2008 L.A. Auto Show: Hyundai HED-5 i-Mode Concept

• Looks like: The Hyundai Veracruz and Toyota Prius had a lovechild on the set of "Blade Runner"
• Defining characteristics: Configuarble interior for six
• Ridiculous features: Scalloped A-pillar
• Chance of being mass-produced: Nearly 100%; Hyundai says this is green-lit for the American market

Usually when we tackle concepts we look at the exterior packaging first. Not with the HED-5 i-Mode; this is one time when the guts of a concept are far more interesting than the skin. The six-passenger crossover may be futuristic-looking, but that’s not as interesting as the engine under its hood.

Hyundai has chosen the L.A. auto show as the place to not only display its all-new hybrid powertrain system, but also its future gasoline engines, starting with the 286-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the i-Mode. That’s a lot of horsepower for a turbo-four, normally reserved for high-performance cars like the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

Hyundai says turbocharging will improve fuel efficiency by 15-20%, but we’re not sure what it’s using as the baseline, as it compares this engine to six-cylinder engines as well. Hyundai says it will put the new turbo in various production models soon, but it’s obviously not spilling the beans yet on the whats and whens.

The i-Mode itself, while green-lit, doesn’t yet have a definitive date to hit the U.S. market.

Comments

Interesting...very interesting

I thought Krafcik said something to the effect that an production model "inspired by" the HED-5 concept had been greenlit. When he said that, I immediately thought of this:

http://www.motorauthority.com/spy-shots-2010-hyundai-portico-crossover.html

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Is this just a Hyundai version of the Kia Rondo?

The Rondo is really a five seater with an optional third row. This looks more like a true six seater.

ENERGY WATCH:

THIS IS THE NEXT TO LAST STEP IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE HYUNDAI HED-4 CONCEPT THAT DEBUTED IN FRANKFURT A FEW YEARS AGO. I WONDERED WHEN IT WAS GOING TO RE-SURFACE, AND NOW IT'S WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF ACTUALLY REACHING SHOWROOMS. MAZDA'S BEEN PRODUCING SOME SPECTACULAR LOOKING CONCEPTS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT NONE OF THEM EVER REACHED PRODUCTION. ONCE THIS HYUNDAI HITS THE STREET, NO ONE WILL CARE ABOUT THE STILLBORNE MAZDAS ANYLONGER. YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE.