Independent Artist’s Kioniq Is The Electric SUV Hyundai Needs To Build

This article includes independent illustrations for a hypothetical Hyundai Kioniq electric SUV made by Alexis Poncelet that are neither related to, nor endorsed by, Hyundai.

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 EV has gone down a storm with its combination of crisp styling and 800 volt charging tech. But in a world where the SUV rules, a crossover that looks like an overgrown hatchback might not cut it for some buyers.

That’s where the Kioniq comes in, or at least it would if Hyundai snapped up independent artist Alexis Poncelet’s designs for this cool looking electric SUV and put it into production.

The make-believe off-roader shares its fuss-free surfacing with the existing Ioniq 5 crossover, but minus the real car’s conventional door handles, door mirrors and diagonal crease, the flanks are even cleaner. The visor-like opening between the hood and bumper is carried over, but the SUV’s LED lights steal cues from the grid-pattern rear lights of the crossover.

A bank of LEDs below each front door and on the center of the hood look like they might show the state of charge, but the most intriguing feature is the split frunk. What appears to be a decorative line bisecting the two halves of the frunk lid is actually a hinge element for his and hers butterfly panels that lift up to reveal two separate luggage bays.

We don’t get a look at Poncelet’s ideas for the interior beyond a top-down peek through the windshield and panoramic roof, and there are no clues as to what powertrain the Kioniq could have. But given its size we’d expect to find a dual-motor setup giving all-wheel drive capability and at least the 321 hp (325 PS) of the current range-topping Ioniq 5, rather than the 225 hp (228 PS) of the entry-level single-motor car. Better yet, how about the 577 hp (585 PS) combo from the Ioniq’s Porsche-eating sister car, the Kia EV6 GT?

Do you think Hyundai should give this guy a call and put the Kioniq on its product plan for 2025? Leave a comment and let us know.

Thanks to Alexis Poncelet for the images