- Despite reports the N Vision 74 wasn’t slated for production, one Hyundai executive says it’s still possible.
- The concept relies on an EV and fuel-cell hybrid system, drawing power from either the rear-mounted electric motors, the hydrogen powertrain, or a combination of the two.
- If the Pony-inspired car makes it to production, unknown is what type of electric powertrain it would use.
The Hyundai N Vision 74 concept took the car enthusiast world by storm last year when it was revealed—an arresting, low-slung, retro-futuristic ode to the forgotten 1970s Hyundai Pony Coupe concept—and now we’ve got new details, and the latest going on with the project. At an intimate design preview for the new Hyundai Kona in Berlin, Germany, we caught up with Sang Hyeon Park, head of EV business strategy for the rapidly rising Korean automaker.
Importantly, despite reports in the last few months that the N Vision 74 wasn’t going to make it to production, Park says it’s still very much possible, and that Hyundai is looking at the business case, determining the required investment, and what it would take to make the 74 a reality. However it would come to fruition, this would be a limited-production model, “less than 1000 cars globally,” Park tells Autoweek.
He says among other factors, Hyundai will look closely to reaction of the Ioniq 5 N, to determine the appetite for a performance model like the 74. The Ioniq 5 N, which launches later this year, will use a similar dual-motor setup as the Kia EV6 GT. The N Vision 74 concept used an innovative EV and fuel-cell hybrid system, and could be powered by either the rear-mounted electric motors, the hydrogen powertrain, or a combination of the two.
When asked what would power a production N 74, Park says they were still determining what was possible, but similarly, the automaker was looking at electric motors, a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, or a hybrid of the two. Letting a small smile slip, the head of EV biz assured the powertrain would “make a powerful impact in the market.”
The Hyundai N Vision 74 was penned by Hyundai head of design, SangYup Lee. Lee, was just named the 2023 World Car Person of the Year, for his recent creative work on the Ioniq 6, Hyundai Kona, and N Vision 74. Lee, who was previously with Bentley, GM, and many others, told us on flights he always found himself sketching the same car, the one we now know as the N Vision 74. As eager as a lot of people are, Park says the timeline for a production version is “about three to four years” from rolling on public roads.
