the strong proportions and profile of a sleek and agile SUV. The vehicle is longer, wider and has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor, allowing for increased interior space and improved versatility. The front view presents a hexagonal-shaped grille, a key element of Hyundai’s design signature, flanked by high-efficiency LED twin-projector headlights. 

From the rear, Z-shaped character lines above the rear wheels accentuate an aggressive, sporty side-profile. All of these design features help to create an athletic, bold and striking appearance.

Also recognized in the GOOD DESIGN Awards and new to Hyundai Motor’s product line-up is the All-new Elantra. Building on the celebrated design of the preceding Elantra, the new model showcases the evolving design direction being adopted for all Hyundai compact cars. 

The All-new Elantra displays refined exterior body surfacing with simple-but-strong lines running along the body side from front to back. Design details all around the car show modern, sporty and advanced style, befitting of Hyundai Motor’s exclusive Dynamic Precision design concept.

Further complementing Hyundai Motor’s success at the GOOD DESIGN Awards, the Santa Cruz concept gained success for its interpretation of truck utility for a new generation of buyers. Having been introduced at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the concept truck was designed to meet the needs of those looking for greater design individuality, efficiency and maneuverability. 

The Santa Cruz delivers with a wide, sure-footed stance and an aggressive side-profile. To provide sufficient cargo room and access to the rear seats, the Santa Cruz offers an innovative tailgate extension that allows the bed length to be expanded. It also incorporates rear-hinged, reverse-opening rear doors that integrate seamlessly with the front door design.

Last but not least, Hyundai Motor’s design philosophy is realized in innovative ways through the Sculpture in Motion project, which earned its own GOOD DESIGN Award. The Sculpture in Motion project forms the look of a living wave, celebrating fluid motion as art and referencing the relationship between movement and car design in the natural and automotive worlds.

Hyundai Santa Cruz named 2015 Concept Truck of the Year.

It kicked off 2015 with a buzz-generating surprise debut at the North American International Auto Show in January, and now the popular Hyundai Santa Cruz has earned the prestigious title of Concept Truck of the Year at the 14^th annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year (NACVOTY) Awards at the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s.

The Santa Cruz was recognized as the Concept Truck of the Year for its design, style, materials, technology, market visibility and market responsiveness – besting the Kia Trail’Ster and Mitsubishi GC-PHEV. The award was presented by Mark Phelan, auto critic at the Detroit Free Press and NACVOTY juror.

“The compact-truck segment in the U.S. is tremendously competitive, and overall truck sales have skyrocketed to become one of the best-selling segments in today’s market,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of corporate and product planning, Hyundai Motor America. 

“Hyundai’s new Santa Cruz crossover truck concept is a modern take on the classic theme of one of America’s most-loved segments – the pickup truck. 

Unlike some of the industry’s past attempts to blend open bed utility with passenger car attributes, Santa Cruz delivers innovative functionality and flexibility in a compact, fun-to-drive package for a new breed of pickup truck buyers. 

We are proud that the Santa Cruz got the vote of approval as the Concept Truck of the Year from some of the auto industry’s most esteemed critics.”

The NACVOTY awards recognize those vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry. More than two dozen jurors participated in a selection process that involved a total of 30 vehicles, each introduced to North America during this season’s auto shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and New York.

“The Santa Cruz is what the light-truck category needs - loads of style for people without big loads,” said Gary Vasilash, Automotive Design and Production editor-in-chief and NACVOTY juror.

The innovative Hyundai Santa Cruz crossover truck concept reflects a completely new interpretation of truck utility for a new generation of buyers. The Santa Cruz concept meets the unspoken needs of a growing millennial lifestyle that Hyundai calls “urban adventurers.” 

This new crossover provides urban adventurers the expandable utility they need throughout their active week – from work-life professionalism to social interests to a variety of outdoor pursuits –without the typical compromises they have come to expect from the industry’s current product offerings. 

The Santa Cruz concept is purposely compact, and although it features four doors and seating for five, its overall footprint is similar to that of a small CUV. 

Hyundai surprises with new Pick Up Concept and Sonata Hybrid at Detroit.

• Convention-shattering Santa Cruz concept shows Hyundai Motor’s fresh take on the sport truck concept
• Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, Hyundai Motor’s first of its kind, makes its debut

Hyundai Motor Company, the fastest-growing automaker by brand, today staged a world premiere of Santa Cruz crossover truck concept and Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, the company’s first Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), at the 2015 North International Auto Show.

The Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is expected to travel up to 22 miles on electric power and can recharge in as little as two and a half hours with a Level 2 charger. Sonata Plug-in Hybrid will be built at the Asan, South Korea plant and will go on sale in select markets later this year.

Hyundai Motor’s innovative Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept was also revealed at the show. This fresh concept reflects a completely new interpretation of truck utility for a new generation of buyers, especially Millennials, who represent the second-largest population of car buyers in the US.

SANTA CRUZ

URBAN ADVENTURERS

Modern urbanisation is impacting the market in a broad way, and this trend is especially strong with young adults, who face tighter parking on streets and parking garages, and increasing congestion overall. These trends are not confined to one specific region of the US; they’re happening in urban hubs everywhere. These “Urban Adventurers” have a different mindset, being very active both socially, and in their communities, bringing a pioneering spirit to make their neighborhoods a better place to live and work.

