The 2010 Hyundai ix-Metro Hybrid concept targets the growing European sub-B segment.
Better late than never, apparently. The increasingly aggressive Hyundai Motor Co. is rapidly filling in the gaps in its line-up, and that includes everything from high-line luxury cars to hybrids.
The Korean carmaker will bring a pair of electrified models to this month’s 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, it has confirmed, one using a gasoline-electric powertrain, the other a pure battery-electric vehicle that it plans to start producing next year for the home, South Korean market.
In the near-term, the most segment debut will be that of the 2010 ix-Metro, a hybrid crossover-utility vehicle. The fifth in a series of concept cars to be created by the Global Design Team in Namyang Korea, the ix-Metro targets the fast-growing European sub-B segment.
The ix-Metro is powered by an inline three-cylinder petrol engine displacing just one-liter. Direct injection, dual Continuously-Variable Valve Timing and turbocharging are all combined with a six-speed dual clutch transmission and battery-driven motor system. Hyundai claims the hybrid crossover produces just 80 grams of CO2 per kilometer, significantly below the planned European Union target.
The 2010 Hyundai i10 Electric will be launched in the Korean home market next year, but initially targeted at fleet users.
Alongside the hybrid CUV, Hyundai will also lift the covers on the i10 Electric, a zero-emissions urban commuter car that it plans to put into limited production in the Korean market, starting next year, for sale to government ministries, utilities and corporate users, though the maker suggests that retail production is likely to follow.
The i10 Electric utilizes a 49kW – or 66 horsepower — motor connected to a 16 kWh battery. The maker won’t say, yet, whether it’s a Lithium-Ion or Nickel-Metal Hydride pack. In U.S. terms, the system is expected to yield about 100 miles per charge, while hitting a top speed of around 81 mph.
The system will use a by-wire system, rather than direct mechanical linkage, to control braking, accelerating and steering.
The 2010 Hyundai i10's electric drivetrain can hit 81 mph and provides about 100 miles range per charge.