Hyundai Motor unveils SEVEN concept electric SUV
18 November 2021
Hyundai Motor Company revealed SEVEN, the new sport utility electric vehicle (SUEV) concept at AutoMobility LA. Following the 45 concept in 2019 and the Prophecy concept in 2020, the SEVEN concept opens a new chapter for the IONIQ brand, Hyundai’s dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) showcase.
SEVEN concept is built upon Hyundai Motor Group’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), a dedicated BEV architecture. E-GMP’s long wheelbase and flat platform floor enables a completely new class of vehicle that offers new experiences for customers.
Due to the versatile E-GMP platform, SEVEN will be able to provide outstanding driving range and ultra-fast charging capabilities, delivering a driving experience tailored to customer’s needs. In a real-world situation with a 350-kW charger, SEVEN is capable of charging from 10 percent to 80 percent in about 20 minutes. The concept is also engineered to achieve a target range of more than 300 miles.
SEVEN has an aerodynamically pure silhouette instinctively divergent from a typical SUV. The low, leading edge of the hood, a single, streamlined roofline and elongated wheelbase communicate a clear break from traditional SUVs powered by internal combustion engines.
In support of SEVEN’s powerful road presence are wheels that feature integrated Active Air Flaps, which deploy or retract depending on brake-cooling or low-drag requirements.
SEVEN is easily identified at night by IONIQ’s signature Parametric Pixel lights that deliver a Welcome Light Sequence on start-up. Parametric Pixels provide a common design thread, linking digital and analog styles, a reminder that its designers considered every aspect of SEVEN’s design, down to a single pixel.
SEVEN’s wheelbase reaches 3.2 meters, thanks to its design cue to push the wheels outward to extend the wheelbase as much as possible. The flat floor allows Hyundai Motor to explore an alternative to the traditional row-based seat arrangements, creating a more fluid interior layout. The Pillarless Coach Doors offer a grand entrance to reveal a welcoming interior with a completely new dimension of space. The streamlined roofline, long wheelbase and flat floor that extends to the third row opens new opportunities to furnish the interior like a premium lounge.
SEVEN also embodies Hyundai’s future vision of autonomous mobility. The driver’s seat features a retractable control stick that hides away when not in use. Without the need for the usual driver’s equipment, the ultra slim cockpit and integrated screens create a lounge-like experience. The seat arrangement is unlike traditional SUVs, with swiveling lounge chairs and a curved bench seat. This seat arrangement can be customized depending on driver-controlled or autonomous driving modes.
SEVEN has a Universal Island console, specially designed home appliances and a multi-functional Smart Hub graphic user interface. When the Smart Hub and front seats combine with the rear chaise-lounge seating, SEVEN becomes an environment where customers can experience quality time alone or together in the glow of side-door ambient light. In transit, SEVEN’s built-in mini fridge provides chilled refreshment on the go and shoe-care compartments refresh passengers’ footwear.
SEVEN uses various eco-friendly materials while offering segment-leading hygienic features, such as Hygiene Airflow System and UVC Sterilization.
Hyundai applied bio-paint to SEVEN’s exterior and hygienically-recycled and renewable materials throughout the interior. Mineral plaster, bamboo wood and carpet, bio resin and interior paint are based on renewable sources that can reduce pollution from the production process. Extensive use of copper and hygienically treated fabric with proven antibacterial functions ensure all surfaces inside SEVEN remain clean at all times.
The Hygiene Airflow System takes inspiration from the sophisticated airflow management of passenger aircrafts. In its vertical mode, air is taken in through built in air intakes in the roof rails from which the air travels from above to below, and extracted through the exterior vent behind the rear wheels. In its horizontal mode, the air flows from the slim dashboard to the rear vents.
This system can activate independently whether the vehicle is in motion or not to reduce cross-contamination among passengers and isolates the airflow between front and rear occupants.
UVC Sterilization activates once the vehicle is vacated of its passengers. The control stick, first-row storage drawer and speakers pop up. Then, integrated sanitizing UVC lights help clean the living space of bacteria and viruses. In addition, there are sanitizing storage compartments in the bench and Smart Hub console for personal belongings.
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