Hyundai Boulder Concept Debuts in New York

It wouldn’t be fair to say that the Hyundai Boulder Concept a first foray into the world of the squared-off SUV for the brand – the Santa Fe has that honour – but it is their first take into the rough n’ tumble world of the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Scout.

There are definite Bronco vibes when it comes to the styling; the silhouette is the obvious allusion, but more subtle references include the grille design, stacked headlamps that are reminiscent of 2000s Bronco Concept and stubby, square wing mirrors. The flared fenders are molded into the body panels so don’t looked tacked on like they do on the Bronco Raptor. Now, it’s like that because you can remove them on the Bronco and it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to do that here. They look great, though, and are a result of Hyundai’s “Art of Steel” design language, which is inspired by the fact that Hyundai uses its own steel in their cars.

Other neat detail include “safari-style” skylights in the roof, coach-style doors, low-profile roof rack and of course, 37-inch off-road tires. The tailgate opens barn-door style but unlike the Bronco, it’s dual-hinged so can opened from either side. The tailgate also has a power up/down window.

Inside, it is quite the event; four separate square displays are on-hand for all your various drive information including a navi system with built-in digital trail-spotting system. All the controls are designed to be extra chunky and easy to operate. There appears to be four massive button banks on the dash – who knows if they’ll ever be functional even if the Boulder ever makes production, but they do look darn cool. The cabin’s entire layout is designed to be modular, so it can be configured for more adventurous drives.

Hyundai says the Boulder’s ladder-frame design is setting a blueprint for a number or future vehicles – likely including a midsize pickup – designed specifically for the North American market, and built here as well.