New Hyundai Blue2 Fuel Cell Concept Debuts at Seoul Motor Show

The 2011 Seoul Motor Show that runs in South Korea from March 31 to April 10 plays host to the world premiere of the all-new Hyundai Blue2 concept study. The name ‘Blue2’, which is read ‘Blue square’, is a combination of Hyundai’s sub eco-brand ‘Blue Drive’ and the number `2’ from H2, the symbol for hydrogen gas.

Codenamed HND-6, the prototype is Hyundai’s first sedan-style Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). The four-door saloon is powered by a fuel cell electric system that delivers a stack power of 90kW or 121HP and fuel economy of 34.9km/ℓ (of hydrogen, of course), which is equal to 82mpg US and 2.9lt/100km. The concept is also equipped with low-resistance tires and alloy wheels which are designed to improve aerodynamic performance.

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Posted on 06.43 / 0 comments / Read More

Hyundai Releases First Real Life Photo of the New i40 Mid-Size Model

Hyundai today gave us a new sneak peek of its upcoming i40 mid-size model with the release of the first real life image of the car, which is scheduled to receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon on the 1st of March. The new i40 will replace the older generation Sonata in Europe competing in the D-Segment with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. At Geneva, we'll see the estate version of the model (probably named i40 CW) with the four-door sedan variant to follow before the end of the year.

Up until now, South Korea's largest automaker had only released a set of illustrations of the i40 CW (CrossWagon). The new photo shows off the interior of the i40, and in particular the dashboard with its sculpted shapes.

There's a big screen display mounted high up on the middle of the dash flanked by a pair of small air vents, underneath which nestle a bank of push buttons for ventilation and minor controls.

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Posted on 06.51 / 0 comments / Read More

2011 Detroit Show: Hyundai's Curb Small Crossover Concept

Sharing the spotlight with the Veloster coupe at Hyundai's Detroit motorshow stand is the Curb, a conceptual study for a small crossover model positioned under the Tucson. Labeled by Hyundai as a compact Urban Activity Vehicle (UAV), the Curb is aimed at young city dwellers.

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Posted on 14.22 / 0 comments / Read More

Detroit Show Preview: Hyundai Curb Crossover Concept Study

The upcoming Veloster sports hatch will be sharing the spotlight at Hyundai's Detroit motorshow stand with a new crossover concept called the Curb. The South Korean firm has released very little information on the study that carries the HCD-12 codename, but we do know that it has been penned at the firm's California Design Center. According to the company, the Curb's styling is an evolution of the "fluidic sculpture" design language seen on the latest Sonata and Elantra sedans. The official unveiling of the Curb will take place on Monday, January 10 at the Cobo Hall in Detroit. Read more »

Posted on 12.36 / 0 comments / Read More

Hyundai dresses up New Accent as RB Concept for the Moscow Auto Show

Along with the local version of the new Sonata, Hyundai is also showing the RB "concept" at the Moscow International Motor Show. What we're really looking at though is a thinly disguised version of the Russian market Verna/Accent subcompact, which originally made its world premiere at the Beijing Auto Show back in April.

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Posted on 14.52 / 0 comments / Read More

Shane Baxley Renders the Aebulle, the Hyundai Future-Cycle

How would everyone feel if Hyundai built a Matrix-meets-Akira lightcycle? If you have eyes and can see this, then the answer should be "Pretty darn good".

Called the Aebulle - Korean for "cocoon" - designer Shane Baxley says the magnesium-framed trike was inspired by the cocoon of the European Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io, for all you lepidopterists).

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Posted on 11.48 / 0 comments / Read More

Chop Shopped: Hyundai i30 Sedan and Kia Forte Station Wagon

Designer Eduardo Oliveira has sent us some interesting photoshops of some cars from the Hyundai-Kia lineups. First is a more traditional, wagon version of the Forte (or Cerato) as opposed to the production Forte 5-door hatch. Second is the a look at what the a sedan version of the i30 (Elantra Touring in the States) could look like. Any thoughts?

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Posted on 13.24 / 0 comments / Read More

Video Presentation of Hyundai's i-Flow Sport Sedan Study for a European Sonata

The biggest news at Hyundai's Geneva Motor Show booth is the world premiere of the i-Flow concept study. The sporty-looking mid-size sedan with the 'Cab-Forward' design is said to give Europeans a first look at the Sonata replacement (apparently the latest generation model wasn't cut for Europe) that will get a new name following the brand's alphanumeric nomenclature.

Hyundai confirmed that a production model based on the styling of this concept study will hit European showrooms sometime in 2011 offering the South Korean brand a new fighter in the D-segment that includes models like the Ford Mondeo, VW Passat, Toyota Avensis and Opel Insignia (Buick Regal). Hit the break for the videos.

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Posted on 14.56 / 0 comments / Read More

Geneva Show: Hyundai i-Flow Concept Previews 2011 European Sonata Replacement

[Updated with 'Live' Photos] Making its global debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, is the Hyundai i-flow concept that strongly hints at the Korean firm's Sonata replacement in Europe. Hyundai didn't refer directly to the Sonata, but it did say that the i-flow previews the company's European D-Segment contender that will rival the likes of the Ford Mondeo, Citroen C5 and VW Passat.

