Hyundai Grandeur gets retro electric reboot

Hyundai has revealed it will pay tribute to 35 years of the Hyundai Grandeur with a new concept for a pure-electric version based on the original first-gen luxury sedan.

The concept, called the Heritage Series Grandeur, is said to pay tribute to the first model that was introduced back in 1986 and was actually a rebadged version of the second-gen Mitsubishi Debonair.

Claimed to have been created under a "retro-futurism" mantra that blends modern styling cues with an old design, the Grandeur concept gains LED pixel headlights with tech borrowed from the new Hyundai IONIQ 5.

A pair of fresh LED tail-lights, some side cladding and new rims largely preserve the original's exterior style.

It's inside the radical updates to the plush Hyundai's design have occurred.

The original car's dash has been trashed and replaced with a widescreen digital instrument cluster and infotainment system.

There's also a curious new portrait-mounted screen that controls the driver functions and even turns into a virtual piano that plays through a powerful 18-speaker sound system.

The centre console, meanwhile, has been redesigned to feature a new metal gear selector, using high-grade materials, while a secret compartment has been added to store valuables.

The seats might look original but are all-new and covered with a fetching burgundy velvet, with nappa leather seatbacks.

Under the bonnet, the wheezy old 2.0-litre four-cylinder has been scrapped for an advanced all-electric powertrain, thought to have been pinched from the IONIQ 5.

If so, the Grandeur should have an impressive turn of speed with 160kW. Even with the weight of a large 72.6kWh battery, the big sedan should be able to sprint from 0-100km/h in less than 6.0 seconds.

Last on sale in Australia back in 2011, the Grandeur remains available in South Korea and is now on its sixth generation.

Sadly, there's little chance of the retro-reboot ever being made publicly available, with the concept set to join the recently reworked Hyundai Pony retromod in the car-maker's heritage collection.