현대 투싼은 독일에 있는 현대차 러셀하임 디자인 스튜디오에서 디자인됬으며, 수석 디자이너 Thomas Burkle는 전직 BMW 디자이너였습니다.
Tucson SUV showcases Hyundai's fresh approach to styling, says designer
By Steve Mertl (CP)
VANCOUVER, B.C. ?
The new Hyundai Tucson compact sport utility now making its way into dealer showrooms is on one level just another chunky yet sleek addition to the "cute-ute" pool.
But anyone who's followed Hyundai's fortunes in North America may see a deeper significance as the company completes its climb from purveyor of cheap transportation to top-tier automaker.
That evolution is reflected in the Tucson's styling, which aims to shed Hyundai's reputation for taking cues from competitors to developing a distinct character reflecting in part its Korean origins.
"We wanted to create a very unique form language that stands only for Hyundai, and the reason is we want to load up the design emotionally," says Thomas Burkle, the Tucson's chief designer, who's coined the term fluidic sculpture for the car's looks.
"Fluidic describes a very fluid, flowing form language, flowing lines inspired by nature.
"We also looked at the heritage of Korea. We looked at Korean temples. They don't just have the straight roof; they have a curved roof. And this beauty of curvature we want to implement into the cars."(우리는 또한 한국의 문화 유산을 봤습니다. 한국의 절을 봤습니다. 그들은 우뚝솟은 지붕이 없고 곡선의 지붕을 가지고 있습니다. 이런 아름다움을 디자인에 반영하고 싶었습니다)
Burkle, chief of the company's European design centre in Russelsheim, Germany, says Hyundais have always had a good price-value ratio.
"We have to give Hyundai a more sophisticated character, and people should buy the car by the heart rather than by the wallet," he says.
It's worth remembering Hyundai, part of a larger industrial conglomerate, only began making cars in the late 1960s and didn't export to North America until the 1980s.
High fuel prices and voluntary import quotas on Japanese cars, despite high demand, opened the door for Hyundai.
As Japanese car prices climbed, Hyundai offered its Pony hatchback - a mixture of Ford and Mitsubishi components - at a rock-bottom $6,000. It was Canada's best-selling car in 1984.
The Pony was followed by the Stellar, styled by Italdesign founder Giorgetto Giugiaro, built on Mitsubishi-sourced mechanicals and marketed with lots of standard features at a bargain price. Later came the Excel, a Mitsubishi-based hatchback that became Hyundai's foothold in the U.S. market.
But Hyundai's fortunes crashed as quickly as they had soared. It turned out low prices translated into low quality and reliability, and non-existent resale value.
As Japanese automakers opened North American plants and supplies of popular models eased, Hyundais lost their appeal.
The company opened an assembly plant in Bromont, Que., in 1989 to build the Sonata, a much-improved successor to the Stellar, but it closed four years later.
Rather than retreat from North America, Hyundai absorbed its painful lessons. Build quality rose steadily and the company began weaning itself off technology licensed from foreign automakers for key components such as engines.
Its offerings - and those of its corporate sibling Kia - were still undercutting Japanese competitors in price, but the cars increasingly stood on their own merits. Their quality ratings today often rival the top Japanese and European makes.
Last year Hyundai sold 103,000 vehicles in Canada, the sixth largest volume among carmakers behind the three so-called domestics, Toyota and Honda.
Hyundai's arrival in the front rank was symbolized by its Genesis luxury coupe and sedan, which debuted in 2008. With asking prices between $38,000 and $50,000 they were about as far from the Pony as you could get.
Reviewers praised their home-grown V-6 and V-8 engines, solid ride and handling, impressive build quality and features found on more expensive cars.
But critics also found the styling still derivative. The Genesis sedan's grille is beautifully finished, but it's hard not to think of Mercedes. Some reviewers see Lexus influences in the overall styling.
Hyundai's Burkle acknowledges those criticisms without necessarily accepting them, preferring to focus on the nuances such as the jewel-like detailing of the headlights. The Genesis is about elegance, good proportions and a sense of safety, he says.
But the Tucson, which starts at about $23,000 and ranges up to $34,500 with all the bells and whistles, represents a definite departure point, Burkle says.
"It is important that Hyundai is creating its own form language rather than copying other brands. This is why we looked at Korea, what's typical for Korea."
Burkle points out a character line high on the Tucson's flanks that largely disappears between the doors but still ties the headlight and tail-light assembly together visually.
"This main feature line you can see already from far away," he says. "It's one major line describing the car so you can easily identify the car."
The Tucson's nose features a hexagonal-shaped grille, a theme carried inside to the dashboard.
Burkle says fluidic sculpture will find its way into all future Hyundai models, including the newest Sonata shown recently at the Detroit auto show and due in showrooms this spring.
As a journeyman designer - having worked for BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Toyota - Burkle knows it may take time for people to understand what Hyundai is trying to do.
"When you do something completely new some customers will be maybe shocked or they see it the first time and they have to get used to it," he says. "But this is how you create character."
Copyright ⓒ 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
http://autos.ca.msn.com/news/canadian-press-automotive-news/article**x?cp-docunemtid=23297953
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