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Hyundai has just revealed a wild new off-roader concept at this year’s LA motor show.
Dubbed the Crater Concept, it’s described as a compact off-road SUV. Hyundai hasn’t detailed the dimensions, though it looks to be a similar size to the Tucson mid-size SUV.
This concept was created to show what the ultimate off-roader would currently be for Hyundai. It follows the spirit of a number of off-road-oriented XRT models, including the Ioniq 5 XRT, Santa Cruz XRT and Palisade XRT Pro.
Australia currently gets a range of XRT accessory packages for the Santa Fe seven-seat family SUV.
The Crater concept has been designed with the company’s ‘Art of Steel’ exterior design language in mind, much like the new Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell SUV.
It features many bulges and creases to show how tough it is and to make it stand out.
The company’s pixel lighting signature features as a motif around the vehicle, as well as on the roof-mounted driving lights.
There are also coach rear doors that reveal there’s no B-pillar. This is very common for concepts, though rarely ever makes it to production.
Highlight exterior features include 18-inch wheels with a hexagonal design that are wrapped in 33-inch off-road tyres, a wide skid plate, roof platform, limb risers on the bonnet to stop branches from hitting the windscreen, as well as built-in recovery hooks that can double as bottle openers.
Inside the Crater concept is extremely futuristic with a four-seat layout. It’s an intentionally minimalist design which is meant to invoke a rugged look and show how the space is configurable.
There’s a squared-off steering wheel that has a centre-mounted pixel display, as well as easily accessible buttons for the Snow, Sand, Mud and Auto off-road drive modes.
Interestingly there’s no central touchscreen multimedia system. Instead, Hyundai is claiming that you can bring your own device to customise the digital experience however you’d like.
Other interior highlights include a functional roll cage, individual bucket seats with four-point seatbelts, a removable bluetooth speaker, as well as a first aid kit and fire extinguisher.
Hyundai hasn’t provided any technical information about the Crater concept. It’s unclear if it has an engine or if it is electric.
The South Korean carmaker also hasn’t confirmed whether this car will eventually make it to production.
