Hyundai Crater Concept Is a Cyberpunk Off-Roader That Actually Looks Like a Cool Car Instead of a Garbage Dumpster

Hyundai isn’t the first manufacturer you think of when someone mentions off-roading. It knows that. But what the Korean automaker has done is establish itself as a design powerhouse, cranking out hit after hit with funky production vehicles like the Ioniq 6 as well as some wild concept cars—the N Vision 74 comes to mind there. The lifted Crater concept is Hyundai‘s latest styling experiment, applying the same pixelated motif to a future-forward four-wheeler that will probably never reach production.

And to that I say: Who cares? Car brands can and should do stuff just for the heck of it.

Now, Hyundai does have a handful of rugged, off-road-adjacent models that might pass for adventurous. I’m talking about the Ioniq 5, Santa Cruz, and Palisade that wear the XRT badge. The brand insists that the Crater concept is a future evolution of those, calling it a “rolling embodiment” of where XRT variants are headed. If that turns out to be true, then consider me intrigued.

I’m more of a traditional truck guy, if I’m honest, but Hyundai seems to share my love for steel because that’s what the Crater is made from. It even coined the term “Art of Steel” for the concept’s design language, as it’s supposed to highlight the flexibility and strength of the tried-and-true material. There are plenty of strange shapes, to be sure, but I mean that in a mostly positive way. No doubt, those boxed fenders took more work to design than the Bronco Raptor’s flares, which look like inner tubes that have been cut in half.

I know Hyundai probably wasn’t going for this, but the Crater concept reminds me of those Bowler EXR Dakar buggies (or, as my compadre Byron pointed out, a Rivian R3X). It’s actually a four-door, but with a coach door design that creates a total pass-through interior since there’s no traditional B-pillar. Because of the slungback posture, it looks like it’s loaded and ready to pounce. The front three-quarter view gives a good glimpse at it all, from the orange accent tow hooks to the limb raisers on the hood, the platform on the roof, and the uniquely formed rocker panels.

A set of chunky 33-inch tires wrap around the Crater’s 18-inch hexagonally patterned wheels, which give the same vibe as the Cybertruck’s wheels without those problematic covers. Looking at it from the back, you can see just how much empty space there is underneath the body, and that’s great news for ground clearance. Cleverly designed front and rear bumpers provide the rig with approach and departure angles that, although not specified, are clearly stellar. I bet this sucker could drive straight up a concrete wall.

It’s kitted out inside with both totally functional and wonderfully aesthetic pieces. Take the full roll cage, for instance: It serves the obvious purpose of increasing safety and rigidity while also mirroring the flow of the seats along the sides, creating a slick silhouette look that I quite like. I wish I could think of a better word to describe the interior than “cyberpunk,” but in a lot of ways, that sums it up. The warm, orange glow; the neon-like characters on each of the small displays across the top of the dash; the 4WD indicators and more just below those, sandwiched between gear-shaped components. There are perforations on almost every visible surface inside, and notably, there’s no giant touchscreen—that’s because Hyundai took a BYOD (bring your own device) approach.

Nobody is pretending that Jeep and Bronco guys will want to ditch their 4x4s for something like the Crater concept if Hyundai were to build it. This thing doesn’t really fit the vibe if you’re frequenting the Rubicon Trail; although Hyundai doesn’t mention any powertrain specifics, my guess is that it’s battery-powered, and we’ve seen how that ends on America’s toughest off-road routes. But if we’re just treating it as something to look at? Shoot. It’s pretty sick, if you’re into this kind of thing.

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