Hyundai’s XRT lineup is currently the only way buyers can get trail rated capability in their Hyundai products. While it once started as a style focused trim, the Korean car giant has recently made it a point to add actual capability to the menu with the Ioniq 5 and Palisade XRT being recent examples of this in action. However, it appears Hyundai is ready to go to the next level with the Crater concept.

Crater concept to transition from sketches to real off-road threat

The Crater concept will eventually make its debut at the L.A. Auto Show later today but for now, the company is only releasing some sketches and having interested observers play the waiting game.

There are some things though that immediately stand out. For one thing, the concept is based on an SUV and it comes with plenty of chunky angles and a clean front end with Hyundai’s trademark pixelated lighting. It’s not known if the Crater in its current form will reach production? But the Jeep Wrangler and he Ford Bronco have proven that the market for off-road focused SUVs is stronger than ever and Hyundai could see a slice of the market for itself with a production version potentially using traits from this concept to stand out among the crowd.

On the flip side, the Crater could instead be a pure design study with the concept previewing elements that could be used on next generation versions of the Palisade, Santa Fe, and perhaps the smaller Tucson. The crater could also influence the brand’s next gen EV models

The answer is coming soon

Thankfully, the answer is coming sooner than most people think with Hyundai live streaming the unveiling for those who can’t come to the show in person.