The innovative Hyundai Kite concept car celebrated its world premiere at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The futuristic two-seater lightweight dune buggy, which converts into a single-seater jet ski, was created by 15 IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) transportation design master’s course students in cooperation with Hyundai Design Centre Europe.
The Hyundai Kite is a doorless, roofless and windowless vehicle that can drive both on streets and over water. It consist of a monocoque chassis with a length of 3745mm and a height of 1455mm. Its surfaces interlace, creating a continuum of twists and intersections. The designers aimed to reduce barriers between the exterior and interior to create a functional and fun car. The lines convey an idea of floating and freedom, connecting to the idea of spending leisure time near the water.
In both configurations the vehicle is electrically propelled, with four brushless engines placed inside the wheels and a water jet turbine for travelling on water. The Kite’s human-car interaction will be controlled by the user’s mobile phone to offer customers intuitive control over all the car’s functions.
This is Hyundai’s second partnership with the renowned IED. Their previous partnership resulted in the development of the PassoCorto, an ultra-lightweight sports car concept, in 2014. With these partnerships Hyundai contributes to the education of young designers, gaining insights and inspiration from the work with the talented design students.
Design plays a vital role for Hyundai in Europe, where 85 percent of the models sold in the region are designed, tested and produced in Europe. Hyundai has established itself as a key player in the European economy – 205,000 people owe their jobs to the presence of Hyundai in Europe.
Further strengthening the company’s commitment to the region, the cooperation with local institutions like the IED have produced valuable results. An example is Marco Gianotti, former IED student who signed the first PassoCorto sketches in 2014 – today, he works as Exterior Designer at Hyundai Design Centre Europe. 
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