Hyundai teases SEVEN ahead of LA debut

HYUNDAI has provided a sneak peek of its upcoming Seven all-electric SUV concept ahead of its public world debut at the Automobility show in Los Angeles later this month.

The South Korean manufacturer says the “sleek and spacious” Seven captures its future design, technological innovations and hints at a new SUV model to join its Ioniq battery electric vehicle range – hinting that the model could become the Ioniq 7.

Like the Ioniq 5, the interior of the Seven features a personalisable “premium lounge experience” with surfaces constructed from eco-friendly materials that Hyundai says “reflects the changing lifestyles of its customers”.

According to Hyundai, the Seven will reveal “a form following function design that dares to diverge from traditions of the internal combustion era”.

Like the Ioniq 5, the Seven is built on Hyundai’s E-GMP (electric global modular platform) scalable architecture, suggesting similar outputs and range figures to those of its smaller sibling.

As the Ioniq 5 is available in two- and all-wheel drive formats, the same may be true of the upcoming Seven.

The Ioniq 5 is Hyundai’s first dedicated battery electric model. It was released in Australia last month priced from $71,900 plus on-road costs and is equipped with a 72.6kWh lithium-ion polymer battery offering a driving range of up to 451km on the NEDC cycle.

All 240 available examples of the battery electric vehicle were sold within three hours of going on sale Down Under.

Powered by either a single 160kW/350Nm motor driving the rear axle or a pair of electric motors developing a combined system figure of 225kW/605Nm for the all-wheel drive variant, the Ioniq 5’s charging times range from 31 hours using the portable charger and domestic 240V/10A outlet to just 18 minutes for a 10-80 per cent fast charge when connected to a 350kW DC fast charger.

Hyundai’s E-GMP battery architecture is super-fast charging ready, capable of drawing power from any DC source up to 800 volts without having to make manual adjustments.

“Being conscious of the battery range has always been a big hurdle for EV drivers, but thankfully range anxiety is a thing of the past,” Hyundai said upon releasing details of its E-GMP architecture last year.

“No longer will you have to compromise your journey by recharging every couple of hours, as the E-GMP includes a large-capacity battery offering 500km of driving range in a single charge.”

The low floor of the E-GMP also allows Hyundai to extract greater cabin space and flexibility from its Ioniq models, hinting that the Seven may offer seating for six, seven, or even eight passengers.

“Unlike past electric platforms, which relied on a platform designed for an internal combustion engine, the new E-GMP is tailored specifically for EVs. With no engine or driveshaft, the proportions are radically different, meaning the cabin floor has a larger, flatter floor space,” Hyundai said in a statement.

“This means you are able to configure the interior to best meet your individual needs and create a car that truly fits your lifestyle. Whether that means installing a workstation or zero-gravity reclining seats for a near horizontal recline, you can create a memorable in-car experience, using space as you see fit.”

Hyundai will debut the Seven at Automobility LA on November 17.