Recently Hyundai introduced another modernized boxy classic car from the iconic 80s. The Grandeur series is still in production to this day, and Hyundai decided to honor the heritage of this plush model by updating the very first Grandeur. Why this, you may ask? Grandeur car was the first Hyundai flagship sedan, so it holds a special place in this company.
How did Hyundai come up with Grandeur in the 80s?
Most of the South Korean luxury car market was dominated by Daewoo Royale (Opel Rekord) during the 80s. Hyundai also was keen to enter this market and decided to come up with their own land yacht. At the time, Daewoo motors was a much stronger and more sustainable company. So, they needed a solid ingredient for this recipe to succeed – that’s where `Mitsubishi stepped in.
Hyundai had close relations with Mitsubishi. They made an agreement that Hyundai will build their new luxury car with basis, engine, and internals borrowed from the outdated Mitsubishi Debonair. This led to an affordable, reliable, and very desired South Korean flagship Hyundai Grandeur.
What’s new in Hyundai Grandeur EV Restomod?
To put it short, Grandeur EV is redesigned to represent retro styling in all of its glory. It means that engineers and designers only changed the outdated bits like engine, powertrain, lighting, etc.
Hak-soo Ha, Head of Interior Group of the Hyundai Design Center, stated that “our designers have reinterpreted an important part of Hyundai’s history as a unique blend of vintage and contemporary that reflects the boundless possibilities of our EV era.”
It’s an all-electric car with most exterior changes being done to the lighting. Lights all around the vehicle were created using LED Parametric Pixel technology. The Interior received a lot of creative touches, though. All the dials were replaced with a comprehensive infotainment system, and the seats are covered in burgundy velvet, which is a solid blast to the glamorous 80s. The car also features a vastly improved audio system and modern ambient interior lighting.
Modern technology and retro styling are hard to balance without ruining each other. However, Hyundai pulled this gem off wonderfully. EVs are all about aerodynamics these days to preserve juice in batteries. But I am sure many old-schoolers would sacrifice some range to drive something like as classic as Hyundai Grandeur instead of a Mercedes-Benz EQS.
awesome looking restomod.
Nice