Hyundai Logo PNG
Today Hyundai is one of the world’s leading automaking companies, which produces cars of different categories and is also known as the manufacturer of engines and vehicle parts, used by large car producers across the globe. Established in 1967, Hyundai has quickly overgrown the local market and started expanding internationally with incredible speed.
Meaning and history
The redesign of 2023 has introduced a sleek and super minimalistic emblem of the Hyundai company. The concept is based on the previous versions, which were used by the brand since the beginning of the 1990s, but this time the color palette was switched to black-and-white, with black making up a solid background inside an oval badge, and the contours of the improvised “H” got more elegant and smooth, showing the company as super progressive and professional. The primary version of the Hyundai badge does not contain any lettering, however, in some cases, the emblem is used along with the uppercase wordmark, which repeats the shape of the one from earlier logos.
What is Hyundai?
Hyundai is one of the largest automating companies in South Korea, which was established in 1967, and today successfully operates not only in the Asian market but all our the globe. Apart from mass-market models, the portfolio of the company includes luxury cars, commercial vehicles, electro mobiles, and engines.
1969 – 1970
The emblem, created for the Korean brand in 1969 featured a monochrome composition where the “HD” monogram in a custom typeface was placed on a trapezoid with its upper corners rounded, and bottom ones — sharpened. The Hyundai “H” had its right vertical bar elongated and bent to the right in its upper part, with the end of the line pointed. The image was placed on a white background and featured a thin black circular frame.
1970 – 1978
The abstract car contour with the “HD” lettering was slightly refined in 1970. Both elements became smaller and the circular frame was switched to a horizontally stretched oval, which will come back to the Hyundai visual identity with the modern emblem, in 1990.
1974 – 1992
The logo displayed in the image is a bold, monochromatic design featuring the initials “HD” in a stark black and white color scheme. The letters are encased within a double-framed rectangular border that adds depth and emphasis to the design. The “H” and “D” are styled with a modern, geometric approach, sharing a common vertical line that unites the two characters, symbolizing connection and cohesion. The “D” is uniquely designed with a semicircular form that seamlessly aligns with the straight lines of the “H,” suggesting a fusion of different elements into a harmonious whole.
1980 – 1992
In 1980 Hyundai completely changed the concept of its visual identity, creating a new logo and adopting a fresh and intense color palette. The smooth lines of the initial version were switched to straight geometry, and now the badge featured a horizontally placed rectangular with the bold blue “HD” lettering on the left and the name of the company in Korean placed on the right from the monogram. The blue and white color scheme made the logo more delightful and recognizable, while the straight shapes represented professionalism and reliability.
1990 – 2003
The first version of the iconic Hyundai logo we all know today appeared in 1990 and is still used by the brand. The company decided to take elements from all previous designs and the combination worked just fine. The new logo featured an oval shape of the frame and a slanted bold letter “H” enclosed into it. The color palette remained the same — blue and white, but the shade of blue became deeper and darker.
2003 – Today
In 2003 the smooth elegant emblem of Hyundai gets accompanied by a modern and stylish logotype, which is placed on its right and executed in the uppercase of a custom sans-serif typeface with clean lines and half of the angles rounded. The “N” in the wordmark is the only letter, written in the lowercase column but features the same size as the neighboring capitals.
2011 – 2017
In 2011 Hyundai decided to go three-dimensional and started using a voluminous silver emblem instead of the flat blue one. The lines remained untouched, as well as the logotype, which was still placed in the right from the symbol, but due to the use of gradient glossy metallic shade, the whole image looks more airy and fresh. Though this badge stayed in official use for only six years.
2023 – now
The logo depicted in the image is a sleek and modern emblem, consisting of a stylized, abstract shape that could be perceived as a letter or symbol. It is designed with a series of bold, black curves that interlock with negative white space to form a harmonious and balanced figure within a circular outline. The interplay of the curved elements and the contrast between black and white create a dynamic and fluid motion, giving the impression of perpetual movement and innovation. This logo’s simple yet powerful design easily represent a company that prides itself on modernity, sophistication, and a forward-thinking approach to its industry.
Font and color
The bold uppercase lettering from the Hyundai logo is executed in a custom sans-serif Torrance with the futuristic shapes of the characters. The closest commercial fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, Drone Ranger Pro Extended Black, or Manufaktur Expanded Bold, but with significant modifications of some letters’ contours.
As for the color palette of the Hyundai visual identity, for years it was based on a combination of intense blue and white or silver, but with the redesign of 2023, and the current trend for minimalism, the scheme turned black-and-white, which looks super stylish, yet at the same time strict and stable.
Why did Hyundai change its logo?
As any other large and reputable company, Hyundai has changed its logo several times throughout the years, in order to reflect the growth and progress of the company and to depict the brand’s ability to change according to the latest trends and requirements of the constantly changing environment.
What is the Hyundai symbol supposed to be?
The sleek and abstract symbol on the primary logo of the Hyundai company is a stylized capital letter “H”, which is the first character in the name of the brand. Due to the softened contours and thick strokes of the “H,” it reminds a fancy futuristic symbol, which looks great on the bonnets of Hyundai cars.
What’s the difference between a Honda and a Hyundai symbol?
Some still confuse the logos of Asian automakers, Honda and Hyundai, which are both based on the capital “H”, inscribed into a softened frame. However, the Honda badge is more geometric, with a straight contour of the “H” and a trapezoid frame, while the Hyundai one is all about elegance and motion, with the slanted character in an oval.
