Photo: Genesis
As hilarious as it may sound, the headline is right. SangYup Lee, the vice president of design at Hyundai Motor since 2016, “wants to add an emotional touch to Hyundai products through designs that are just as sexy as Alfa Romeo.” Dearest SangYup, it’s not impossible to achieve such as feat, but the brand you’re representing doesn’t have a tenth of the pedigree and charisma of Alfa Romeo, two elements that add up to the brand's design.
Speaking to Automotive News, the design official says the change will come in the next few years. On the other hand, one thing will remain; and that is the cascading grille. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying we can all agree than Alfa Romeo’s mons pubis-shaped grille is a much more evocative and sensual design.
The first step in this direction is the Le Fil Rouge, a bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful concept showcased in March at Geneva. But back on planet Earth, the 48-year-old designer will find it hard to adapt all of those styling elements to production reality, more so if you consider the safety legislation that hampers down on automotive design.
Even though Hyundai will never be just as sexy as Alfa Romeo, one thing is certain. SangYup Lee has an interesting portfolio to his name, including the fifth generation of the Chevrolet Camaro, Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept, and C6 Corvette Stingray concept from 2009.
When asked about how the market continues to embrace the crossover trend like there’s no tomorrow, SangYup replied that “this is the big challenge. The sedan is not going to die. That means you've got to do more on the sedan than the conventional three-box with a boring look.” Reading between the lines, the Genesis luxury brand will be the stomping ground of the next-generation design language that will trickle down to Hyundai as well.
In addition to the G70, G80, and G90, the more luxurious brother of Hyundai prepares to roll out two crossover utility vehicles. A third crossover and an electric vehicle are planned for 2021. If one of those crossovers looks anything like the GV80 FCEV concept, then yes, Genesis is on the right path as far as exterior design is concerned.
The first step in this direction is the Le Fil Rouge, a bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful concept showcased in March at Geneva. But back on planet Earth, the 48-year-old designer will find it hard to adapt all of those styling elements to production reality, more so if you consider the safety legislation that hampers down on automotive design.
Even though Hyundai will never be just as sexy as Alfa Romeo, one thing is certain. SangYup Lee has an interesting portfolio to his name, including the fifth generation of the Chevrolet Camaro, Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept, and C6 Corvette Stingray concept from 2009.
When asked about how the market continues to embrace the crossover trend like there’s no tomorrow, SangYup replied that “this is the big challenge. The sedan is not going to die. That means you've got to do more on the sedan than the conventional three-box with a boring look.” Reading between the lines, the Genesis luxury brand will be the stomping ground of the next-generation design language that will trickle down to Hyundai as well.
In addition to the G70, G80, and G90, the more luxurious brother of Hyundai prepares to roll out two crossover utility vehicles. A third crossover and an electric vehicle are planned for 2021. If one of those crossovers looks anything like the GV80 FCEV concept, then yes, Genesis is on the right path as far as exterior design is concerned.
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