The 1986 Hyundai Grandeur’s 35th Anniversary, Rejoiced With A Heritage Series EV Resto-Mod

Celebrating the 35th anniversary of its 1986 Grandeur flagship sedan, Hyundai Motor Company presents the Heritage Series Grandeur.

Hyundai developed this electrifying retro-futuristic resto-mod to shed light on the original sedan’s symbolic significance and find new inspiration for future designs.

Hyundai design centre’s head of interior group, Hak-soo Ha, expressed, “As our designers conceive the future, it’s important to look back on what we’ve created in the past and find inspiration in it. With the Heritage Series Grandeur, our designers have reinterpreted an important part of Hyundai’s history as a wonderfully unique blend of vintage and contemporary that reflects the boundless possibilities of our EV era.”

To begin with, Hyundai’s design team has reinterpreted the first-generation Grandeur as an all-electric car.

From the outside, the Heritage Series Grandeur exudes most of its retro charm, but with tasteful modern era updates. 

It comes in terms of new side mirrors, covered wheels, slide cladding and Parametric Pixel LED exterior lights that hint at the concept’s use of Hyundai’s electric powertrain.

Diving inside the Heritage Series Grandeur’s ultra-modern interior, the designers have applied a ‘Newtro’ concept theme, which is a combination of newness and retro.

The front seats are fitted with Burgundy velvet, inspired by the original Grandeur, with elegantly stitched and laced auburn Napa leather on the back. 

Plus, the centre console armrest contains a hidden pop-out compartment for storing valuables like watches and other miscellaneous items.

Besides that, the designers have also seamlessly integrated the latest technologies alongside retro-cool hardware. 

They replaced dials and buttons on the dashboard with an ultra-wide, touch-enabled flat-screen display but kept the ’80s vibe with a single-spoke steering wheel and jet airplane-style gear selector. 

Also incorporated are the 4-way 4-Ohm sound system developed by South Korean sound designer Guk-il Yu that controls the 18 speakers. 

Said audio system delivers rich sound and clarity with deep bass thanks to the composition of Grandeur’s centre console and dashboard, which are designed based on concert hall acoustic theory.

Interestingly, the soundbar’s piano function can be played through the audio system when the vehicle is in park. 

Further stimulating the passengers’ senses, it comes with bronze-coloured lighting that is reminiscent of an old school audio equipment but with a modern audiophile sound system. 

Stretching across the left and right ends of the dash, the bronze-coloured light beam extends around the cabin, penetrating the B-pillars, casting a flattering hue across the luxurious interior. 

In addition to that, ‘Infinity mirrors’ reflect the light, giving the second row an even wider sense of space befitting a luxury saloon of the mid-80s zeitgeist.

All in all, with this reimagined 1986 Grandeur EV concept, Hyundai designers are continuing to rediscover the values of their legacy through another one of its Heritage Series.