by Bennett Oghifo
Hyundai Motor Company has been awarded the 2020 Car Design Award in the “Concept Cars” category for its “Prophecy” concept EV, which debuted earlier this year.
The Car Design Awards, presented annually in Turin, Italy since 1984, is one of the industry’s most coveted prize ceremonies. It aims to celebrate and mark turning points in the future of transportation design. An international jury made up of representatives and some of the world’s most prestigious automotive magazines guarantees its competence and authoritativeness.
Hyundai’s appropriately named concept EV came in first in the “Concept” category of the 2020 Car Design Awards. “Prophecy” is notable for the way it combines Hyundai’s Sensuous Sportiness design identity with Optimistic Futurism, which aims to forge a new form of emotional connection between humans and automobiles.
Organised by Auto&Design magazine, the Car Design Awards were first established in 1984 and are presented annually in Turin, Italy. Due to the current situation, the awards were held digitally for the first time this year. The awards are assigned by an international jury made up of representatives of some of the most prestigious automotive publications in the world.
In awarding Hyundai with the prize, the jury praised “Prophecy” for its aerodynamic, natural shape inspired by streamlined sedans of the 1920s and 1930s, which is combined with a series of technical innovations: “‘Nautical’ inspiration came in the form of such details as the heat-extracting, propeller-style wheels. Rather than mimic a conventionally powered car, ‘Prophecy’ has no grille between its pixel headlamps, and the pixel design repeats with tail lamps that give the rear a sports car-like flourish.
“It has been a real pleasure working on this project, and we are delighted to win this prestigious Car Design Award for ‘Prophecy’. When we develop our concept cars, we look everywhere for inspiration, whether it’s the fashion or mobility industry,” said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Center. “With ‘Prophecy’, we tried to create a really positive optimism for the future based on very simplistic single curve forms that are memorable of eras of aerodynamic and streamlined cars but projected into the future.”
“Prophecy” applies Sensuous Sportiness in ways never before seen in Hyundai’s fleet. This design identity is most evident in the voluptuous side section, which is like that of a perfectly-weathered stone. It is cut by a clean and simple One Curve streamline, which extends from the front to rear with minimalist restraint. This underlines the timelessness of its design.
The dynamic and elegant boat-tail line created by the rear quarter panels appear to propel the form forward even when it is standing still.
