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The New Hyundai Crosstour Concept Car. Photograph by Hyundai.
The New Hyundai Crosstour Concept Car. Photograph by Hyundai.

[Car Enthusiast comment]

Hyundai's 5th concept (hence the name) is in keeping with the car designer fad of the moment - cross-over vehicles. Most of these mutants are a cross between an off-roader and either a sports car or a family car. The Hyundai Crosstour is the latter, and appears thoroughly modern. However, are Hyundai's American designers attempting to engineer a family face for the Hyundai range? It looks like a cross between a Daewoo and an Alfa Romeo!

Still, I like the shape overall (reminiscent of the old Alpine Renaults), and the concept of a family car that can go almost anywhere is a sound one (if not exactly ground-breaking). Why did Hyundai fit the roof rack though? Did the designers finish their creation and then show it to management, who said - "erm, it's ok, but it could do with a roof rack"? I would have thought that they could have been an integral part of the car's design.



Story by Hyundai: 10th February 2000

HYUNDAI UNVEILS FAMILY CAR OF THE FUTURE

Hyundai unveiled a vision of its family car of the future at the Chicago Motor Show on the 10 February.

Called the HCD 5 Crosstour, Hyundai shows how the family car will need to be more closely linked to the family’s lifestyle than ever before.

Designated as a sporty five-door car that suits all family needs, the Crosstour was designed at Hyundai America’s Technical Centre in California.

Powered by a modified version of Hyundai’s all-new 2.7 litre V6 petrol engine, the car sits on 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with 255/55-R18 tyres which provide ‘off-roader’ levels of ground clearance. Two and four wheel drive versions of the car are envisaged.

Set on a 2750mm (108.2 inches) wheelbase the Crosstour is 4600mm (181.1 inches) in length, which makes it longer than a Hyundai Coupe and at 1580mm (62.2 inches) not quite as tall as Hyundai’s soon-to-be-launched Trajet people carrier.

The Crosstour is divided into three distinct areas, the front section which can double as an office, the middle section which provides the family with seating and entertainment features and the rear section which provides storage space for bicycles and other cargo.

From the outside the Crosstour has no B-pillars, and its A and C pillars are slim in a bid to increase driver visibility. Special brackets are built into the rear seat backs to enable the car to transport bicycles inside the load area rather than on the car’s roof.

Internal features include a dash-mounted flat screen television screen, which can be linked to DVD, CD or VHS machines when the car is stationary, or it can double up as a satellite navigation aid when the car is on the move. In the rear of the cabin, the Crosstour provides a large, flat floor while the rear seats can be folded down into a flat cargo area.

Hyundai believes the practical, sporty design of the Crosstour will appeal to the family car buyer of the future.