High-Performance Hydrogen Electric Vehicle 'Hyundai74' in Development
Model Number Pronounced in Korean to Launch Domestically and Internationally
The high-performance hydrogen fuel cell vehicle N Vision 74 developed by Hyundai Motor Company. It will be called Chilsa, not Seventy-Four, both domestically and overseas. [Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Hyundai Motor Company has decided to refer to the ‘N Vision 74,’ a hydrogen electric hybrid vehicle under development, as ‘chilsa’ following the Korean pronunciation rather than ‘seventyfour’ when promoting it overseas. This decision reflects Hyundai’s elevated brand status, which is now recognized globally thanks to the widespread popularity of Korean Wave culture and the tradition of continuing the legacy of past products.
Jang Jae-hoon, President of Hyundai Motor Company, stated at the Hyundai Motor Group New Year event held on the 3rd, "We plan to use the Korean pronunciation ‘chilsa’ for ‘Hyundai 74’ even in global communication activities." The ‘Hyundai 74’ is a model that actualizes the concept car introduced when Hyundai launched its high-performance N brand in 2015. It is a model intended for mass production and was unveiled to the public last July under the name N Vision 74. The company refers to it as a rolling lab (a moving research lab) because it applies electrification technologies currently under development or completed. It is scheduled for mass production in the future.
President Jang said, "N Vision 74 is part of our heritage activities, drawing inspiration from the past to explore how to challenge and innovate for the future. Hyundai 74 is not just a concept level vehicle; we are considering various ways to get closer to customers."
Hyundai N Vision 74. It is called a rolling lab, meaning a moving research center, applying advanced technologies under development. It is scheduled to be mass-produced later under the name 'Hyundai 74' both domestically and internationally. Hyundai 74 aims to be a high-performance sports car powered primarily by electricity generated from hydrogen fuel. While global automakers have been refining electrification technologies for years and have introduced or are developing several high-performance vehicles using motors, there is yet no high-performance model based on hydrogen fuel cells. Only a few automakers, including Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda, currently mass-produce hydrogen vehicles.
The number 74 is derived from 1974, the year the Pony Coupe concept car, which was almost Korea’s first sports car, was first showcased at an overseas exhibition. The Pony was Korea’s first domestically produced independent model, released the following year, but the Pony Coupe remained only a concept car and was never mass-produced. Giorgetto Giugiaro, the world-renowned car designer who designed the Pony, visited Korea last November and decided to restore the Pony Coupe concept car.
The Pony Coupe, designed by Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who also designed the Pony. The concept car was exhibited at the 1974 Turin Motor Show but did not lead to actual mass production. This is the first time Hyundai has named a vehicle, especially using numbers, in Korean. Previously, large sedans like the EQ900 were referred to as ‘EQ Nine Hundred,’ and the luxury brand Genesis’s G90 was called ‘G Ninety.’ Affiliate Kia also named its models with English-style names such as K3 and EV6.
Hyundai’s decision to use the Korean pronunciation for the brand name reflects its elevated global status, having risen to become the world’s third-largest automaker by production and sales volume. Additionally, the positive perception of Korean Wave culture, including K-pop and Korean dramas, and the encouragement from Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun under the banner of "Electrification as a First Mover," along with recognition of its electric vehicle technology and product competitiveness in major advanced markets, appear to have influenced this choice.
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