Albert Einstein once said, “If you want to know the future, look at the past.”

It seems Hyundai has taken this statement to heart with their newly revealed 45 Concept. As mentioned before in the teaser, the 45 is a design concept which previews the styling direction of future Hyundai electric vehicles.

If you're wondering whether the retro-styling comes from, Hyundai says it is inspired by the Pony Coupe Concept introduced 45 years ago. Coincidentally, it also happens to be where the concept's name is derived from. Aside from the 45-year bond, the name also comes from the 45-degree angles seen at the car's front and rear which form a 'diamond-shaped silhouette'. Hyundai adds that the car is also inspired by aircraft from the 1920s, but is less obvious than the other design cues.

Going into the details, the 45 looks quite similar to the Pony Coupe Concept. Upfront, there's a long strip made of LED dots which act as headlights paired with an illuminated Hyundai logo on the hood. Keen-eyed readers would also notice the 45 logo on the lower right of the bumper. Moving along the side, there are lights which indicate the car's remaining battery charge. As this is a concept, there is a noticeable lack of side mirrors and door handles as well. The rear is styled similarly to the front with an LED strip running the width of the concept. As seen in the teaser, the LED strip can function as something more than just taillights.

Inside, there's a minimalist cabin conceptualized as a living space. In front of the driver is a dashboard with a large touchscreen display. There's no other buttons or center console as well, keeping the driver and passenger close together. Front passengers can enjoy infotainment via a projection-beam interface instead of a touchscreen. The seats can also rotate to face the rear passengers or outwards for faster egress.

Since it is a design concept, Hyundai has released little minimal information regarding the powertrain. All they said is that “The batteries in 45 are set throughout the car’s ‘skateboard floor” which gives it a more spacious interior. The motors are also positioned “outside or below the passenger compartment.”

There's no word yet on how big (or small) the 45 is or when the production model will make its debut. Considering the Pony was a city car, the 45 concept will likely spawn a small EV for cities around the world.