Auto & Bike Blog: Le Fil Rouge Concept: The Future Hyundai?

Friday 9 March 2018

Le Fil Rouge Concept: The Future Hyundai?

Hyundai recently unveiled the Le Fil Rouge (HDC-1) concept at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. As the name implies, Le Fil Rouge (common thread) is Hyundai’s belief that past, present, and future designs are interconnected.

“Le Fil Rouge is a reinterpretation of Hyundai’s design DNA that originated from the brand’s historical Hyundai Coupe Concept in 1974,” explained Luc Donckerwolke, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai’s Design Center.

Four Points

Is this a new era for Hyundai and a preview of what their next cars will look like? It appears so. Hyundai calls this new design “Sensuous Sportiness,” which centers on four different but distinct traits: proportion, architecture, styling, and technology. Here is a brief look at what these four individual elements mean.

“Building on our long history of creating distinctive and sporty character in vehicles, we will open a new era for Hyundai design,” Donckerwolke said.

The Hyundai Le Fil Rouge concept at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show.

Proportion & Architecture

Proportion will be achieved through things like a longer wheel base, larger wheels, and shorter overhangs. The proportion aspect also involves how the driver will sit in the car and how the roofline impacts the vehicle’s appearance. In a similar way, the architecture component – or “Light Architecture” as Hyundai dubs it – will create a forward-motion look and feel.

“Tube Architecture” is the expansion of Light Architecture, only on the inside. The idea, according to Hyundai, is to create an emotional response inside the vehicle that matches the exterior. Tube Architecture also accounts for the interior’s overall ergonomics while prioritizing a lightweight design to increase performance.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company.

Styling & Technology

Although styling seems to be the biggest element, what Hyundai really wants is for their cars to be recognized from a distance; and this new design language incorporates the artistic elements necessary to make that happen. The technology part seems self explanatory, but with regard to where Hyundai wants to go, it shows up in little, unexpected ways.

“Our goal is to build a beloved brand by creating vehicles with heightened emotional value to reshape the landscape of car design,” said Sang-yup Lee, Vice President and Head of Hyundai Styling.”

Tech for Hyundai means more than just intuitive controls and panoramic floating displays, but also re-vitalized wood and special fabrics that create emotion when a driver sits down. The Sensuous Sportiness theme will expand to all Hyundai vehicles, from sedans to SUVs. The ultimate goal is to bring new levels of beauty, charisma, and desirability to the product lineup.

“This is the foundation of our concept,” Lee added.