Furthermore, with an overall length of 4,780mm, 1,850mm width, 1,420mm height and a 2,800mm wheelbase, the i-flow is almost identical in size to the latest generation Sonata (4,820mm long, 1,835mm wide and 1,470mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,795mm), so it wouldn't make much sense for the Koreans to sell both models in Europe.

The i-flow or HED-7, is the seventh Hyundai concept car to be born in the firm's Russelsheim studio in Germany.

Hyundai said that the mid-size sedan's styling is an evolution of the company's so-called 'fluidic sculpture' design language adding that the car is also distinguished by its "unique proportions" with the long tail and the short front overhang, features which are said to have been inspired by Chrysler's Cab-Forward design aerodynamic motives.

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Posted on 07.20 / 0 comments / Read More

Hyundai i-Flow Sport Sedan Concept: New Photo and Details, Powered by Diesel-Electric Hybrid Powertrain

As well as publishing a second photograph of the Geneva-bound i-Flow concept car, Hyundai also released new information on its sport saloon study that is said to hint at a future Ford Mondeo rivaling, D-segment mid-size sedan.

The European penned i-Flow features all the typical design cues of the new Hyundai style with the company claiming a drag coefficient of only 0.25Cd.

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Posted on 13.24 / 0 comments / Read More

Striking Hyundai i-Flow Sports Saloon Concept Heading to Geneva, Hints at Upcoming Mondeo Rival

This year's edition of the Geneva Motor Show is turning out some impressive world premieres. Following earlier announcements today by Lexus about its CT 200h hybrid hatchback and Citroen for the pre-production DS4 crossover, Hyundai just revealed that it will debut an all-new concept car called the i-Flow at the Swiss show.

Penned at the Hyundai's European design headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the i-flow is said to preview the look of the South Korean firm's upcoming D-segment mid-size saloon contender that will go against the likes of the Ford Mondeo, Opel Insignia, Citroen C5 and Toyota Avensis.

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Posted on 10.40 / 0 comments / Read More

Hyundai ix Metro: New Hybrid Electric Small CUV Concept to Inspire Future Production Model

The 'arse' that you're looking at the picture above does not belong to some Alfa Romeo model -no really- but to Hyundai's ix Metro, a B-segment sized concept described by the Koreans as a compact utility vehicle (CUV) that is said to influence the creation of a small crossover model in the very near future. At 3,925mm long, 1,760mm wide and 1,576mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,513mm, the ix Metro has a similar footprint to Hyundai's i20 supermini. However, it does features a much higher ground clearance at 207mm.

With the exception of the Alfa Romeo-esque rear end design, the small crossover's exterior styling with its swoopy body lines and pointy snout that features a large hexagonal front grille looks very Mazda-ish. The ix Metro

The Hyundai ix Metro comes with a pair of conventional front doors and a set of rear-hinged sliding doors at the back. Hyundai says that the pillar less design not only enlarges the greenhouse to improve all-round visibility, but also allows easier entry and egress into the rear passenger area.

For the creation of the cabin, the design team says that it took its inspiration from sci-fi movies. Highlights include the white semi-transparent silicon-like material that covers the dashboard area, the ice-blue illumination and the digital side view cameras.

The Korean concept model is fitted with a hybrid powertrain that combines a 123HP 1.0-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine to a 5kw / 7HP electric motor. The hybrid system delivers 16.0kg.m / 116 lb-ft of peak torque at 1,750-4,500rpm which transferred to the wheels through a six-speed dual clutch transmission.

Posted on 12.21 / 0 comments / Read More

Hyundai ix-Metro Concept with 1.0-liter Turbo Engine Previews Small Crossover Model

The Hyundai Group seems to be on a product roll lately presenting one new model or concept after the other. The latest announcement concerns the presentation of a mini crossover concept called 'ix-Metro' at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. The fifth in a series of concept cars to be created by Hyundai's Global Design Team in Namyang Korea features an electric-gasoline hybrid system based on a 1.0-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection that churns out an impressive - for its size, 125 horsepower.

Hyundai said that the gasoline unit that is coupled to a six-speed dual clutch transmission records ultra low CO2 emissions of just 80g/km.

We only have these computer generated images to go by, but if someone removed Hyundai's badges and asked us to name the maker of the car, we would have probably sworn that the 3.93 meter long ix-Metro with its swoopy lines and pointy fascia is some sort of Mazda prototype...

Though not officially confirmed, it is believed that ix-Metro will spawn a production model within the next two years offering Hyundai a new contender in the all-important European sub-B segment.

Also on display at Hyundai's Frankfurt Motor Show stand will be the all-new ix35 that replaces the outgoing Tucson SUV, the facelifted Santa FE SUV, an all-electric version of the i10 mini and a new 'Blue Edition' model of the i30 that generates just 113g/km of CO2.

Posted on 23.10 / 0 comments / Read More