Hyundai is revealing its new Blue2 fuel-cell concept car at this week’s Seoul Motor Show – a vehicle that the automaker hopes will help it gain “early leadership of the FCEV market.” Does this mean that a production version of the Blue2 (pronounced: “Blue square”) is on its way? It’s hard to say right now, but if Hyundai does bring some sort of fuel-cell vehicle to market, hope it looks a lot like this stunning concept.
The Korean automaker calls the Blue2’s exterior design philosophy ‘Intersected Flow,’ incorporating both innovative and dynamic design elements. Will Intersected Flow’s tenets replace Fluidic Sculpture as the surface language of choice at Hyundai? We’re not sure, but we like the wraparound-style greenhouse combined with a flat, slightly slanted roof (Saab 9-5, anyone?), and we’re surprisingly fond of the glossy black strip that runs from the bottom of the C-pillar all the way back to the bottom of the front wheel well. Hyundai has executed some exceptional production designs as of late, but this is the first concept that we’ve fallen for from the brand in some time. Notice the LED screen panels at the front and rear – they display messages about the vehicle’s condition. Like many new concepts, conventional door mirrors have been replaced with cameras, and the car even features a welcome system that recognizes the driver and automatically opens the door.
The big news for the Blue2 is its hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain, which delivers a stack power of about 120 horsepower and will return about 34.9 kilometers per liter – that’s 82.1 miles per gallon when converted to the U.S. cycle. The Blue2 is fitted with low-rolling-resistance tires and uses an extremely aerodynamic shape in an effort to reduce drag to aid overall efficiency.
Things are just as high-tech inside the cabin, where the Blue2 uses a combined center cluster and fascia, using an organic LED monitor and ultra-light tempered glass to display vital information. There are even seat-mounted entertainment holders that house things like Apple iPad tablets and other tablet devises, as well.
autoblog
