In an effort to boost Hyundai’s brand recognition and sales, the automaker will put more design differentiation into coming generations of their cars. Hyundai’s Senior VP of Design and head of the Hyundai Design Centre says, “Across the whole model lineup, each car will have its own character, its own personality. There will be a Hyundai DNA, but there won’t be any clones. You will not see the same design elements applied systematically to all models.”
Using the new Kona as an example, Donckerwalke says the subcompact CUV’s cladding (Hyundai call it “armour”) won’t appear on any of the brand’s other models.
And while it’s being applied brand-wide, including on the Kona and the refreshed Sonata sedan, the new signature cascading grille will differ by model. Donckerwalke told Wards Auto, “The grille is…never to be the same. Otherwise you’ll just end up scaling something. Proportion will change. I still have some years to create, and I don’t want to get bored.”
Elements of the Kona’s look that will carry through the brand’s other models include its “composite-lamp face”, Donckerwalke says. The Kona has high, slit-style LED headlamps with an underslung combination daytime running light and turn indicator.
