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.

Penned by the designers at Hyundai's California studio, the Curb's styling is said to have evolved from the firm's “Fluidic Sculpture” design language seen on the latest Sonata and Elantra.

“We wanted the Curb to be urban tough without looking like a Brink's truck,” said Jason Brown, Hyundai designer. City driving was going to be its forte, not crossing the Rubicon trail, but we wanted it to have urban armor for daily driving on city streets. It needed to empower its passengers in this setting.”

Another Hyundai designer, Arash Badeanlou boldly stated “The world has never seen lines like this on a car before," adding "it is as if the architect Santiago Calatrava inspired it.”

The Curb, which is the seventh vehicle (hence the HCD-12 codename) to be designed at the company’s California Design Center, is motivated by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection tech, mated to Hyundai's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) [wonder what the VW Group has to say about the abbreviation...]. The force-fed motor develops 175 horsepower and 169 lb. ft. of torque. Hyundai said that by adding Idle Stop and Go (ISG) technology, the Curb would deliver 30+ mpg in the city and 40+ mpg on the highway.

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http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-detroit-show-hyundai-curb-small.html

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.

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http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2011/01/detroit-show-preview-hyundai-curb_06.html

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.

Other than the "Orchid strokes", "fluidic essence", and the styling blah blah blah (we get it, Hyundai, the new models are full of emotion), this is some sort of international peace statement.

Seriously, the announcement says this model helps realize "the harmonic coexistence of all things created". Don't forget: you can't hug people with nuclear arms. The concept features a different hexagonal fascia (similar to that of the latest Tucson / iX35) for the Russian market (which seems a bit too rounded and conservative...the car, not the market), as well as a set of boomerang fog lamps.

The Russian RB/Verna/Accent will be built at Hyundai's St. Petersburg, Russia factory and should be on sale next spring. It will be powered by one of two new Gamma engines, either a 1.4-liter (107 hp, 135 Nm) or a 1.6-liter (124 hp, 156 Nm), hooked up to a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.

For other dimensions, check out our post from the Beijing reveal.

By Phil Alex

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/08/hyundai-dresses-up-new-accent-as-rb.html

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).

A student at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design, Shane says, "The main idea was to design a personal vehicle that delivers the mobility and speed of a motorcycle while offering the safety that a cocoon offers a butterfly. The Aebulle is targeted for the Los Angeles region where it would utilize the commuter lanes allowing its occupant a quick commute."

Much like concepts for the near-future, in-wheel motors provide motivation while energy is stored in floor-mounted lithium ion batteries.

The Aebulle's two independently-mounted front wheels allow it to lean into turns by means of separate swing arms.

That tinted windshield / green house would theoretically be constructed of aluminum oxynitride, a transparent ceramic that's reminiscent of the clear aluminum from Star Trek. To improve ingress / egress, the front lifts open and brings the steering column with it.

Inside, relevant information chosen by the driver (speed, fuel economy, GPS, etc) would be visible using e-ink technology incorporated into the glass. Think of it like an Amazon Kindle dashboard.

Shane - here is clearly a man with big dreams, and this is a step in a hugely right direction. When's the last time anyone really tried to revolutionize the mass-market motorcycle?

By Phil Alex

Images: Shane Baxley , Via: CBD

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http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/05/shane-baxley-renders-aebulle-hyundai.html