Hyundai displays future leisure vehicles at Seoul
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Hyundai celebrated its presence at the third Seoul Motor Show with a whole host of new products, which are destined for the UK over the next two years. There was a real off-roading flavour to Hyundai�s show, with three out of their four new products being equipped with four-wheel drive. You may remember the Santa Fe from the January Detroit show. Badged as a sports utility, the five-door off-roader is likely to come to these shores in the autumn of 2000. The latest show car was equipped with a 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine, however a turbo diesel is also rumoured to be under development. Two four-wheel drive design concepts in the shape of the Tirol and the Highland also appeared at the show. Both displayed generous ground clearance and purposeful bumpers and under-body protection. Right hand drive build dates have yet to be confirmed, but Hyundai UK hopes to see one, or both of these vehicles in the year 2000.
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Hyundai has never built a right hand drive MPV before, that is until now. A concept version of Hyundai�s seven-seat MPV was unveiled at Seoul. Combining good exterior looks and internal practicality, the MPV has taken styling cues from Europe, where MPVs are now taking a serious chunk of the car market. Hyundai UK hopes to see the MPV reach this country by the middle of next year.
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Anyone who has visited Seoul with its 12 million inhabitants will know driving space is tight and traffic jams are commonplace. Therefore Hyundai�s concept Atoz �Tutti� pick-up looks a practical solution to delivering small packages around town. It�s unclear whether this vehicle will go into production. However, Toyota will soon have such a vehicle based on its Yaris city car so there is certainly motivation for Hyundai.
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Speaking of the Yaris, the final concept from Hyundai showed frontal styling stolen from Toyota's baby car. The Highland 4x4 car is a little smaller than the Sante Fe and features a huge perforated plastic grille - not unlike the Toyota Yaris face. It is unlikely that both this and the Sante Fe will be put into production.
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