Hyundai Motor Company Pay Tribute To Their Original Flagship Grandeur With An EV Conversion

Hyundai Motor Company Pay Tribute To Their Original Flagship Grandeur With An EV Conversion

I’m not really a fan of EV converting rare classics but there’s something about this Hyundai Grandeur EV conversion.

Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Grandeur Hyundai took an original 1986 model and turned it into something of a resto-mod and made it electric.

Forgetting the EV powertrain, the look and style of the car has that futuristic 1980s movie look to it and that’s a good thing. The Parametric Pixel exterior explains all of those grids, but they complement the boxy shape of the body.

Hyundai are going to continue to rediscover their brand through the Heritage Series, so it looks like there is more to look forward to.

This flagship sedan hasn’t just had the EV conversion and some new led lights added to the outside, it’s had the full treatment. And it’s the interior which really is quite stunning.

Now I no longer see this as a classic car, but more of a modern car with classic styling. If Hyundai offered this in the showrooms next to some alternative contemporary modern designs, I bet this would get more attention and probably customers. I think I could put up with the batteries with a car that looks this good.

There have been some updates to the exterior, new side mirrors, covered wheels, side mouldings and those pixel lights.

Hyundai Motor Company Pay Tribute To Their Original Flagship Grandeur With An EV Conversion Dash
Hyundai Motor Company Pay Tribute To Their Original Flagship Grandeur With An EV Conversion Interior Rear
Hyundai Motor Company Pay Tribute To Their Original Flagship Grandeur With An EV Conversion Interior Rear

That interior screams retro, or 1980s, with lots of burgundy velvet and some Napa leather. the fabrics are a great choice and who doesn’t like velvet. The combination of that with the stitched and laced auburn Napa leather back of the front seats.

The centre console armrest has a neat slide out compartment for hiding valuables and opposite the audio system is all modern, but with a period style interface.

You could almost believe it was a high tech car of the future from the 1980s until you look up at the dash. It’s straight out of today’s cars but doesn’t look out of place in here. Even the modernised steering wheel looks good, and that aircraft style gear selector is stylish. There’s a real coherence about the whole design.

Hyundai Grandeur EV Conversion
Hyundai Grandeur EV Conversion

The sound system designed by South Korean sound designer Guk-il Yu that controls the 18 speakers was incorporated into the interior by using the centre console and dashboard which were designed around concert hall acoustic theory. There’s even a piano function which can be played when the car is in park.

A light bean runs from front to back, extending from opposite ends of the dashboard, around the cabin to the B pillars to case a hue across the interior. The infinity mirrors reflect the light to give the rear passengers a sense of space.

Hyundai Grandeur EV Conversion
Hyundai Grandeur EV Conversion

Hyundai have already done something similar to a 1975 Pony, so there is likely to be a few more of these.

“As our designers conceive the future, it’s important to look back on what we’ve created in the past and find inspiration in it,” said Hak-soo Ha, Head of Interior Group of the Hyundai Design Centre. “With the Heritage Series Grandeur, our designers have reinterpreted an important part of Hyundai’s history as a wonderfully unique blend of vintage and contemporary that reflects the boundless possibilities of our EV era.”

Now Hyundai, make that Grandeur as a new car and you might be onto something.

Hyundai Grandeur EV Conversion

Thanks to Hyundai Motor Company for the images,

Simon

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