New Spy Photos Of The 2021 Hyundai 45 Retro Electric Compact Crossover

Following this morning’s scoop story on the upcoming Hyundai 45, our man with the long lens sent us more than a dozen new photos of the electric compact car, including a glimpse inside the interior, though it’s not clear if that screen is for the production car or if it was used for prototype purposes. For what it’s worth, the concept study did have a similar large screen spanning from the driver’s side right up to the center console. [Updated 5/12/2020]

The Hyundai 45 electric vehicle has moved on to its next and most exciting phase of testing, on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Since last week, when we showed you prototypes of the Hyundai 45 fully decked in black vinyl covers, the electric vehicle has made the switch to a tighter camouflage tape, perfectly revealing its sporty lines.

As you can see, there is quite a lot of resemblance to the Hyundai 45 Concept, even though the production model appears to look less dramatic thanks to the more generous glasshouse. New details that have been brought to light by the new camouflage setup include the pop-out door handles, a sleek feature on a car in this segment.

We also get a better look at the headlights, though we can’t tell whether they are in production specification or provisional. It would be neat if the Hyundai 45 adopted the concept’s aggressive LED pixel headlamps. The taillights are clearly makeshift and we sure hope they will draw inspiration from the design study too.

The prototype rides on new aero wheels that look almost identical to those seen on the study, and this encourages us to expect beautiful things from the production-spec Hyundai 45.

The Hyundai 45 EV Concept was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show (image credits : Stefan Baldauf / Guido ten Brink for Carscoops)

Known internally as the NE EV, the Hyundai 45 is based on a dedicated architecture called Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), shared with the upcoming Prophecy electric sedan.

There aren’t any drivetrain specifications available, but the Hyundai 45 is expected to get two electric motors for eAWD capability. A smaller one will power the front axle while a larger motor at the back will drive the rear wheels.

The Hyundai 45 could debut as early as January 2021 as a roomier, more stylish and more performance-oriented EV than the Kona Electric.