Going to the “Extreme,” Hyundai Crater Concept Debuts at LA Auto Show

What happens when Hyundai pushes its XRT line to new extremes? The Crater Concept that debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Thursday suggests the Korean carmaker is looking for ways to push well beyond the off-road capabilities of current models like the Palisade XRT Pro, potentially taking on products like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler. Headlight.News has more.

Just days after teasing its latest concept vehicle, the Hyundai Crater, with a series of renderings, the Korean revealed an actual prototype in all its glory at the 2025 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Developed at the Hyundai America Technical Center in Irvine, California, the Crater Concept is designed to answer the question, “What does freedom look like?” said SangYup Lee, the automaker’s global design chief.

Crater, he explained, “is a vision shaped by our unending drive to explore — to inspire our customers to explore deeper and embrace the impact of adventure.”

Taking on some tough competition

In recent decades, SUVs have come to rule American roads, though most are, at best, capable of little more than highway driving. But there’s been growing demand for more serious off-road capabilities, especially since COVID first struck, millions of motorists looking for ways to escape pandemic lockdowns.

Hyundai has dipped its does into the water with products like the Ioniq 5 XRT and Palisade XRT Pro, but Crater suggests it’s looking at ways to get even more aggressive with vehicles that could handle “extreme environments,” and take on such established trail-ready nameplates as the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco.

The question is whether Crater is simply a design exercise or, as several Hyundai officials are quietly hinting, a sign of what could be in the works.

Rugged new design

Hyundai describes the Crater Concept’s exterior design language as “The Art of Stel,” and it clearly takes advantage of the automaker’s ties to a Korean conglomerate that includes heavy-duty steel manufacturing operations.

Built on a compact monocoque architecture, Crater features chiseled body panels, softened only slightly by its aggressive wheel arches. Obvious skid plates are designed to protect its underbody even while tackling tough trails like those found in Moab and along the legendary Rubicon Trail.

In show car form, it 18-inch wheels – shod with 33-inch off-road tires “inspired by envisioning a hexagonal asteroid impacting a sheer metal landscape, leaving a fractal crater in its aftermath,” Hyundai explained.

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Form meets function

To handle extreme environments, the Crater Concept offers some intriguing, and often playful, design features – like a built-in recovery hook that “performs double duty as a bottle opener,” Hyundai reveals.

There are the requisite auxiliary lights on the roof which pick up on the brand’s now-signature parametric pixel lighting theme. And both a fire extinguisher and first aid kit are built into the cabin.

Crater’s side mirrors contain cameras which perform additional duties as flashlights. They can be removed from the vehicle to record “breathtaking views or even record exciting adventures,” explains a Hyundai news release.

Customizable technology

The unusual dashboard is subtly perforated to let soft lighting pass through. Above the instrument panel, Crater features a full-width head-up display that could serve a variety of simultaneous functions: projecting vehicle data, navigation and more.

But Crater was designed around a BYOD, or “Bring Your Own Device,” philosophy, which allows a motorist to create “a flexible and customizable digital experience that adapts to various situations and individual user preferences.”

The show car also features technology usable for towing and off-roading, including downhill brake control and trailer brake control.

Unanswered questions

Hyundai, for now, is leaving us to guess about a few key questions, starting with: “What sort of powertrain is hidden under Crater’s steel body? The automaker now has a variety of options, including gas, hybrid, plug-in and all-electric packages. It’s also working on range-extender technology.

The other question is whether Crater – or something inspired by this concept – could find room on a Hyundai assembly line. The introduction of the Palisade XRT Pro takes the brand’s off-roading aspirations up a notch, and company officials have done little to deny they’re giving thought to pushing even further.

When they might bring out a Crater-inspired production model is the next question we’ll keep pushing to get answered.