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If you happen to step into Hyundai’s “Blue Drive Zone” at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, you’ll likely to be guided to two small eco-friendly vehicles.
In terms of appearance, the most radical is the new ix-Metro, a concept car designed by Hyundai’s global design team in Namyang, South Korea. Billed as a “daring new CUV,” the ix-Metro is more akin to a typical B-segment hatchback. Apart from the wild front fascia, the ix-Metro shares a number of styling cues with the new Tucson SUV, which also debuts at the Frankfurt show.
In the pursuit of reducing fuel consumption and emissions, the ix-Metro uses a tiny turbocharged, direct-injection 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine, coupled with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Hyundai claims the ix-Metro produces 80 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer traveled.
We’ve no idea if the ix-Metro is immediately destined for production, but the other green small car — he i10 Electric — is. Hyundai’s replaced the conventional powertrain of its European subcompact hatchback with a 66-hp (49-kW) electric motor and a 16 kWh battery (we’re betting it’s a lithium-polymer pack). The electric i10 supposedly has a range of 100 miles, and a top speed around 80 mph.
Hyundai will offer the i10 Electric to fleet customers in South Korea in the second half of 2010.
If/when Hyundai comes out with a hybrid version of the new Sonata, it will be a segment-killer. Stunning good looks with hybrid power? See ya, Camry Hybrid!