The Hyundai i-flow is one of the significant concept cars at Geneva, not just because it looks dramatic, but because under that heavily sculpted skin is a range of latest tech that could appear in Hyundai’s next generation of cars.
Powering the i-flow is the company’s first diesel-electric hybrid powertrain consisting of a U2 1.7-litre oil burner with two-stage turbocharging and Hyundai’s lithium ion-polymer battery. Coupled to a six-speed, dual-clutch transmission, the drivetrain is capable of 33.3 km/l and a low CO2 output of 85g/km.
The i-flow is also a test bed for new energy harvesting ideas, ranging from a flexible solar panel roofing to a thermo-electric generator developed in partnership with leading chemical company BASF. One such idea is thermal engine encapsulation, which ensures that the engine reaches optimum operating temperature more quickly by retaining heat when the car is idle. Hyundai says that this translates into fuel savings and emissions cuts of 5% during summer and up to 9% in winter. The thermo-electric generator meanwhile recaptures energy from hot exhaust gases and converts it to electrical energy to help power auxiliary systems.
Designed at Hyundai’s European studio in Russelsheim, the i-flow sports the firm’s “fluidic sculpture” design language. With an overall length of 4,780 mm and a 2,800 mm wheelbase, the i-flow is a Honda Accord sized D-segment contender that is set to hit the market in 2011. It remains to be seen how much of the i-flow’s styling is retained for production, but things look promising with the recent Korean realisation that advanced design is as important as making competent cars.
Live pictures from Geneva and official images are after the jump!
Hyundai i-flow live images from Geneva
Hyundai i-flow official images
Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.
unbelievably gorgeous! it may have the curviness of a MAZDA but atleast it doesnt have that bloody smiley face like the MAZDA
When one is drunk, one cannot draw a straight line:) Certainly a work of some alchoholics…
SAKIT MATA by looking at dashboard
too forward…
Nice exterior but why suddenly i feel dizzy after looking at the interior..
tat's y its a concept…
i wonder how would the passengers (incl. children) and driver feel after say… 6 hours drive balik kampung in this…
and if you were to drive through those kampung roads, i think the cows and goats will run like hell… and night-time, with those lights.. people will think some sort of poyol head wandering around…
heheh..
Huh? Toyota FT86?
Looks like the control panel of a Zentraedi (Robotech) BattlePod.
Darn alien man!
there is only one thing to say.. THE DESIGNERS WATCHED TOO MUCH AVATAR.. :S
The interior seems to be like melting plastic that moves. I don't think I can sit in one without throwing up.
one of the hottest car i seen so far from geneva
the interior is quite challenging to understand
flow of puke..hehe
too organic…
Its global warming….the dashboard is melting
Where are all these curves taking us ?…. this is anything but futuristic.
it looks as if its been drawn by a 6-year old who really2 hates hyundai
front end got to many mouths…
Nice flow but too extreme borderline ugly…
Asymmetrical steering wheel is a no-no, you can do whutchu want wit a concept car..but never ever an asymmetrical steering wheel…its not 'car' philosophy
not realistik at all..
1 positive thing bout this car is….
33.3km/l , (if diesel is still RM2, i dunno, im not in m'sia yet)
RM2 = 33 km
RM12 = 198km (kl to ipoh) ….walauweyh~!…..
tooooooo much curve…..
it's called a concept car!
ugly..
now that everyone going green, i reckon manual gearing will go as well.. because electric motor operate without gears. u accelerate and de-accelerate it without current manipulation.
more current = higher revs, low current = lower revs.
too much?
i feel dizzy after looking at its interior….*throwing up with windows still open*
-5 mins later, coming back from the washroom to close windows-
Excuse me!!……*throw up again*
It really makes me dizzy!!
definitely not my favourite car.
Whole car look so wavey!!!
designed by someone drunk
The car looks like a Tesla sedan with some modification to body works.
Weird looking steering wheel. But the car as a whole looks crazy good.
Was gonna say exterior looks Mazda-ish without being too messy or smiley. Love the wheels but what kind of tires are those? Steering wheel is a Citroen gone wrong.
WOW..OMG..No WAY this is KOREAN…OMG!! I think those Korean had form some 'contact' from an unknown intelligent species…I agree, this is an ALIEN thing…keep it coming, i want to see more…KIA?
After i saw this car video, I love it.
Hyundai i-flow (HED-7) Concept Promo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGDrdFuc9lw
Stunning design i must say…but seems like almostly same design as sonata2011….anyway , in fact, the design probably already overtaked most of current japan cars..perhaps…thumb up for good design~!
too wavy for my liking..that steering design looks weirdo
Quite futuristic design.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66RdE3GjSiw
VERY VERY NICE..good work koreans…
extreme design
oh, i got a headache…
fugly.
at least rim look nice… interior overdesign..i don't like it… simple is better
CGT said,
March 8, 2010 @ 6:23 pm
Looks like the control panel of a Zentraedi (Robotech) BattlePod.
Darn alien man!
_________________________________________________________________________
Maybe the little blue man from outer space helped them!
dude! this is one sick car… but it's too mazda-ish. I bet Mazda will have to try very hard not to design the next RX similar to this car.
Looks like a failed attempt at copying the Mazda Furai
It should be used with an ipad, if u get wat i mean…
really futuristic,almost like from a science fiction movie
a lil bit weird, from front view it loke like a double dacker car after accident in tapah…hehehe
it design for alien from the outer space to drive one….. look at the steering…. sick…
A bit of Nissan gt-r…and how to hold the steering?
alien car..
One of the best compliment to Mazda's Nagare (flow) concepts. Hyundai i-flow!
the rear bottom tail lamp ( i not sure whether it is a lamp or only a reflector) is kinda similar with the alfa romeo pandion concept tail lamp..hmm…….
Exterior….nice, interior….so..so…
It's a VERY CREEPY looking HYundai but Georgeous at the same time. Maybe some alien got possessed by demon then transformed into this…. Lols. Love all the Hyundai's great effort.. go go!
lady gaga??ermm…
soo weird.. the car look so ugly also some say its nice…
Excellent design! love it and i'd buy one if it was produced like this
btw, paul when is the hyundai genesis coupe coming out?!
It looks more like something from Starcraft's Protoss. Come to think of it… Koreans are obsessed with Starcraft…
Blizzard oh Blizzard… How much longer for Starcraft II??? Hell, it's about time…
Just can't believe it's a Hyundai. Yeah what a great effort. Luv it!
Nice seats, warm lights, cars should be fantastic things. This is on the list. Would be wicked if one got to change the colours of the interior lights… and what's with a double clutch? Everytime i go out of the gate I slip straight to third.
the car in and out looks like it's melted
GTR facelifted Kim Chi style
make me feel so damn dizzy .
The most important thing of this car is the technology.. See that i have said in a few times in this blog that Diesel hybrid is the best to go… Why want to waste so much money on petrol hybrid knowing that it cant go futher than diesel cars? If diesel cars are louzy why Europeans are using it crazy?
Opps, in Malaysia our Diesel only Euro2, while theirs are already Euro4/5… Why we cannot be Eco friendlier as a oil producing country?
where are the side mirrors? That lil red thing jutting out from the bonnet? I dont think that can be it. And if they were cameras on it… I don't see side display screens in the car :S
You know what, i think it'll still stay a concept, no practically what so ever. Or at least they'll rework almost everything in the car, and just remain its exterior. And the steering wheel… what the hell!? It'll look cool at night, but look how ugly it is in daylight! But seriously it's just horrible, I'll be lucky to be able to stand 1 day with a steering wheel like that.
Is that a steering wheel?
Anyway, I believe this car is purposely for design study. Such radical looking interior is too much. Production version should be toned down as always.
Mean machine from Hyundai, good try, for MY please introduce your Genesis first as I think it is more likeable to compete with the the FairLady's is town.
what an ugly looking steering!!! but the exterior is nice. i'm more interested in the drive train though.
at 1.7L, pushing 33.3km/l isn't really that impressive i think (i hope i'm wrong!) but it's the CO2 output that is nice!!! this should attract lower taxes in the UK!
is this a peugeot?
milted plastic
Hints of the next Azera? That would really be something.
This would really put this smack in the middle of the E and 5ers. Probably a close match with the G450H
as long it is not Proton, people will say; it is NNIIIIICCCEEEE~ (even though it IS already clear, the design is like TAHI LEMBU only)
kiasu~
Its a concept car…nt production…anyway, diesel hybrid make more sense (BMW/Merc/PSA)
Going to be SUPER expensive to manufacture.. lol
very2 creative….
33.3km/l is AWESOME! Normal driving on a civic 1.8 ala grandmother mode is 11km/l.
You rev it up to 3K-4K rpm as a practice and your fuel consumption drops to 8-9km/l.
The emotional lines are waaay too emotional. is the exterior design going into production? IMHO the koreans want to be trendsetters, thats why Mercedes is following them with this Flow trend? BTW, FC is awesome!
Wow..!!! it should be drive by Avatar's species…!!
Dr. Kervokian said,
March 9, 2010 @ 2:38 pm
33.3km/l is AWESOME! Normal driving on a civic 1.8 ala grandmother mode is 11km/l.
You rev it up to 3K-4K rpm as a practice and your fuel consumption drops to 8-9km/l.
——————————————————————
With diesel engine….normal driving is btw 1.5k – 2.5k rpm (huge torque available arnd that range), low down torque = no need to rev the engine = low real world FC
diesel very suitable for easy driving style, just ride its torque wave
Looking forward to 2011….