Hyundai Initium Hydrogen Concept Shows Where Design Is Headed Next

This new Hyundai close-to-production concept called the Initium previews an upcoming 2025 fuel-cell electric crossover. It also shows what we can expect from Hyundai's new "Art of Steel" design language. The Initium will likely be the de-facto replacement for the Nexo FCEV crossover.

Hyundai is changing its design language again, even though it didn’t even get to implement its last one across its entire global lineup. The new styling direction, which is called “Art of Steel,” looks like an evolution of what Hyundai has been doing with its Ioniq range of models with a bit more of a retro influence. And it will be previewed by a hydrogen-powered concept that not only looks interesting but can do some interesting things. 

That concept is called the Hyundai Initium, which will be unveiled at the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Powering the concept is a hydrogen fuel cell system that runs a 201 horsepower motor and it gives the Initium a claimed range of 404 miles (650 km) on one tank. That’s more than its predecessor, the Nexo, which could only manage 378 miles (609 km) and had 40 horsepower less.

Hyundai actually intends to produce the Initium starting in 2025, presumably as a replacement for the Nexo FCEV introduced in 2018, which in turn served as a replacement for the iX35 FCEV. Just like its hydrogen fuel cell predecessors, which only sold a couple thousand cars a year globally at best (most of them in South Korea), the Initium FCEV won’t be an important model for Hyundai on the world stage. But it will be important from a technology perspective—Hyundai, along with a few other automakers, aren't giving up on hydrogen fuel cells even as they invest vastly more resources into battery EVs. 

The Initium’s design is pretty bold, with excellent proportions, bulging wheel arches and simple fascias that feature light clusters with a pixel-like design. The C-pillar area must have been inspired by the Pontiac Aztek, because it looks very similar, including its slanted fastback-style rear glass. The concept’s 21-inch wheels feature aerodynamic covers to help reduce drag, but they also look pretty sporty as far as aero wheels go.