Hyundai has been pushing the envelope of automotive design for the higher a part of a decade. What’s extra, it doesn’t merely copy and paste one set of styling cues throughout quite a lot of car sizes and styles.
The automaker’s “chess piece” technique implies that its completely different designs are tailor-made to phase wants, whereas remaining recognizable throughout a broad set of design rules. A Santa Fe SUV and an Ioniq 5 electrical crossover, for instance, look completely different as a result of they serve completely different functions and enchantment to completely different clients.
On the 2026 New York Worldwide Auto Present, Hyundai stunned everybody by unveiling its body-on-frame Boulder concept and the most recent iteration of its design language, known as ‘Artwork of Metal.’ We spoke to Brad Arnold, Head of Hyundai Design North America, in regards to the idea and Hyundai’s distinctive design philosophy.
(The next dialog has been frivolously edited for readability and size.)
Picture by: Hyundai
Brad Arnold: We have been specializing in XRT rather a lot the final five-ish years. However it began with the Santa Cruz. We developed that car for the US, and it was our first entry into autos extra targeted on outside actions. Clearly, that is grown rather a lot to the purpose the place we’re at now, the place we’re stepping into body-on-frame.
However yeah, the world of emphasis once we had been beginning to design this was that time period stronger, not louder, and designing one thing that lets the honesty of the product come by way of to the floor and be mirrored within the closing design. A bumper is a bumper, a tow hook is a tow hook. Let’s embrace that because the distinctive design options.
And in addition, as SangYup [Lee, head of Hyundai Global Design] talked about in his presentation, the ‘Artwork of Metal,’ embracing the supplies that we’re constructing this out of, and making an attempt to not torture these interiors or these supplies right into a form that they do not need to go into, ?
I believe manufacturing processes of the previous restricted what designers may do with the floor. In order that’s why they ended up being fairly iconic and easy. And I believe folks yearn for lots of that simplicity and honesty in as we speak’s design world. In order that was one thing that we targeted rather a lot on, letting it communicate for itself, letting it’s sincere and genuine to what you are utilizing it for.
Picture by: Hyundai
I believe the wonderful thing about Hyundai is it is a fast-moving, lean firm, and virtually all the pieces we do is getting used not directly, proper? There is no room for doing a design train only for the design train’s sake and letting it go within the trash. So all the pieces that you just see from us, sometimes, is a model of one thing that is coming down the street. No pun meant.
However for this particularly, we’re engaged on lots of completely different derivatives and variations of journey autos, US-focused autos, so positively, it is one thing that is ruminating all through the corporate. It is an thrilling journey for us, particularly being the US Design Studio.
So I discussed the ‘Artwork of Metal’ being the inspiration that fashioned the physique, fashioned the fenders, letting the honesty and integrity of the fabric come by way of to the design. However one other actually enjoyable a part of that’s when now we have a very sincere rolling part like this [points to rear tailgate and taillight], it provides lots of depth to the lamp that, at first look, is like large, delicate pixels.
So, from distant, throughout the intersection, it has a daring, memorable look to it. However upon additional inspection, there are lots of stunning technical particulars. And in addition the ambient mild that it casts onto the floor attracts your consideration to the place you are purported to seize so ensuring that even within the design and the cascading mild that we’re drawing consideration to the areas that must be useful, you possibly can put your hand in right here and really feel the part of that on both both aspect, like a dual-hinged tailgate, however letting that similar to, what’s probably the most comfy seize imaginable? Proper? It is like mountain climbing, like a few of these handholds.
I do not rock climb, however now we have a few of that stuff in our studio for inspiration, and that drove lots of [conversation]. What’s probably the most comfy part we are able to construct that is not a separate deal with? Simply seize the floor and open it.
Picture by: Hyundai
No, I believe [it is practical]. But in addition, you may make it a single unit, and it may be inserted from the again. However no, it could positively seem like this.
Probably, however for us, it was much less about desirous to create a boxy form and creating one thing in structure that’s the most helpful for the shopper. Usually, the form is formed for a cause, proper?
What we would like is to offer to the purchasers probably the most quantity of visibility to the skin expertise that they are driving by way of, additionally probably the most quantity of inside house, so it would not really feel like we’re claustrophobic, and bins are fairly environment friendly at doing that, proper?
