Hyundai Motor spotlights off-road direction with Crater concept

Hyundai Motor unveiled the Crater, a concept off-road sport utility vehicle, at AutoMobility LA 2025 in Los Angeles on Thursday, showcasing where the automaker is headed in terms of crafting durable, innovative SUVs.

Designed with elements similar to Hyundai's adventure trim, XRT -- emphasizing protection and capability in extreme terrain -- the Crater concept was born at Hyundai America Technical Center in Irvine, California, according to the automaker.

“Crater began with a question: ‘What does freedom look like?’ This vehicle stands as our answer,” said Lee Sang-yup, head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design. “It is a vision shaped by our unending drive to explore -- to inspire our customers to explore deeper and embrace the impact of adventure.”

Hyundai Motor pointed out that the exterior of the Crater features a design language that transforms the strength of steel into sculptural beauty, while presenting the distinctive qualities of steel, such as power, gentleness and timelessness. The automaker also noted that the chiseled side body and the bold skid plates of the concept SUV offer strength and resilience.

According to Hyundai, the Crater boasts hexagonal faceted 18-inch wheels, imaginatively inspired by the idea of a hexagonal asteroid hitting a metal landscape and leaving a fractal crater. Its 33-inch off-road tires offer limitless driving possibilities, rugged enough for every environment.

Other standout features on the exterior of the Crater include a pair of cables stretching from the hood to the roof to provide extra protection for the windshield, a built-in recovery hook capable of opening bottles and side-mirror cameras that double as detachable flashlights for emergencies.

Inside the Crater, the off-road theme continues with the unconventional dashboard padding, which resembles a bent metal sheet, and the cabin designed like a roll cage with integrated grab handles. The wraparound seats are combined with three-dimensional padding, cylindrical cushions and a four-point seatbelt system. The overall vibe of the interior feels like a combination of wildness, adventure and safety.