- Hyundai has unveiled the Crater Concept, showcasing a compact off-road SUV with the brand’s XRT design direction.
- The concept features Art of Steel exterior styling, 18-inch hexagonal wheels and functional off-road elements.
- Its interior introduces a full-width HUD, rugged materials and terrain-focused controls.
Hyundai has unveiled its latest design study, the Crater Concept, at AutoMobility LA 2025: a compact off-roader that reimagines the brand’s rugged XRT styling for a new generation of adventure-hungry drivers.
Conceived at Hyundai’s California design and technical centre (HATCI), Crater wears its American roots proudly, fusing practical utility with a hefty dose of design bravado.
SangYup Lee, Hyundai and Genesis Global Design boss, says the team started with one simple question: “What does freedom look like?” His answer is a striking little SUV sculpted around that idea, both metaphorically and literally.
Steel art and asteroid wheels
The exterior language, dubbed “Art of Steel,” takes inspiration from Hyundai’s advanced metal-forming tech. Its sheer panels and confident shoulders evoke the pliability and strength of the material itself in a sort of sculpture in motion.
The Crater’s 18-inch hexagonal wheels, wrapped in burly 33-inch off-road tyres, were designed to look like an asteroid strike frozen in time, while a wide skid plate and limb risers add to the expedition aesthetic.
Even the recovery hooks and detachable side-mirror cameras are functional party tricks: the former doubles as a bottle opener, the latter as portable flashlights.
Finished in Dune Gold Matte, the concept’s paint captures California’s sun-washed cliffs and sagebrush. Pops of anodised orange give a playful contrast - Hyundai’s reminder that capability doesn’t have to mean camo.
Inside the Crater
The cabin embraces what Hyundai calls “The Curve of Upholstery”, or tough materials softened by form and light.
Think crash-pad ambient glow filtering through perforated metal, wraparound seats with four-point harnesses and a visible roll cage that doubles as both structure and statement.
A full-width head-up display replaces the usual cluster, while a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) setup lets users integrate their own tech ecosystem.
Controls are tactile and purpose-built: a terrain mode selector for Snow, Sand, and Mud sits beside analogue-style dials for traction and braking. Hyundai says the design hints at future XRT models that blend durability with digital customisation, or vehicles that look as ready for the Mojave as they are for the Monday commute.
Crater will remain on show in Los Angeles through November 30, sharing space with the new 2026 Palisade, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 N.
Whether or not it reaches production, Hyundai’s little explorer suggests the next evolution of off-road style may be forged (quite literally) in steel.