Anytime the tumblehome and the windscreen are extra upright, the inside house feels rather a lot larger, after which it lets you open the window graphics up rather a lot to guarantee that the sunshine from the setting you are driving by way of is flooding in. So already that drives a fairly functional-looking aesthetic, but it surely’s pushed by wanting to offer them one of the best expertise whereas they’re driving the car. Not like, ‘Okay, we need to make the factor boxy.’
I believe it’s going to shape-shift relying on what we’re making an attempt to design for it. On this case, it was probably the most useful to make it this form. It additionally permits for lots of versatility. When the factor is a little bit bit extra linear, it is simpler so that you can mount issues on it, proper? Yeah, all the pieces’s bought enormous quantities of aircraft view, crown, part, and elevation change. It’s extremely tough to make a ladder or a field or an adjunct equipment as a result of it is like, nicely, it is solely going to suit this one automotive on this one location. So I believe that additionally speaks to the liberty of expression, like giving the shopper the largest quantity of flexibility that we are able to to guarantee that your Boulder appears to be like completely different than mine.
I believe that is a novel method for patrons to place their stamp on a car like this. It is like, ‘nicely, I’m going kayaking, I’m going climbing,’ and so they need to put on that badge of honor on the car, proper? Even when it is not one thing they do on a regular basis, they need to type of characterize, I am the climbing individual. I am the canoeing individual. I am the biking individual.
Picture by: Hyundai
Particularly for doing outside, adventure-focused autos, it frees you up fairly a bit, proper? It provides you a platform that’s inherently extra succesful than unibody.
You possibly can clearly develop a unibody car to be very succesful, however this platform permits us a place to begin that is inherently extra succesful. So that you could be easier, since you needn’t embellish upon one thing poor when it comes to capabilities, you possibly can let the true proportions of a brief wheelbase, quick overhangs, high-ground-clearance automotive, simply that is already cool, proper?
And I believe that is the kind of car that, if most youngsters are handed a marker and say, draw an SUV or draw a truck, that is what they draw, proper? And it is in all of our unconscious, that is what a truck ought to seem like. I do not need to say it is simpler, as a result of it is nonetheless an enormous problem, however it’s. It’s one thing that we let the inherent functionality of the car be represented within the closing design. And never attempt to get in the best way with styling. You have to present lots of restraint on a car like this.
I believe very a lot so. We nonetheless speak in regards to the chess items internally and externally. It is a great way for us to remind ourselves that the shopper simply needs the absolute best product; they don’t seem to be as impressed with, ‘However that is the grille that now we have on all the opposite automobiles,’ proper?
It permits the design group and the product improvement group to deal with constructing the absolute best product for every want. And we hold utilizing the chess piece analogy, as a result of it is a great way for us to see that the general picture of the car could be completely different each single time, however the bases are all the identical. So it retains some degree of consistency.
And for me, internally, once we communicate of the designers, the consistency is that this model, from its inception, has been the corporate and the shopper shaking fingers, proper? That is the type of the [Hyundai logo] H. And if we remind ourselves all through every undertaking that that is what we’re doing right here, that we’re making an attempt to maintain the deal with the shopper and their experiences. It permits us better freedom to sketch the form. I do not need to say it would not matter, but it surely comes secondary to the expertise we’re making an attempt to ship.
Picture by: Hyundai
We talked rather a lot about ‘Artwork of Metal’ once we had been designing this car, and once we bought to particulars just like the wheels or the tow hooks, what is the easiest technique to illustrate the performance that we’re delivering on that element?
So the tow hook, what does it must do? It has to connect in these two areas, and it has to loop to offer you quantity, to place the shackle or rope behind. Identical factor with the wheels. How can we offer you a sense of connection and power, however hold it so simple as potential? So you will see very nice drill bit particulars on the aspect for light-weighting, however if you look at it, it’s, say, acquainted, proper?
It is a six-spoke wheel. I believe each child, given a marker, can type of characterize what a tough-looking wheel is. This could be one thing that they might draw, however we add one thing particular to it as we refine.
We actually wished to have fun the gaps between surfaces. I believe when something turns into actually flush, your mind mechanically begins to suppose, ‘Properly, that is not an actual bumper. That is not an actual tow hook.’
With autos like this, celebrating the gaps and celebrating the detrimental house is actually fairly highly effective, proper? And displaying the bodily connection to issues conveys connection. Additionally, it simply attracts your eye to the tow hook. You do not have to seek for it, proper? So I believe that motif grew to become one thing that we performed with rather a lot.
