Hyundai, the insurgent Korean automaker, just unveiled its flagship vehicle, the IONIQ 9 three-row electric Hyundai SUV. Revealed at the Sheats-Goldstein Houseâan iconic dwelling designed by sui generis midcentury-modern architect John Lautner at the peak of LAâs Benedict Canyonâthe brandâs latest and largest vehicle is expected to go on sale as a 2025 model, starting around $60,000 and cementing the brandâs reputation on the leading edge of automotive design.
Photo: Courtesy of Hyundai
âWithin Hyundai, IONIQ is our most innovative brand, and the product, therefore, is not there to conform to the mainstream,â says SangYup Lee, Hyundaiâs design head, who worked previously in advanced design at Cadillac and Bentley. âA typical boxy SUV might have been safer in the market. But this design exists in the innovative spirit and serves customer benefit, so I think itâs worth it to try.â
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Photo: Courtesy of Hyundai
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Photo: Courtesy of Hyundai
Lee classifies the exterior design as âaerosthetic,â the ultimate in aerodynamics. And the clean, windswept shape really enunciates this. Up front, there is a seamless, grille-less black monolith which hides all the sensors for the advanced driver assistance systems. Lee refers to this as âthe cassetteâ because, as technology advances, it can be popped out and replaced. Above this, the headlights adhere to the IONIQ signature âpixelâ look, with stacked squared lighting sources that, Lee says, are reminiscent of nostalgic 8-bit video games like Tetris, as well as current ones like Roblox.
