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Hyundai Prophecy concept previews curve-heavy EV styling

It definitely doesn't look like any other Hyundai -- or any other car, for that matter.

hyundai-prophecy-promo
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So. Many. Curves.

Hyundai

As electric vehicles change how automakers approach design, it gives each company a chance to pull from an entirely new area of inspiration, creating looks that might be a bit more daring than usual. latest concept definitely runs with the idea of creating something unique for future EVs.

Hyundai on Tuesday unveiled the Prophecy electric concept car. Built atop a platform dedicated to electric vehicles, the Prophecy's on-the-nose name all but tells us that Hyundai will be looking to incorporate some of these design elements in its future cars . It's a wild departure from last year's concept EV, the 45, which leaned more heavily on vintage rectilinear looks.

Curves are the name of the game with the Prophecy. Every square inch of the car is curvy and sleek, with the light creating interesting shapes no matter where it lands on the car's body. Because there's no engine to worry about, there's barely any front overhang. The rear end is significantly wilder than the front, with a strange clear spoiler and a whole lot of interesting textures just below it. The transparent look of the spoiler is found elsewhere on the car, meant to show off the components at work that would ordinarily be hidden.

Hyundai Prophecy concept

More plaid? No problems.

Hyundai

My absolute favorite part of the car is its "pixelated" headlight design. It looks plucked straight out of a science-fiction novel, and best of all, Hyundai has committed to using this specific design element in its future cars.

If you thought the exterior was wild, just wait. In addition to hosting some boss plaid fabric, the Hyundai Prophecy's interior is all about maximizing space, starting with the suicide doors that offer up dead-simple ingress and egress. Joysticks replace the steering wheel, and screens wrap around the upper part of the dashboard.

Other than being electric, we don't know anything about the Prophecy's powertrain. But that's fine, because the mechanicals aren't the point: This design study exists to give us an idea of how Hyundai will design future EVs. And by the looks of it, the future's going to be a weird and cool place.

Hyundai Prophecy EV concept goes heavy on the curves

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Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.

Article updated on March 3, 2020 at 6:40 AM PST

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Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
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