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(Wed 05 Mar 08) Hyundai's HED-5 i-mode is a concept which "hints at a future production model" and also acts as a showcase for advanced technology.
It's a six-seat MPV, and even in this respect it's already far from being run-of-the-mill, since the front passenger seat can be swivelled to face the second and third rows. Overall weight is low - with all that that entails in terms of improved performance, handling, economy and emissions - thanks to the use of lightweight materials such as the transparent Makrolon, which is widely used in place of conventional glass. The swivel seat system and the new materials were supplied respectively by Bayer MaterialScience and Keiper, who are two of Hyundai's partners in the project. The third is LG Electronics, which has supplied an enormous amount of entertainment and communications equipment (including webcams), and has also created a wireless network for the cable-free keyboards, headphones and game controllers.
Under the bonnet is a twin-turbocharged version of the 2.2-litre diesel unit which Hyundai refers to as the R Engine. In this form, a low-pressure turbo compresses air which is then fed into a higher-pressure turbo further downstream, and the end result is a storming maxmimum power output of 212bhp. Hyundai also has a less powerful single-turbo R Engine which is due to go into mass production next year. The twin-turbo version will appear in the first half of 2011, though whether it will be fitted to anything quite like the HED-5 i-mode has still to be confirmed. |
