Hyundai i-flow Concept, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hyundai i-flow Concept, 2010

Previewing a future D-segment contender
With an overall length of 4.780mm and a 2.800mm wheelbase, the Hyundai i-flow Concept brings new ideas and a pioneering form to the traditional European D-segment. The dramatically-sculpted forms of the interior and exterior make for a striking sports sedan, and its width and height (1.850mm and 1.420mm respectively) give it an athletic stance.

The name i-flow reflects the exceptionally aerodynamic shape and the flowing lines of the concept car's eye-catching styling, and retains the 'i' prefix of Hyundai's established alphanumeric nomenclature for Europe. In 2011 Hyundai will bring into production a new challenger in the segment, drawing on the Hyundai i-flow Concept's sleek styling and innovative technology.

The evolution of 'fluidic sculpture'
Thomas Buerkle, Chief Designer at Hyundai Motor Europe, appraises the design concept of i-flow, or HED-7, the seventh in a series of daring concept cars to be born in the Russelsheim styling studio:
Hyundai i-flow Concept

Inside: minimum weight, maximum space and a bionic feel

The interior of Hyundai i-flow Concept redefines the perception of space in a sedan bodystyle. Fundamental elements, such as the seats and center console, were crafted for minimal weight and volume using cutting-edge materials from BASF - one of the world's leading automotive suppliers.

The seats, for example, were developed in conjunction with BASF using advanced stress analysis, which highlighted the unnecessary mass areas and pointed towards an optimized lightweight seat structure. 'Steron', a BASF material, gives the seats a highly-resilient quality, excellent breathability and a high-tech touch.

The upper dashboard, meanwhile, is treated with Elastoskin, a sprayed skin from BASF for a sophisticated, shimmering finish.
This technical, meticulous approach combines with an abundance of natural materials to engender a bionic feel in the cabin, further symbolized by the green color tones and the leaf-like shadows projected from the roof's semi-transparent dye-sensitized solar cells.

The cockpit's main interface centers around an expansive, contoured screen, which recognizes not only touch but also gestural inputs along its fascia-wide display. The fluidic forms of the exterior are echoed in the Hyundai i-flow Concept's cabin, where continuous lines sweep from the dashboard, through the doors to the open storage area at the rear.

The innovative, B-pillarless doors allow comfortable ingress and egress for passengers. The front door is hinged at the A-pillar, and the rear door swings backwards on an intelligent hinge arm system to allow unrestricted access to the rear seats. Additionally the front seats can be turned 30° towards the outside, to invite the driver and co-driver to enter the ultramodern lightweight seats.

An eco-technological test bed
The Hyundai i-flow Concept is a test bed for new energy harvesting ideas, ranging from flexible solar panel roofing to a thermo-electric generator. The key technical components of the vehicle have been developed by Hyundai under the Blue Drive™ banner in cooperation with BASF. Blue Drive™ remains at the heart of Hyundai's product development strategy, and continues to drive the company towards its target of global leadership in environmentally-sensitive technologies.

A focal point of Hyundai i-flow Concept is its extraordinary CO2 emissions level of just 85g/km. The car uses efficient aerodynamics, energy harvesting technologies and weight-saving materials to significantly undercut the current average for a D-segment sedan. Furthermore, the company's first diesel-electric hybrid powertrain runs the exciting new U2 1,7-liter engine augmented by two-stage turbocharging and Hyundai's Lithium Ion-Polymer battery to give a very efficient and advanced combination, particularly when partnered with Hyundai i-flow Concept's six-speed, dual-clutch transmission.

Energy Conservation

BASF and Hyundai R&D engineers have developed thermal engine encapsulation, which ensures that the engine reaches optimum operating temperature more quickly, by retaining heat when the car is at idle. Where a non-insulated engine would take three hours to drop to 40°C, the Hyundai i-flow Concept will stay above that temperature for 14 hours. This translates into fuel savings and emissions cuts of 5 per cent during summer and up to 9 per cent during winter.

Energy Harvesting
Another pioneering technique introduced in collaboration with BASF is thermo-electric waste heat recovery. This process equates to further reductions in fuel consumption, 5% at highest driving. In fact, up to half of the electrical energy consumed by Hyundai i-flow Concept at 80kph - 250 watts - can be recovered through the work of a thermo-electric generator. Harvested energy from hot exhaust gases is recaptured by this generator which is fitted into the exhaust manifold. The thermal electric generator then converts the wasted heat into useful electrical energy to help power auxiliary systems.

