The Hyundai Logo Has More Symbolism Than Meets the Eye

Hyundai Motor Company, popularly known simply as Hyundai, is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer founded in 1967 by Chung Ju-yung and currently headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

Hyundai operates the largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in the world. The facility is located in Ulsan, South Korea, and boasts an annual production output of 1.6 million units. These cars are available in over 5,000 dealerships and showrooms spread across 193 countries.

Hyundai is also a current majority owner of Kia Corporation, commanding a 33% ownership stake. Besides, the company fully owns two marques. They include its luxury automotive subsidiary Genesis Motor, as well as the electric vehicle sub-brand IONIQ. The three entities collectively make up the Hyundai Motor Group.

Interestingly, Hyundai maintains one of the simplest logos despite its astronomical success in the automotive manufacturing industry. This article uncovers everything there is to know about Hyundai’s logo, including its appearance, symbolism, and design history.

Hyundai Logo Appearance

Logo Shape

Hyundai’s logo is a simple image of a titled letter ‘H’ embedded into an oval shape that looks a bit elongated horizontally. Initially, Hyundai’s emblem was commonly confused with the Honda one. But subsequent modifications to the design made the logo unique and outstanding.

Today, Hyundai’s badge is not just a mere titled letter ‘H.’ If you examine the logo up-close, you’ll realize that the ‘H’ design is actually the image of two people shaking hands.

Also, while the ‘H’ design frequently appears alone, the badge occasionally features the company’s wordmark. The wordmark is usually bold and executed in UPPERCASE letters, except for the letter “n”.

Besides, each letterform has its distinctive look. For instance, the letter “U” looks like an inverted “n.” When displayed alongside Hyundai’s emblem, the logotype is usually set underneath the ‘H’ design.

Logo Colors

Hyundai’s logo typically appears in silver on a grey background. However, the emblem may adopt different color formats depending on the context.

For instance, the digital format is commonly executed in silver on a blue background. You’ll also come across a monochromatic version where black is used for the ‘H’ design and white as the background color.

Logo Font

Hyundai’s logo – both the ‘H’ emblem and the company’s logotype – are executed in a unique typeface known as Hyundai Sans. As the name implies, the Hyundai Sans Typeface is a font created particularly for the automaker.

The font was unveiled in 2016. Its launch coincided with Hyundai’s comprehensive rebranding relaunch that targeted global automobile consumer markets.

Hyundai Logo Symbolism

Symbolism of the ‘H’ design

A closer examination of the design reveals two people connected by a horizontal line in the middle, which looks like a handshake. One person represents the Hyundai company and the other one represents the customer. Hyundai used the handshake image to symbolize the respect the automaker has towards its clients.

In the earlier corporate days, two people would traditionally shake hands after closing a deal. Unfortunately, this habit seems to have been lost in the sands of time and those who still practice it are deemed friendly, respectful, and good-natured. That’s precisely the image Hyundai wished to evoke by implementing the handshake design.

Also, the ‘H’ shape is slightly tilted. This makes the logo look even more friendly and likable. The titled design also symbolizes speed and motion.

The Oval Shape

An oval shape represents the globe. Most companies that utilize this geometric shape on their logos do so to communicate their desire to avail their products and services worldwide. It’s logical to imagine that Hyundai also had the same intention in mind while choosing the oval design.

You’ll also realize that Hyundai’s oval is a bit stretched. The elongated design further speaks to the company’s vision of expanding its operations to virtually every region around the world. It also adds an extra layer of elegance to the entire logo.

Symbolism of the Wordmark

Hyundai’s wordmark doesn’t always accompany the ‘H’ badge. But when it does, the obvious intention is to boost the brand’s identity. The wordmark will especially come in handy for people who might still mistake Hyundai’s logo for the Honda one. It leaves no doubt about what company you’re dealing with.

Also, each letterform in the wordmark sports a distinctive style. That’s an ingenious design technique aimed at improving the logotype’s aesthetic appeal.

Why the name Hyundai?

‘Hyundai’ is derived from the Korean language, which loosely translates to modernity. Perhaps the automaker chose this name to convey its ambitions of designing and manufacturing modern cars.

Symbolism of the Colors

Silver is Hyundai’s favorite color. However, the company also seems to prefer blue. The silver-blue color palette stands for affluence, modernity, and sophistication. The color palette also symbolizes trust and innovativeness.

Hyundai Logo History

Hyundai’s logo appeared for the first time in 1969, two years after the automaker was established. The original logo featured an angular oval shape laid over a circle. The design resembled a car window, leaving little doubt as to the industry the company was working in.

Stylized letters “H” and “D” appeared above the bottom line of the angular oval shape. A line extended from the letter “H” towards the upper right, perhaps symbolizing a road. The entire logo was monochromatic. Hyundai used this logo for only a few months before redesigning it.

1970 – 1978

Hyundai’s original logo was first updated in 1970. The changes were rather subtle and mainly involved repositioning the inner sections of the badge to fit fully within the borders of the angular oval shape. Besides, the logo became smaller but still legible enough.

1978 – 1990

In 1978, Hyundai abandoned its image-based logo for a wordmark. The new emblem comprised the word “Hyundai” in bold, blocky serifs. The logotype was in Korean, seeing as the company was still targeting the local Korean market.

However, the new logo retained the letters “HD.” The “HD” monogram usually appeared to the right of the logotype. The entire badge used a deep blue and white color scheme.

1990 – 2003

1990 marked the disappearance of the wordmark as well as the “HD” monogram. These elements were replaced by a slanted “H.” However, the blue-white color palette remained.

2003 – 2017

The only notable modifications to Hyundai’s logo in 2003 involved the color scheme and wordmark. The company chose a different shade of blue and also reintroduced the name “Hyundai” to its logo. The wordmark was set underneath the emblem and now appeared in English.

2017 – Present

Hyundai’s current logo was introduced in 2017. The logo adopted a silver color over a grey background. The emblem also changed to a different shade of blue, which is commonly spotted in the logo’s digital versions.

Hyundai’s logo has undergone tremendous changes over the years into the chic and elegant design we know it today. Although the emblem still shares the ‘H’ initial with many other companies, its design leaves no doubt about the company’s identity.