Hyundai Ix-onic Concept - Auto Shows

This Geneva auto show–bound five-passenger crossover concept was designed by Hyundai’s design team in Rüsselsheim, Germany, as “a car of contrasts for a world of contrasts,” but the only contrast we see is between the concept’s sharp styling and Hyundai’s dowdy brand image. The company says the name is pronounced “ik-sonic,” which just conjures images of burger joints or spiky-haired blue hedgehogs. The look is not necessarily iconic, but between this car and Rhys Millen’s drifting Genesis coupe, you might think Hyundai was trying to reinvent itself.

In profile or from the rear, the ix-onic’s creased fender bulges and pinched side glass look like a more sharply honed Buick Enclave. Up front is a squashed hexagonal grille bisected by a hefty plastic beam like those of Hyundai’s past Veloster and Qarmaq concepts, which seems destined to become a part of the corporate design language. The Lexan rear window seems destined for the dumpster behind the design studio. Ditto, sadly, the handsome 21-inch wheels. Their six paired spokes twist and spread in a way that traps your eye and forces you to stare for a moment to determine which is matched with which.

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