Hyundai Grappler concept is a hardcore, off-road Veloster
The automaker will have this design study on display at the upcoming SEMA show in Las Vegas.
Some ideas aren't as crazy as they initially seem. Case in point: Hyundai's latest design study, the Grappler.
The South Korean automotive firm has transformed its Veloster hot-hatch into a hardcore off-roader. Loaded with accessories and some serious under-body enhancements, the Hyundai Grappler concept will fit right in at the SEMA trade show in Las Vegas, which hosts untold thousands of vendors and visitors each year.
The Grappler is a sporty, all-terrain adventure vehicle with significantly increased ground clearance and likely Jeep Wrangler-rivaling approach and departure angles. Providing grip in nearly any sort of condition are knobby, all-terrain tires wrapped around a set of massive Method Racing wheels.
In keeping with this concept's "functional ruggedness" design theme, custom brush guards protect its front and rear ends. Up top is a roof-mounted Thule utility basket to hold all the junk you can't fit in the Veloster's admittedly quite-practical trunk. This accessory is also fitted with a light bar provided by an outfit called Baja Designs. Beyond that, this utility basket also serves as the mount for a removable solar panel from Goal Zero. It provides juice for a portable power station inside the vehicle.
A Seibon hood, crafted of lightweight carbon fiber, vents engine heat and looks cool as it, um, well, keeps things cool. Hyundai did not mention what powertrain might be lurking between this vehicle's front fenders, but we hope it's at least as powerful the turbocharged engine found in the riotous Veloster N hot-hatch.
If the Grappler's stance and accessories didn't make it look aggressive enough already, a custom vinyl body wrap emblazoned with a special Hyundai livery ought to make it really pop. Likewise, a Borla cat-back exhaust system ensures this concept sounds as aggressive as it looks.
Pop open a door and inside and you'll find a multifunction roll bar. Not only does it protect occupants while tearing it up off road, it also provides a mounting location for a full-size spare wheel and tire. The Grappler's cabin is also fitted with traction mats, a utility shovel, special lighting and even a tent from Napier. Recaro seats emblazoned with a houndstooth pattern further dress up the cabin.
Not to be outdone by aftermarket companies, Hyundai threw in a few of its own accessories. This concept is further dressed up with pedal covers, a sport shifter, all-weather floormats and more.
Look for the Grappler concept, perhaps the most unusual Hyundai Veloster ever built, to be on display at the upcoming SEMA show, which runs from Nov. 5-8 in Las Vegas.