Liquid Metal, a coating with the appearance of a glossy skin made of liquid metal, has been developed by BASF Coatings. Special effect pigments in this eco-friendly waterborne coating system let the surface appear as polished metal with targeted mirror like reflections - this gives a liquid skin appearance to the car's exterior and increases the tension of the surface in the same time. The high color saturation on the Hyundai i-flow Concept adds an energizing charisma to the Hyundai concept car. The typical high contrast between highlight and flop underlines the sculptural impact of the Hyundai i-flow Concept.

Adaptive aerodynamic features harmonize with fluidic sculpture styling, not only to bring aesthetic value, but also to increase fuel efficiency. Radical ideas, such as the arch-like roofline and streamlined front, have a real impact, and the boat-tail shape and kick-up lines force the airflow to separate at the rear of the vehicle, leading to an extremely impressive aerodynamic drag coefficient of just 0.25 Cd.

An eco-driving guidance system is present to encourage super-efficient motoring. The system includes fuel consumption and gear shift indicators, and an active ECO function which adjusts the powertrain to its ultimate condition by adapting the engine and transmission control units. Finally, 'eco route' uses real-time traffic conditions and three-dimensional road data to calculate the most fuel-efficient way of reaching the desired destination.

Hyundai ix-onic Concept, 2009

Hyundai ix-onic Concept, 2009

The designed to assertive but not aggressive, the Hyundai ix-onic Concept (pronounced "ik-sonnik") combines dynamic styling with an environmentally-friendly power train and thoughtful everyday utility. It creates a vehicle that will change the way consumers think about compact crossover vehicles.
With an overall length of 4,400mm, the 1,850mm-wide and 1,650mm-high Hyundai ix-onic Concept has an imposing stance and road presence but takes up little more space on the road than a C-segment hatchback.

The Key attributes of Hyundai's 'dynamic sculpture' design philosophy are the athleticism and sophistication that ix-onic demonstrates through its dynamic and flowing lines. These are emphasised by specially developed, high-contrast exterior paint. Employing an advanced-effect pigment, the innovative paint gives the car's skin a brilliant shine.

The hexagonal grille is a further evolution of the style introduced on the 2006 Genus concept car and developed for its appearance on the Hyundai i-mode concept in 2008. The headlamps feature innovative LED daytime running lights which move down electrically whenever the 'dipped beam' is switched on.

The profile of Hyundai ix-onic Concept features a dynamic glass line and a sports car-like theme with a muscular, double-zigzag treatment for the wheel arches that wrap around the 21-inch polished alloy wheels. Unusually, the concave sills have a wedge-shaped profile which extends rearwards and wraps around into the rear bumper. The sills and bumper are finished in a contrasting colour, with an aluminium garnish that echoes the trim in the door handles to enhance the perception of premium quality.

With high-mounted tail lamps, multi-surfaced glass and a sculpted bumper, the rear of Hyundai ix-onic Concept also incorporates 'dynamic design' elements. The rear lamp clusters feature a grille mesh inspired by nature, while the rear bumper also neatly incorporates the dual, polished aluminium exhaust tailpipes.

The rear window has been designed and produced by Hyundai in close cooperation with the QarmaQ-partner SABIC Innovative Plastics. Using Lexan high-performance plastics instead of conventional glass enabled the designers to give the rear window a much more three-dimensional shape. On each side of the rear window two vertical spoilers are integrated to reduce aerodynamic drag. The upper part of the window features a strongly concave shape to make it possible to integrate the roof spoiler in the rear window.

The Inside, the five-seater Hyundai ix-onic Concept offers a commanding view of the road and evokes an adventurous ambience that is also laid-back and relaxing.

An X-shaped visual theme is repeated across numerous areas of the cabin, with embossed leather to accentuate key areas while light-alloy magnesium accents provide flashes of visual brilliance. The sleek shapes of the interior are outlined with 'ice blue' seams that replicate the colour of both the ribbed ice blue floor carpet, which contains a high percentage of natural cashmere wool, and the exterior.

Shapely seats feature centre panels trimmed in breathable fabric with attractive and functional cushion side bolsters, plus additional lateral support for occupants' shoulders - all trimmed in contrasting magnesium grey.

The mounted much higher than usual in the doors, the audio speakers present occupants with a true and highly detailed, top-quality sound reproduction. The interior rear-view mirror has a 'blind spot' warning light that alerts the driver to other road users in close proximity.

The Beneath its sensational exterior, the Hyundai ix-onic Concept's power train is equipped with a 170PS, 1.6-litre GDi turbocharged, four-cylinder petrol engine, with ISG (Idle Stop & Go) technology and a double-clutch six-speed transmission. Power is transferred to the road by an intelligent four-wheel drive system fine-tuned to deliver outstanding on-road driving dynamics, together with significant off-road ability. The next-generation, eco-friendly engine emits just 149 g/km of CO2, an impressive figure for an SUV and comparable with conventional hatchbacks and superminis.

