“CRATER began with a question: ‘What does freedom look like?’ This vehicle stands as our answer,” said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design. “It is a vision shaped by our unending drive to explore — to inspire our customers to explore deeper and embrace the impact of adventure.”

First Glance – CRATER Concept in Hyundai’s view (Marketing Babble alert>

• CRATER Concept’s 18-inch wheels were inspired by envisioning a hexagonal asteroid impacting a sheer metal landscape, leaving a fractal crater in its aftermath. The design evokes an off-road spirit, blending ruggedness with precision. The wheels are clad in generous 33-inch off-road tires, enabling superior traction and ground clearance for performance in all environments.
• A wide, functional skid plate stretches across CRATER Concept’s underbody, not only for added protection, but to visually anchor the vehicle. Its sheer surface and robust form express protection and capability.
• Roof Platform is imagined as the ideal mounting point for auxiliary lighting, additional storage, and other off-road accessories.
• Limb Risers are a pair of cables stretching from the front hood to the roof promise added protection from low-hanging branches on narrow and overgrown trails.
• Sheer Fender Design emphasizes CRATER Concept’s robotic and sculptural character through wide and prominent shoulders with sheer surfaces. Pushed to the extreme, this design feature reinforces the vehicle’s confident, planted stance, showcasing Hyundai’s ‘Art of Steel’ exterior design language.
• Protective-Utility-Case-inspired Rocker Panel – The rocker panels’ construction both suggest protection and utility, reinforcing the vehicle’s readiness for any terrain.
• Parametric Pixel and Indirect Lighting – CRATER Concept’s unique lighting signature is three-dimensional in form, creating a layered effect that adds depth and precision. Indirect lighting softly illuminates surrounding surfaces.
• Off-Road Lights – Auxiliary lights mounted on the roof feature Hyundai’s gradient parametric pixel theme.