Hyundai has filed a patent in Germany for steering wheel-mounted display, which is a rather unique arrangement for an instrument cluster
Back in 2019, Hyundai’s luxury arm Genesis had showcased a two-door EV concept, named ‘Mint’. The most noticeable detail on the Genesis Mint was its instrument cluster setup; it had a widescreen display mounted in the centre of its uniquely shaped steering wheel. Now, it seems like Hyundai is planning to bring this technology to production cars.
Hyundai Motor Company has filed a patent for a steering wheel-mounted display in Germany. The new display will eliminate the need for the instrument cluster to be placed behind the steering wheel, which should improve visibility, at least in theory. However, this does leave a few questions in our minds.
Bringing the display closer to the driver would require one to completely take their eyes off the road to check it. However, that wouldn’t be a problem if a head-up display is used alongside. That said, a few drivers sometimes find the steering wheel obstructing their view of the instrument cluster, which won’t be a problem with this new tech.
We’re sure Hyundai engineers will work out the proper ergonomics before this tech makes it to the production line. In the Genesis Mint concept, the steering wheel display was the only screen in the cabin. There was no touch screen infotainment system on offer, which we’re sure won’t be the case with production cars that get the steering wheel display.
Also, placing a screen in the centre of the steering wheel could potentially be a problem for airbag deployment, but the patent states that the driver airbag will blow out of the steering without any problems, and without damaging the display as well.
We’re not sure when Hyundai’s steering wheel display will make its way into a production model; we’ll likely have to wait a few years to see this technology in action. Currently, Hyundai has been offering a twin-display setup on a few of its vehicles, like Ioniq 5. Kia and Genesis have been offering a similar setup on a few models as well. This arrangement makes it easier to display more information without it becoming too inconvenient.