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Hyundai California Design concepts
The Hyundai California Design (HCD) concept vehicles were designed at the Hyundai Motor Company's California studio for the North American market. The first concept vehicle, the HCD-1, was a targa-top sports car aimed at the Mazda Miata, and was unveiled in 1992, but was never produced. Other HCD-branded concepts have previewed production models; for example, the HCD-14 Genesis was a large sedan which eventually reached production as the second-generation Hyundai Genesis.
After moving its national headquarters from Garden Grove to Fountain Valley, California, Hyundai opened its California Design Center there in 1990. The studio was later renamed to the Hyundai Design and Technical Center when it moved from Fountain Valley to its current location at Irvine in January 2003. The studio is currently named the Hyundai California Design & Research Center.
Similar Hyundai concept vehicles have been unveiled under analogous names, including the HED-x series (designed by the Hyundai Europe Design studio in Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany; HED-1 was unveiled at the 2005 Geneva show) and the HND-x series (designed at Hyundai Design and Technical studios in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi (formerly Namyang), South Korea). In 2006, Hyundai began adding names to the alphanumeric designators for its concept vehicles, and after 2015, Hyundai has dropped the alphanumeric designator entirely.
The Hyundai HCD-1 (sometimes styled with Roman numerals as HCD-I) debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 1992 as the first vehicle styled by the California studio. The HCD-1 was equipped with a 2.0L dual overhead cam I4 engine with variable timing and a claimed 150 hp (110 kW). The marque, which had entered the United States market with the inexpensive Excel in 1986, used the HCD-1 concept to build positive publicity and showcase the California studio's abilities, helped by a potential price of US$14,000 (equivalent to $32,000 in 2025).
The Hyundai HCD-2 (sometimes styled with Roman numerals as HCD-II and also known as the Epoch) debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 1993. It shared the drivetrain of the HCD-1, with a front-mounted 2.0L DOHC engine and front-wheel-drive. One of its distinct features was its seating arrangement, with two conventional bucket seats in the front row and a transverse-mounted single rear jump seat behind the front passenger. It is featured in the video game Cruis'n USA as the Devastator IV.
Although the HCD-2 did not go into production, the styling of the HCD-1 and HCD-2 collectively influenced the design of the Hyundai Tiburon.
The Hyundai HCD-3 (sometimes styled with Roman numerals as HCD-III and also known as the Gila) debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 1995. It was made available for the automotive press to test drive at the Willow Springs Raceway. Unlike the prior HCD-1 and HCD-2, the HCD-3 drives all four wheels; the "all-terrain sport coupe" allows the suspension to be raised by 3 in (76 mm) on demand to increase ground clearance during off-road use. It is equipped with a 2.0L Beta inline-4 which is fitted with a turbocharger and intercooler to raise output to 240 hp (180 kW). The concept had a motorized soft roof that could be fully closed, fully open, or cover just the front seat passengers.
The Hyundai HCD-4 (sometimes styled with Roman numerals as HCD-IV and also known as the Santa Fe) debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 1999. It was eventually put into production and sold starting from 2000 as the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Santa Fe concept was finished in copper paint with lower body cladding. As shown, the concept was equipped with the larger 24-valve Delta V6 engine and all-wheel-drive; the rear wheels were driven through a viscous coupling.
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Hyundai California Design concepts
The Hyundai California Design (HCD) concept vehicles were designed at the Hyundai Motor Company's California studio for the North American market. The first concept vehicle, the HCD-1, was a targa-top sports car aimed at the Mazda Miata, and was unveiled in 1992, but was never produced. Other HCD-branded concepts have previewed production models; for example, the HCD-14 Genesis was a large sedan which eventually reached production as the second-generation Hyundai Genesis.
After moving its national headquarters from Garden Grove to Fountain Valley, California, Hyundai opened its California Design Center there in 1990. The studio was later renamed to the Hyundai Design and Technical Center when it moved from Fountain Valley to its current location at Irvine in January 2003. The studio is currently named the Hyundai California Design & Research Center.
Similar Hyundai concept vehicles have been unveiled under analogous names, including the HED-x series (designed by the Hyundai Europe Design studio in Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany; HED-1 was unveiled at the 2005 Geneva show) and the HND-x series (designed at Hyundai Design and Technical studios in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi (formerly Namyang), South Korea). In 2006, Hyundai began adding names to the alphanumeric designators for its concept vehicles, and after 2015, Hyundai has dropped the alphanumeric designator entirely.
The Hyundai HCD-1 (sometimes styled with Roman numerals as HCD-I) debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 1992 as the first vehicle styled by the California studio. The HCD-1 was equipped with a 2.0L dual overhead cam I4 engine with variable timing and a claimed 150 hp (110 kW). The marque, which had entered the United States market with the inexpensive Excel in 1986, used the HCD-1 concept to build positive publicity and showcase the California studio's abilities, helped by a potential price of US$14,000 (equivalent to $32,000 in 2025).
The Hyundai HCD-2 (sometimes styled with Roman numerals as HCD-II and also known as the Epoch) debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 1993. It shared the drivetrain of the HCD-1, with a front-mounted 2.0L DOHC engine and front-wheel-drive. One of its distinct features was its seating arrangement, with two conventional bucket seats in the front row and a transverse-mounted single rear jump seat behind the front passenger. It is featured in the video game Cruis'n USA as the Devastator IV.
Although the HCD-2 did not go into production, the styling of the HCD-1 and HCD-2 collectively influenced the design of the Hyundai Tiburon.
The Hyundai HCD-3 (sometimes styled with Roman numerals as HCD-III and also known as the Gila) debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 1995. It was made available for the automotive press to test drive at the Willow Springs Raceway. Unlike the prior HCD-1 and HCD-2, the HCD-3 drives all four wheels; the "all-terrain sport coupe" allows the suspension to be raised by 3 in (76 mm) on demand to increase ground clearance during off-road use. It is equipped with a 2.0L Beta inline-4 which is fitted with a turbocharger and intercooler to raise output to 240 hp (180 kW). The concept had a motorized soft roof that could be fully closed, fully open, or cover just the front seat passengers.
The Hyundai HCD-4 (sometimes styled with Roman numerals as HCD-IV and also known as the Santa Fe) debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 1999. It was eventually put into production and sold starting from 2000 as the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Santa Fe concept was finished in copper paint with lower body cladding. As shown, the concept was equipped with the larger 24-valve Delta V6 engine and all-wheel-drive; the rear wheels were driven through a viscous coupling.