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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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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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 »

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.

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.

Hyundai CEO Says Veloster Coupe Coming in 2011 with 140HP 1.6-liter Engine

Following the successful launch of the rear-wheel drive Genesis Coupe, Hyundai is now focusing on the development of a front-wheel drive replacement for the Tiburon sports coupe which is known simply as the Coupe in Europe and other markets. In an interview with Inside Line, Hyundai Motor America's CEO John Krafcik revealed some juicy new details on the forthcoming small coupe which he claimed will look 70-80 per cent like the Veloster Concept that was unwrapped at the 2007 L.A. Show.

Krafcik said that the production version of the Veloster, which by the way, is among the names being considered for the new model, will pack a surprise bodystyle feature never seen before in the category. "It might be doors or a unique roof or something with the hatch. But it won't be like anything out there before in the small car segment."

In terms of size, Krafcik mentioned that the Tiburon's successor will be quite compact. "It's Accent-sized. Think of it like a 4-passenger Honda CRX," he said. "It'll be a little car you can take out and ring its neck and still get good mileage. Fun and economical, with a great power to weight ratio."

In a previous interview back in March, the American CEO had revealed that the Veloster would be offered with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine. This time Krafcik went into more details. "It'll be powered by a 1.6-liter four cylinder with Direct Injection making 140 hp. And it'll get over 40 mpg US (5.8lt/100km or 48mpg UK)," he told IL.

We're guessing that in other markets such as Europe and South Korea Hyundai will most likely offer the Veloster with diesel engines also, maybe even with the Korean firm's new 184HP 2.0-liter oil-burner that is available on the 2010 facelifted Santa Fe.

"There's just nothing out there right now with that kind of Eco-sport positioning" said Krafcik adding that the Veloster will arrive at Hyundai's dealerships before the end of 2011.

Via: Inside Line