This is the coolest news story I’ve seen all week. Yep, Hyundai wants to be the first brand to market with “Transformer-class” Ultimate Mobility Vehicles.
No, this isn’t April Fools and while we’ve only got pretty drawings to look at, Hyundai is determined to make good on its promise. To that end, Hyundai has just announced the creation of its New Horizons Studio and, yes, it does sound like something from a Marvel franchise.
Hyundai is serious, though and has tasked its New Horizons Studio with developing Ultimate Mobility Vehicles (UMVs). The idea is the Studio will think up vehicles that aren’t limited by terrain.
“The products will target customers who have a need for travel in unconventional and off-road terrain, including places where vehicles have never roamed before. These vehicles will be subject to more challenging applications and environments, adaptable to changing conditions. Pushing the boundaries of vehicle development, the unit will reimagine how vehicles might traverse the world,”
Hyundai’s New Horizons Studio is led by Vice President Dr. John Suhaid who said possibly the coolest thing any car executive has ever said, “We aim to create the world’s first transformer-class vehicle, also known as the Ultimate Mobility Vehicle”. Mike drop.
The Hyundai Elevate, teased back at CES in 2019 is the vehicle the Studio has tapped to begin developing. Can’t believe I’m writing this. Here’s how Hyundai describes it, “The vehicle does not rely solely on wheels and is expected to address challenging driving situations – for example, a car with robotic legs could save lives as the first responder in natural disasters; or, people who do not have access to an ADA ramp could hail a car to walk up to their front door, level itself, and allow wheelchairs to roll right in. Using a combination of robotics and wheeled locomotion technology, Elevate and other vehicles by New Horizons Studio are expected to redefine vehicular mobility”.
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This vehicle looks very strange. I think it will not see the light of day