Hyundai is killing it in the EV world. Every electric vehicle unveiling proves the Korean automaker is charging full-steam ahead without compromise. But this week, it outdid itself with a vehicle that absolutely needs to be put into production, the N Vision 74 Concept, a vehicle based on the Hyundai Pony Coupe concept introduced in 1974.
It needs to be in customer driveways and on public roads delighting owners and other drivers. Who wouldn’t want to see this driving around their neighborhood? It’s an amazing throwback to a previous concept vehicle, and frankly, if Honda and Volkswagen can make retro work, why not Hyundai.
The Uphill Battle for the Honda E
I’ve written a few words about how the Honda E needs to be brought to the United States. Honda is notoriously late to the EV transition, and the Honda E could act as a halo vehicle in the US that builds goodwill in the electric car world while also buying the automaker some time to get its electric vehicle lineup on the road.
Still, it’s not coming to the US, likely ever, and in fact, there was a chance it never would have happened at all. Some in Honda’s upper management were not too keen on the Honda E coming to market. Fortunately, their short-sightedness didn’t prevail, and Europeans have the cute-as-a-button, retro-inspired E available for purchase.
What started as a concept car morphed into a production vehicle, and while it never landed stateside, it was built even against the wishes of some Honda executives. The will of the people won out. That should bode well for those really into the Hyundai N Vision 74, maybe making it to full production.
No matter how hard it might be to build, good nostalgia sells.
The Vantastic ID.Buzz
Volkswagen was always upfront about the ID.Buzz coming to market. Sure it took what seems like forever, but the automaker wanted to get the ID.3 and ID.4 out on the road before they put their electric microbus into production. It makes sense to appease the masses with high-volume vehicles, then sell the fun retro-van.
Even if Volkswagen wasn’t initially interested in building the ID.Buzz, once the public saw it, the company really didn’t have much choice. It was an instant hit at auto shows and on the internet. Turns out there’s a portion of the public that wants something more than a utilitarian-looking vehicle.
As an automotive journalist, I get more questions about the ID.Buzz from regular people than any other vehicle. I’m guessing Volkswagen will have difficulty keeping up with demand, which is a good thing for an automaker taking a chance on a retro design in an electric vehicle. But it’s not going to be surprising.
No matter how hard it might be to build, good nostalgia sells.
The Already Retro Hyundai Ioniq 5
But if there was ever a piece of evidence that Hyundai could possibly put the N Vision 74 into production, it’s the Ioniq 5. The small SUV/hatchback is oozing with 90s hot hatch nostalgia wrapped up in 80s video game pixel art. The vehicle might as well blare Duran Duran nonstop as it drives down the road.
It’s also a magnificent vehicle. No matter how many times I’ve driven it, I still adore the Ioniq 5 for everything it does technology- and market-wise. It’s outstanding.
It also gives Hyundai the license to introduce more retro-cool EVs. Maybe one based on a 1974 concept that’s currently a rolling laboratory of EV and hydrogen technology.
Like the Honda E before it, the N Vision 74 has garnered a huge following and calls for the design to be put into production. The vehicle is currently being used to test the racetrack capabilities of an EV/fuel cell hybrid. But it’ll also show up at auto shows over the next few years. Everywhere it goes it’ll likely draw a huge crowd, possibly overshadowing actual production vehicles Hyundai is showing off.
And that’s the rub. Hyundai says it has no plans to put the vehicle into production. Although, plans do change, and if the N Vision 74 keeps pulling attention away from vehicles that are coming to the road, the company may just give in and give us an EV that brings the styling and some of the power we’re seeing in the rolling lab.
All we have to do is make sure Hyundai knows we’re interested. Very interested.
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