Sometimes, design needs a detour from the corporate playbook. That’s exactly what Hyundai did with the Obsidian: a striking concept car developed not by its in-house team, but by design students from the Munich University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
When Hyundai lets students drive
Led by a brief from Eduardo Ramirez, Hyundai Europe's design chief, students were asked to answer a deceptively open-ended question: “What could be the next enriching experience for Hyundai drivers?”
The result, penned by transportation design student Dominik Anders, is a five-door sports car with all the confidence of a flagship but none of the boardroom polish.
Visually, the Obsidian draws comparisons (unsurprisingly) to the Honda 0 Saloon concept.
The monolithic shape, low-slung stance, and clean surfacing all echo Honda’s show car. Yet Anders' take adds a sharp edge, literally and figuratively.
Red highlights accent the large alloys, while swollen arches, an aggressive chin spoiler, sculpted skirts and a wide rear diffuser hammer home the sporty intent.
Looks fast, feels futuristic (just don’t peek inside)
There’s no cabin to step into, and Hyundai isn’t revealing anything about what powers it. The concept is a static model, a pure design exercise.
The red-tinted opaque windows hint at a luxurious interior, but the lack of detail inside means it’s all suggestion, no substance - for now.
Hyundai has not disclosed any powertrain information, but the closed-off surfaces and electric-era proportions strongly imply a battery-powered layout.
The front features pixel-style LED lighting and a seamless transition from bonnet to windscreen - much like the Tesla Cybertruck’s uninterrupted glass canopy. No mirrors, no door handles. Just a clean, almost clinical execution of a bold design language.
More Obsidian, less original?
While visually compelling, the resemblance to Honda’s 0 Saloon raises questions about just how original this ‘vision’ really is.
Still, Hyundai seems unfazed, describing the concept on social media as “absolutely gorgeous.” Perhaps that’s the point when design students borrow what works and then push the brief further.
Unveiled at the 2025 Car Design Event in Munich, the Obsidian shared the spotlight with other Hyundai group concepts, including the Kia EV2, Initium and Genesis X Gran Convertible.
Unlike those, however, the Obsidian isn’t headed for showrooms as it's more for provocation rather than production.
And sometimes, that’s more fun.
