Hyundai kills rumors about N Vision 74 concept going into production

The rumors about a production version of the Hyunda N Vision 74 concept were fun while they lasted. Hyundai reps in South Korea and in the U.S. put the kibosh on a report in South Korean outlet Money Today alleging an N Vision 74 for the market. Supposedly, the design studio at the Asian HQ was going to host a Pony Day on March 27 where assembled exec would show the car and announce the good news. Automaker peeps in Korea told Korean outlet WikiTree (translated), “There is no plan to mass-produce the Pony Coupe, and there is no Pony Day event planned.” Ensuring everyone got the memo, a U.S. rep told Carscoops, “We are aware of media speculations on the potential commercial production of the N Vision 74 rolling lab development model,” but that “[while] the heritage and spirit of Pony models have a lasting impact on the Hyundai Motor Company, we currently have no plan for a commercial production of the Pony Coupe Concept.”

So Hyundai didn’t want to listen to us when we suggested the company pony up on a retail model and provided justifications for doing so. That’s fine. We can’t believe this is the end of the road for the coupe, though. Hyundai mined its Pony heritage to excellent effect and excellent sales with the Ioniq 5. There’s already a platform and a design language. If the coming decade proves electrics make market, business, and natural resource sense at the affordable end of the car-buying spectrum, why wouldn’t a retail version of the N Vision 74 burst from the chute to run with an electric Ford Mustang, electric Volkswagen Golf, electric Honda Civic, and a potential Nissan Max-Out Convertible? 

While we wait for time’s answer, we know there’s a different special on the way. Hyundai destroyed the Pony Coupe Concept shown at the 1974 Turin Auto Show to help establish the Pony lineup. Memories of the coupe were inspiration for the 45 Concept that became the Ioniq 5, for the Pony EV restomod, and for the N Vision 74 Concept at the eye of the latest storm. To pay proper homage to origins, the automaker has announced it will work with GFG Style, the Turin design house founded by father-and-son designers Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugaro, to re-create the Pony Coupe Concept show car. Last year, Hyundai said the debut was penciled in for this spring. If there’s a Pony Day, this will be its prize.