Hyundai Motor Europe's Chief Designer has spoken in defence of the marque's controversial Fluidic Sculpture design language. Speaking at last week's local launch of the new European-design i40 Tourer (pictured), the Russelsheim based German design head said his company's design language was: "more than [a] European design language. It’s rather a global design philosophy."
Hyundai's latest form language is described by the company as heavily based on natural forms and flows. In this respect it is similar to Mazda's Nagare design concept – a theme the Japanese maker has since abandoned.
Unlike the stillborn Nagare, however, Fluidic Sculpture has made its way into mainstream production cars. But these cars have faced criticism that they are at the same time too complicated and derivative of other makes.
Burkle dismisses this viewpoint.
"The design should not be over-complex but it should not be boring. So you have to find the right balance. But definitely, Hyundai with its Fluidic Sculpture wants to create more forms of beauty... A car is a very dynamic object so we want to have a more lively expression. That means the play of light and shadow on the surfaces works better when you have some movement in the surfaces."
Burkle says Hyundai did not follow Mazda's lead with Fluidic Sculpture. In fact, he says that if some of his company's design themes can be witnessed in other brands that is proof Hyundai is on the right track
"We have to be careful for that [resembling Nagare]... but I must say, if you talk about other brands, we came up with the designs [for our cars] already starting from March 2006 [ed: Nagare was debuted by Mazda late in 2006]. And if other car companies have a similar idea it says we are not wrong."
Fluidic Sculpture was the result of Hyundai's three main design teams – Europe, Korea and USA -- working together, Burkle says.
"We combined, so we started with dynamic sculptures and we met regularly and we said we have to evolve our form language to be really special. And then in discussion we came up with Fluidic Sculpture.
"We are proud of our own products and we have the idea to inspire the world with our designs. And [worldwide] sales says that we are on the right track," he told motoring.com.au.
Burkle says Fluidic Sculpture has the "band width" to evolve across Hyundai's model range and also for the foreseeable future. He doesn't put a 'use-by' date on the language.
"We were thinking how we can create a form language, which allows a big variety. So we want to have a family look but it’s like we have a son or daughter -- you can see some commonality of the eyes or the nose and some behaviour, but the character may be very different...
"So we have this common form language but within that form language it allows a lot of different executions. And it’s the brand which is really broad enough to develop new ideas and new executions."
Burkle dismisses the claims that Hyundai's newest releases Elantra and i40 are too derivative.
"Yeah, they’re close, but at the same time they have very individual characters. So if you look at Veloster, for example, it’s another execution of Fluidic Sculpture having a very unique concept compared to other coupes.
"We are really proud that we are not [just] talking about new concepts. We bring them to reality."
Burkle says the i40 is a demonstration of the flexibility of Hyundai's design language and the company's approach to design.
"We did something, which you haven't seen in the industry so far because [with i40] we said we make the station wagon first because we don’t want to compromise the station wagon by being a sedan with a box on the trunk. Commonality is necessary for cost reason but, on the other hand, it’s cleverer to develop the station wagon first."
"You have to understand that the challenge is to describe the car with two or three lines. And if you are able to do that, the design is strong. And here you have the two: two 'muscles' plus this negative D-pillar with which you 'describe' the car...
"The surface treatment is more complex but the end result is simple."
Burkle says Fluidic Sculpture is also driving production technique at Hyundai, therefore playing a part in improving the marque's quality benchmarks.
"If you look at the i40, to realise this panoramic rear window... It’s really challenging to get this window done without having distortion in the glass, for example.
"Or you have this kind of, fluidic, muscle [line on the flank of the car] which is demanding for the stamping of the sheet metal. Plus you have the door handle right on the character line, not below. So you have a double stretching of the sheet metal and therefore we are pushing the boundaries forward to realise our design."
Most strongly of all Burkle says Fluidic Sculpture is changing consumers' perception about the Hyundai brand.
"I think definitely with the i40 Tourer, we make a tremendous step into the modern premium direction -- of course, it takes some time for the customer to follow.
"But we are sure with our product quality... If people see this car in Sydney and Melbourne they will look at the car and they have to want to know, 'Oh, who’s using this car,' and 'Where can I get this thing?” and so on. I think the brand recognition will follow the product."
"I believe that they will more and more admire Hyundai products in the future because they see they are outstanding [individual] and they are not just a kind of, how do you say, me-too design. They have their own image," Burkle re-iterated.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...