The Hyundai Intrado concept has been previewed at a media event at the firm's European headquarters in Frankfurt.
The Korean manufacturer has released a single image of the rear of the new concept, which will be shown for the first time at the Geneva motor show in March next year. It appears to be a highly stylised compact SUV, with similar proportions but looking more low-slung than the Nissan Juke.
Peter Schreyer, president of the Hyundai-Kia Motor Group and the man responsible for the group’s design direction, said: “I don’t want to put it in a box and say ‘this is an SUV’ immediately. It is more lifestyle than utility, let’s put it that way.
"It is not a big car. It is quite an interesting combination of design and technology and that’s what I like about it.
The Intrado will use an evolved form of Hyundai's hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain, which will be smaller and lighter than the unit which powers the ix35 Fuel Cell. The company will use the car to explore lightweight engineering and high-tech materials. It is not based on the underpinnings of any of Hyundai's current model line-up.
The car is built around a lightweight structure, using construction processes that Hyundai says "have the potential to change the way cars are constructed in the future." The Intrado name comes from the underside of an aircraft's wing, and the shape which allows the wing to produce lift.
Hyundai's European design team has styled the car, with Schreyer, who introduced the car on stage in Frankfurt this morning, overseeing the project.
Schreyer took on his role as head of design for Hyundai in January of this year, with the brief of creating a "long-term vision for design and to enforce design differentiation" between Hyundai and sister firm Kia, where he has been design chief since 2006. The Intrado will be the first concept car to be styled using Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language.
Schreyer said: "Hyundai Intrado envisages a motoring future that encapsulates the efficiency and freedom associated with flying. I believe in the power of mobility to deliver emotional as well as physical connections and this car helps us find again the joy of discovery. Intrado shows that future cars can be relevant and exciting."
“Intrado is part of where I want to take Hyundai design, but the interesting thing about is that it isn’t just an expression of new styling. With the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, it is almost a research project," he added.
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