Hyundai showcases off-road ambitions with new rugged concept SUV

LOS ANGELES — Hyundai Motor has ambitions to increase the rugged, off-road capabilities of its vehicles in the U.S., based on a new “Crater” concept SUV revealed Thursday.

The rugged compact vehicle mixes Hyundai design characteristics with off-road capabilities reminiscent of American SUVs such as the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco and GMC Hummer.

“Crater began with a question: ‘What does freedom look like?’ This vehicle stands as our answer,” SangYup Lee, head of Hyundai global design, said in a release. “It is a vision shaped by our unending drive to explore — to inspire our customers to explore deeper and embrace the impact of adventure.”

Hyundai said the concept vehicle, which made its global debut Thursday at the LA Auto Show, is meant to showcase the automaker’s “commitment to designing even more versatility and emotion” with future Xtreme Rugged Terrain vehicles.

Hyundai declined to discuss the potential of producing a vehicle like the Crater, calling it a “design exploration.” Automakers routinely use concept vehicles to gauge customer interest, showcase future technologies and signal the direction of a vehicle or brand.

Hyundai currently offers XRT versions of its Ioniq 5 EV, Tucson compact crossover, Santa Cruz compact pickup and Palisade crossover SUV.

The Crater concept was conceived at Hyundai’s America Technical Center in Irvine, California, the company said.

Automakers have ramped up their offerings of vehicles that can go off road or are inspired by them as a way to attract new buyers and boost profits. It’s relatively easy for companies to make those models by adding more capable parts and features to current vehicles.

“Crater Concept explores the next evolution of Hyundai’s rugged XRT design with even more toughness and capability to reflect U.S. customer desires,” Hyundai said in the release.

Hyundai has been aggressively growing its U.S. vehicle lineup and sales in recent years. The automaker is on pace through the third quarter of 2025 for its fifth consecutive year of record retail sales.

From 2019 to 2024, the Hyundai brand’s sales increased 21.5% to more than 836,800 units last year. Including its Genesis luxury brand and Kia, which operates separately in the U.S., Hyundai’s domestic sales are up 29% during that time to more than 1.7 million vehicles.