- The Hyundai Grandeur Heritage Series uses real burgundy velvet in the seats, just like the original 1986 model, plus a hidden watch slot stitched into the console.
- This concept car comes with a built-in virtual piano, letting you compose music on the road like a studio on wheels.
- With 18 speakers angled using concert hall acoustic theory, this EV delivers sound so immersive, it feels like you’re sitting center stage.
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Have you ever wondered what it feels like to drive something that blends the past with the future? Step into a cabin wrapped in burgundy velvet that instantly takes you back to 1986. Then, as your eyes adjust, you are met with ultra-modern 4-way audio that hits with concert-level clarity, and widescreen touch displays that stretch farther than most dashboards even dare. That contrast is exactly what gives the Grandeur Heritage Series its unique character.
Let’s rewind to 1986. That year, Hyundai introduced its flagship Grandeur sedan, a car many people still remember for its class and presence. 35 years later, the company found a creative way to celebrate the car’s legacy.
Engineers took the original Grandeur’s body, replaced the combustion engine with an electric powertrain, and added “parametric pixel” LED lights. These lights use the same visual style found on the Ioniq 5, creating a subtle connection between past and present.
The result is a concept car that blends retro charm with modern technology. Its design maintains strong ’80s character while incorporating elements that reflect Hyundai’s current electric vehicle philosophy.
Experts praised the interior materials, particularly the plush velvet upholstery. During the 1980s, velvet was often considered a premium material, even more desirable than leather. That detail alone highlights how the Heritage Series Grandeur balances nostalgia with forward-thinking design choices.
Hak‑soo Ha, head of Hyundai’s interior design team, said, “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”.
This statement captures the core idea behind the concept. The team is honoring the brand’s legacy while experimenting with new ideas to inspire future designs.
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Open the doors and you are immediately surrounded by velvet that feels straight out of a Queen-era concert hall. The seats are fully wrapped in rich burgundy velvet from front to back, with detailed stitching in auburn Napa leather that adds depth and contrast.
Even the storage compartments in the doors have been designed to resemble elegant clutch bags, adding a couture-like touch to the cabin. At the center console, a hidden slot designed to hold a watch brings in references to classic pianos and vintage audio equipment. This level of luxury is rarely found in electric restomods.
Sound? This restomod comes equipped with an 18-speaker, 4-way sound system engineered by South Korea’s Guk‑il Yu. Main woofer. Tweeter. And yes, more. Each speaker is tilted at a precise 45-degree angle to reflect sound throughout the cabin, mimicking the acoustics of a concert hall.
The result wraps around you. Not with volume, but with warmth. Depth. Clarity. As close as you’ll get to music wrapping its arms around you.
And then there’s the piano. A virtual one, tucked into the touchscreen. Designed for those moments when a melody hits you mid-commute. Built in collaboration with Samick, a name serious musicians will recognize. Is it a strange idea? Maybe. Is it brilliant? Absolutely. It makes your car feel less like a machine and more like a studio on wheels.
Changing the look but keeping the soul, the exterior mirrors and wheels have been updated, but the boxy lines stay. Pixel‑style headlights nod to current IoniQ models, and the powertrain is pure electric, no tailpipe in sight. Tech blogger at The Verge, Mitchell Clark, who usually sees more weird than wow in concept cars, admitted, “this is absolutely not the case for Hyundai’s Heritage Series Grandeur EV, which goes with an incredible retro aesthetic, rather than an alien future one.”.
Now for context, Hyundai’s restomod game is heating up, following the Pony EV concept and preceding their N Vision 74 hydrogen-hybrid sports car in the pipeline. Both anchored in the past, with eyes locked on what’s next.
They’re clearly pulling from their own archives. Mining nostalgia. Building momentum with each electric concept. Giving the Ioniq lineup more than just numbers and range stats. Giving it personality.
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And under the Grandeur concept? Likely Hyundai’s E-GMP electric platform. The same one found in the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and expected in the upcoming Ioniq 9.
A familiar foundation. Wrapped in something very unexpected.
Don’t hold your breath for a dealership release. This is a one-off concept car, not planned for production. But it does leave a clue. Restomods, also known as electric swaps, electric conversions, or electric restomod builds, are far from just nostalgic side projects. They’re tools. They carry history. They inject personality and emotion into electric vehicles. Not just specs. Not just numbers. But character. Soul. A reminder that cars can still make you feel something. Even when powered by a battery.
Here’s the juice. A heritage series concept car. A nostalgic electric restomod packed with premium audio, dramatic lighting, and luxe materials. It pays tribute to the past. Nods to Ioniq’s future tech. Feels like memory and modern design had a stylish collision.
Love the blend of history and tech in car design? Then the Grandeur concept deserves your attention. A retro body. An electric soul. This concept captures the spirit of the past while wiring it to tomorrow’s powertrain.
Think velvet seats, pixel lights, and a digital piano built right into the dash.
It’s not just nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. This electric restomod highlights what Hyundai, and really the whole industry, can do when they revisit what made cars iconic in the first place. When they listen to the details. When they bring them back with intention.
And that piano? Wild. You’re cruising. You’re composing. You’re in your own private concert hall.
This one makes you feel something.
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IMAGES: HYUNDAI
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