Ioniq 5

Make
Hyundai
Segment
SUV

Hyundai has teamed up with Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio to recreate its 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe Concept that first took to the stage at the Turin Motor Show during that year. The announcement was made at the Design Talk held in Seoul and it is confirmed that the concept will be shown to the public in Spring when it is completed.

The Hyundai Pony is a big deal for the brand because it is the company's first mass-produced global export car and can be seen as the foundation of the success it celebrates today. In some regions, it was sold as the Excel, and in others, the more commonly known Accent moniker. The original concept was penned by Giugiaro himself, so the fact that he has gotten on board to give his creation a new life almost 50 years later is a pleasant gesture from the Italian designer.

While Hyundai has a respectable standard of designers in its arsenal now, back in the '70s, there were no design or styling capabilities available to South Korean employers that could effectively put together an attractive car for the masses. This is why it opted to outsource the design for its particularly important car.

While working for Italdesign, Giugiaro created five design concepts, but the Coupe was selected in the end, together with a five-door hatch option. Keeping true to his style at the time, he gave the economy car a wedge-shaped body with geometric lines and circular headlights. The Pony Coupe and hatch went on sale in North America and Europe shortly after its debut before being put to rest in 1981.

Hyundai also reveals that Giugiaro's work on the Pony acted as an inspiration for the iconic DeLorean DMC 12. In recent years, the brand has used the Pony as an inspiration for several conceptual creations. These include the 45 Concept which went on to become the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The stellar N Vision 74 is based on this model as well and we also can't forget the tasteful 2021 Pony Heritage which retained most of the design elements of the original production model.

Looking back at his work on the original concept, Giugiaro says, "I designed the Hyundai Pony when I was still a young designer at the start of my career. I felt very proud that I was in charge of creating a vehicle for a company and country that was about to take on a fiercely competitive global market. Now, I'm deeply honored that Hyundai has asked me to rebuild it for posterity and as a celebration of the brand's heritage."