Unveiled with great fanfare earlier this week at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, the SEVEN concept foretells a three-row electric SUV coming in 2024 with the Ioniq 7 name. Exactly how the showcar will morph into the production model? Two members of the company’s design team provided juicy details in an interview with Car and Driver.
Hyundai’s global chief of design, SangYup Lee, along with the head of the styling group, Simon Loasby, suggested the two will have a lot in common. They made the analogy between how the Concept 45 became the Ioniq 5, suggesting the SEVEN concept and Ioniq 7 will also be very much alike. For example, the pixel light motif will have a counterpart on the production model, and so will the general boxy shape of the vehicle.
The massive rear glass of the tailgate is unlikely to make it to the production model, and Hyundai said the same will hold true for the corporate badge sitting flush with the hood on the SEVEN concept. In addition, the showcar’s side cameras will be replaced by conventional mirrors, while underneath the front hood there will be a cargo area.
The South Korean marque went on to specify the cabin will go through significant changes since the concept’s lounge-like atmosphere was developed to highlight the SEVEN’s level 4 autonomous driving system. Needless to say, such a sophisticated setup won’t be ready in three years’ time since we haven’t even reached level 3 yet on a production vehicle.
That said, C&D has learned from the two high-ranked people from Hyundai’s design team that the concept’s oval cutouts in the door cards will be carried over to some extent on the Ioniq 7. While the automaker is keen on the idea of using the SEVEN’s wool upholstery on the final product, there are concerns buyers are not going to warm up to the idea of having wool inside their cars. The same goes for the bamboo silk carpets and bamboo wood trim, which are also unlikely to make it to production.
Source: Car and Driver
