In the automotive space, it's no surprise that the interior of a vehicle is much more important than we're led to believe. Regardless, Hyundai's fresh Ioniq brand looks to redefine our definition of what the cabin should be – with EVs becoming increasingly popular, they allow a lot more headway for more ambitious features. As such, the Korean automaker has teamed up with LG Electronics to create a never-before-seen experience.
To give customers a peek at what the future could look like, the pair of Korean industry giants has built a proof of concept. With the extra space and power supply capacity on tap, the Hyundai sub-brand aims to integrate home electronics and appliances in its future Ioniq models. You won't be able to do your laundry and cooking on the interstate all of a sudden, but the possibilities look promising.
"The Ioniq Concept Cabin is one of a kind and an unprecedented approach to enhancing customer experience, as it can be customized for different needs and lifestyles," said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor Company.
While there will be "Clothing Care" and "Shoe Butler" facilities onboard to make your day that little bit less stressful, it doesn't just end there. One of the focal points of the interior lies in the ceiling-mounted 77-inch flexible OLED screen, large enough for two people to enjoy their own content simultaneously – to prevent any tiffs over volume levels, the headrests for each occupant will have speakers inside them creating separate sound zones for each side.
From the attached photograph, it appears that the cabin will blur the lines between the automotive and household industries – things like wood flooring and smart home features can be spotted throughout the cabin surrounded by an almost 360-degree field of glass. The new models will also offer a floor cleaning robot and overhead UV LED lights to ensure the cabin is tidy and disinfected.
Hyundai says the flashy interior goodies will debut on its IONIQ 5 model, set to launch in early 2021. Pricing remains unknown but the Hyundai sub-brand shows no signs of letting off the gas in the innovation department.
