November 26, 2024

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Hyundai Motor Company's concept car Seven (Hyundai Motor Group)

Hyundai Motor Company will begin producing the Ioniq 7, the automaker’s all-electric large sports utility vehicle, in July next year, local media reported Tuesday.

According to the report citing unnamed industry sources, Hyundai Motor and its employment stability committee recently carried out a series of meetings to confirm the manufacturing plan for the Ioniq 7.

Although there are remaining details to be finalized, the report said the EV SUV will begin production at Hyundai Motor’s Asan plant in South Chungcheong Province. It added that the automaker will start construction at the Asan plant at the end of this year to set up the necessary facilities for the production of the Ioniq 7. The site has been manufacturing the Ioniq 6, the automaker’s award-winning EV, since last year.

Regarding the report, Hyundai Motor said no specific timeline has been confirmed in terms of the Ioniq 7’s production. With the growth of the Korean EV market noticeably slowing down this year, the country’s leading automaker is looking for a breakthrough with the Ioniq 7.

According to the Korea Automobile and Mobility Association, only 9,624 EVs were sold in the country in August, a sharp drop compared to the sales figure of 30,670 units in February.

Hyundai Motor first unveiled the Ioniq 7’s concept car at the LA Auto Show with the name Seven in November 2021. The concept car caused a splash in the auto world, with its removal of the pillar on the side of the passenger seat, coach doors, swiveling seats and L-shaped sofa in the back with a full glass roof over the body.

Hyundai Motor Company's concept car Seven (Hyundai Motor Group)

Some of the Seven’s innovative features, however, will not be turned into a reality for customers. The Kia EV9, which was also showcased at the same event and boasted similar coach doors, ended up having regular doors once it underwent mass production.

As shown with the Seven, the parametric pixel used for the linear headlamps and bumper lamps on the front side will likely continue to carry on Hyundai Motor’s design philosophy and be applied to the Ioniq 7. Considering that the existing Ioniq models eventually came out with exterior designs and specifications similar to their concept cars, the EV SUV is expected to follow the same path.

The Ioniq 7 is projected to have a wheelbase of 3,200 millimeters based on the Seven, donning the theme of a moving lounge and boasting a large interior space. Overall, the Ioniq 7 will have a smoother, less boxy shape than the Kia EV9.

Hyundai Motor said the Seven is engineered to offer more than the range of 480 kilometers per battery charge, and is capable of charging from 10 to 80 percent in about 20 minutes with a 350-kilowatt charger.

Hyundai Motor Company's concept car Seven (Hyundai Motor Group)

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)