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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
