19 February 2009 - 16:00
Out with the old
Something funky’s going on at Hyundai. Just look what they’ve gone and made for the Geneva show: this ix-onic concept. Sounds like some sort of sports drink, doesn’t it? Except Hyundai suggest you pronounce it ‘ik-sonnik’. Which makes it sound like a cheap stereo.
Anyway, it’s a concept for the company’s next SUV and it’s packed with lots of cool stuff. Power comes from a 1.6-litre diesel, which produces a very respectable 170bhp. It’s also got stop-start tech, which combines with the diesel to keep CO2 emissions down to 149g/km – not bad for a heavyish SUV (there’s a bit of a theme with that today – check out the Lexus RX 450h we told you about earlier).
It gets a DSG-style double-clutch gearbox too and even has four-wheel-drive. So it’s an SUV with a decent bit of ‘S’ and ‘U’ for a change. And it looks good – much cooler than the podgy Tucson and Santa Fe. Expect to see some of the design touches on other Hyundai’s in future, too. Things like that hexagonal grille and neatly sculpted surfaces.
It’s easily the best-looking Hyundai since, er, forever. And if that’s not enough, Hyundai fans, you’re in luck, as the company have also launched a 3-door i20. Which looks exactly the same as the 5-door, only shorter.
That’s no bad thing, as it’s a pretty cute little thing. But, despite being £450 cheaper than the one with more doors, it still can’t touch the Fiesta for value…
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this looks exactly like Ford Iosis X that was released in 2006 or 2007 :| ....like common even the name sounds the same : Ix-onic = iosis X .....
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I truly wonder when the Koreans will stop with all this bizarre naming thing. Along similar lines, why can't manufacturers realise that making properly decent cars have very little to do with attention-seeking, will-never-make-it-to-production concepts. For some reason, they never seem tired of throwing them out at motorshows just to roll out some terribly watered versions a couple of years later.
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could we see the korean "toyota"?! what will become of china's brilliance within 20 years?!
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hyundai are making ugly cars and ugly concepts could they not just give up and stick to low budget electroics and industrial machines.
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Mercedes7 commented on this article
21 February 2009
I'm sorry but the chances are they wont bring this into production because Range Rover have been saying for years that they will make either their LRX or Stormer and have they ? NO, so really what is the point on saying your going to make something and you end up you don't, a pile of rubbish, its a Hyundai aswell so.
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