SANTA CRUZ CONCEPT

To meet the specific needs of these Urban Adventurers, Santa Cruz doesn’t focus on all the same attributes as traditional pickups. It’s designed to meet more of their desires for expression, efficiency and maneuverability. Hyundai designers created a bold design that conveys this lifestyle, with a wide, sure-footed stance and an aggressive side-profile rake. 

The front view features an upright, hexagonal grille with cascading lines framing the sides, dual lens-free, honeycombed headlamp projectors, and prominent LED fog lamps. The side profile is highlighted by oversized wheels, Michelin® tires with a special tread design, center-locking hubs and yellow Brembo® brake calipers.

For ease of access to the rear seats, Santa Cruz features convenient, rear-hinged rear doors which integrate seamlessly with the front door design. The wheel arches, roof, and bed rails offer convenient tie-down cleats for securing cargo of all shapes and sizes. From the rear, the concept presents highly-contoured bed forms, and for extra utility, the expandable bed can be easily reconfigured for longer cargo, using a unique drawer-like sliding function.

Efficiency is a key attribute of its advanced powertrains, with a 2.0-liter turbo diesel powertrain delivering 190 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque, while achieving fuel economy in the high 30 mpg range. Santa Cruz also offers Hyundai’s HTRAC® All-wheel drive system, so there’s no anxiety about getting those snowboarding “fresh tracks” right after a storm moves through.

The concept is purposefully compact, and although it has four doors and seating for five, its overall footprint is similar to a small CUV. These dimensions make it ideal for navigating the urban environment or a tight parking spot that most pickup drivers often have to pass by. It offers typical CUV driving character, but with a versatile cargo bed that provides separated storage for all they want to bring along.

Items can be securely locked in the back under an integrated rigid tonneau cover that conveniently retracts when not needed.  It not only keeps items safe and out of sight, it also keeps the interior clean and fresh. Santa Cruz is the perfect vehicle for those that want the attributes of a CUV, but still have dirty stuff that belongs “in the back.”

INNOVATIVE TAILGATE EXTENSION

Sometimes, there are those needs that call for even more cargo room; that’s why Santa Cruz offers an innovative tailgate extension that allows the bed length to be expanded whenever those “just in case” moments arise. The extension is perfect for everything from an epic mountain bike trip to bringing home an antique chest or classic motorcycle that’s ripe for restoration.  

When fully extended, Santa Cruz’s bed length is similar to a mid-size pickup, providing the ability to carry much more than its compact footprint would suggest, yet only when needed. Santa Cruz was designed to accommodate whatever the Urban Adventurer’s lifestyle calls for, whether expected or unexpected. 

Some of the industry’s past attempts to blend truck-bed flexibility with passenger-car attributes were limited because they didn’t deliver the practical benefits the customer expected. Most tried to straddle the line by attracting traditional truck buyers with compromised products at a similar price point, failing to deliver any differentiating benefits. Santa Cruz, by design, isn’t an alternative to a truck, so towing, payload and ground clearance were not primary goals. Rather, Santa Cruz is intended to attract CUV and sedan buyers who are seeking greater utility, without the compromises that traditional trucks often require.

MORPHING LIFESTYLE DEMANDS

Hyundai research revealed that not everyone who wants an open-bed vehicle is willing to accept the tradeoffs that come with it. As evidence of this, industry pickup truck share is down over five percent in the last 10 years, with the biggest shift among young adults, reflecting a need for something that more closely matches these morphing lifestyles. In the past, small trucks accounted for half of pickup sales, and they were particularly popular with younger buyers.

Today, that same young truck market is almost non-existent, and millennials under 30 represent just seven percent of all pickup purchases. Women, who buy more than half of all CUVs sold, now account for only 10 percent of pickup sales. Santa Cruz is intended to meet the customer needs that the current truck product offering is simply not fulfilling.

Santa Cruz is for the growing population who sees and pursues the world differently, those who want all the traditional attributes of a small CUV, but need the day-to-day versatility of an open bed. It’s the crossover truck that meets the unspoken needs of Urban Adventurers.

SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID

PLUG-IN POWERTRAIN

Although the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid is very technologically advanced, it will behave much like the regular Sonata Hybrid from the driver’s seat. A 9.8 kWh lithium polymer battery pack, roughly five times larger than the Sonata Hybrid’s battery, is expected to give Sonata Plug-in Hybrid an all-electric range of up to 22 miles, further than any other midsize PHEV saloon.

Sonata Plug-in Hybrid uses a six-speed automatic transmission with Hyundai’s Transmission-Mounted Electrical Device (TMED), a 50 kW electric motor, in place of a torque converter. 

The 50 kW electric motor is 32 percent more powerful than the motor used the in regular Sonata Hybrid and allows EV operation at higher speeds. A 2.0-liter Nu four-cylinder GDI engine coupled with the electric motor allows the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid to operate just like the Sonata Hybrid once the onboard battery charge is depleted. Sonata PHEV’s Nu engine produces 154 horsepower and 140 lb. ft. of torque and the total system output is 202 horsepower at 6,000 rpm.

Sonata PHEV is expected to deliver 93 MPGe combined in EV mode based on internal estimates. In charge sustaining mode, the Sonata PHEV is expected to return 38 mpg in the city, 43 mpg on the highway and 40 mpg combined based on internal testing. Recharge time ranges from two and a half hours at a 240V Level 2 charging station to five hours using a standard 120V outlet.