Hyundai Blue-Will Concept, 2009

 

 

Hyundai Blue-Will Concept, 2009

The Hyundai has revealed the first pictures of an innovative plug-in hybrid Hyundai Blue-Will Concept car. It has exceptionally advanced technology crammed inside its striking bodyshell.

The Recycled PET soft drink bottles were used to make the material for the headlamp bezels while use has also been made of bio-plastics: PLA for the interior while PA11 was specified for the engine cover. These materials are made from plants extract rather than fossil fuels and are bio-degradable.

The Hyundai Blue-Will Concept is powered by an all-aluminium Gasoline Direct Injected 1.6-litre engine which is coupled to a Continuously Variable Transmission and a 100kw electric motor which is at the heart of Hyundai's parallel hybrid drive architecture.

The Electric power, stored by a Lithium Ion Polymer battery pack, is neatly bundled with the fuel tank under the rear seat to maximise luggage space.

The Hyundai will be the first automaker in the world to apply Lithium Ion Polymer in a mass production vehicle.

A further expression of the concept's design flexibility is found on the panoramic roof. The glass area integrates dye-sensitized solar cells which can generate power for the batteries from the sun without impeding visibility.

Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid Concept, 2008

 

 

 

Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid Concept, 2008

The vehicle maintains the overall design and dynamics of the standard Hyundai Santa Fe, but is altogether a different car under the hood. Hyundai engineers developed a proprietary parallel hybrid drive system which mates the powerful but thrifty 2.4-litre Theta engine to a six-speed automatic transmission and a 30Kw electric motor for maximum fuel economy and substantially reduced CO2 emissions. And it also can be used as a generator in order to save regenerative electric energy to the battery. This proprietary parallel hybrid drive architecture will serve as the foundation for all future hybrid drive vehicles to be developed by Hyundai.

Hybrid Technology
The petrol-electric hybrid technology featured in the Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid reduces CO2 emissions to just 148 g/km (combined cycle) and delivers a fuel consumption figure of 6.2l/100km (combined cycle). With an estimated top speed of 170 km/h and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 10.6 sec.
To maximize fuel economy, all of the Theta's major driveline and cooling system components have been optimized to reduce friction, while the crankcase has been filled with low friction oil engine control software automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a halt, cutting emissions to zero. When pressure is reapplied to the accelerator pedal, the Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) automatically restarts the engine. The Theta's engine control software governing injection pressure, engine cycle timing and exhaust retreatment rates has been revised to further reduce fuel consumption.
In addition, the latest electric motor-assisted steering system reduces power drain, and very low resistance tyres further optimize fuel economy.

Electric propulsion for the Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid is provided by a 30kW electric motor (205Nm) which is coupled directly to the six-speed automatic tranmssion. The top three gear ratios have been extended to ensure lower engine revolutions per minute (RPM) and further enhance fuel economy. Electrical power is stored in a 270V Lithium Polymer rechargeable battery (5.3Ah/270V) which has significant advantages over lithium-ion batteries, including higher energy density and lower manufacturing costs. Li-Poly is also more resistant to physical damage and can also take more charge-discharge cycles before storage capacity begins to degrade.

To be sold initially in the Korean domestic market under the Avante badge, the Elantra LPI Hybrid will be the world's first electric hybrid vehicle to be powered by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and the first to adopt advanced Li-Poly batteries.
Hyundai's developed its very first hybrid electric vehicle in 1995 when it unveiled the Future Green Vehicle at the Seoul Motor Show. In 1999 it displayed an Elantra Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) at the Seoul Motor Show and, in 2000, an Accent HEV - both of which featured 'hard-type' parallel electric drive systems and Integrated Starter Generator technology. However, these research development vehicles did not go into mass production.
In 2004, the company moved its HEV program into low-volume test production, delivering 50 examples of a gas-electric hybrid Hyundai Getz (B-segment vehicles badged as Hyundai Click in the Korean domestic market) to Korean government agencies as part of a fleet demonstration project. These were 'mild-type' hybrid systems using 12kW motors and nickel metal hydride batteries. The hybrid technology development program continued to expand and, in 2005, Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. delivered 350 more units to the demonstration fleet, 730 more units in 2006 and 1,682 more units in 2007, including Accent HEVs.

Innovative Panoramic Roof
The Hyundai Santa Fe Blue Hybrid features an innovative three-piece panorama sunroof. The moveable glass top has UV filtration which reduces thermal loading without restricting light transparency. And to protect cabin occupants against solar radiation, an adjustable shade can be operated separately from the glass top. The modular system solution was developed Magna Car Top System.