Hyundai's trio of debuts at Frankfurt

Hyundai will whip the covers off a trio of debutants -- including a concept that points to the next-generation Tiburon -- at next week's Frankfurt motor show.

The Korean carmaker's stand will be graced by the Veloster coupe concept, the hydrogen-powered i-Blue design study and the i30 wagon, and this threesome was conceived to demonstrate that the company's offerings are "both stylish and environmentally responsible."

Much of the media attention is likely to be focused on the Veloster, which points to the next-gen Tiburon (more here).

Styled at Hyundai's Design and Technical Centre at Namyang, the Veloster coupe is the third in a series of mould-breaking concept cars to be developed by the company's central styling studio in Korea. 

And in case you're wondering about the Veloster name, it's a combination of  "velocity" and "roadster", which explains the car's raison d'etre.

Designed to cater to the tastes of the so-called Y-generation, the glass-roofed Veloster is claimed to offer innovative design with good value and robust construction.

"With Veloster, we wanted to try something really different. We're keenly aware that we need radically new products for the Y-generation, the first-time buyer in their twenties," said Oh Suk-Geun, Hyundai's vice president of design. "This is really a bold new direction."

Flying the green flag will be left to i-Blue design study, which "demonstrates a significant step towards commercialisation of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles," according to Hyundai.

It's proof of how far Hyundai has come that the maker of cheap and cheerful cars such as the 1990s Excel is now aiming to mass-produce hydrogen-powered cars within the next decade.

The zero-emission i-Blue concept was developed at Hyundai's Design and Technical Centre in Chiba, Japan. The all-new platform is tailored to use Hyundai's third-generation fuel cell technology, currently being developed at the company's Eco-Technology Research Institute in Mabuk, Korea.

Unlike its predecessors, which were built on SUV platforms, the i-Blue is billed as a new D-segment 2+2 crossover utility vehicle (CUV).

"The i-Blue is Hyundai's first-ever model designed from the ground up to incorporate fuel cell technology, marking a tremendous leap forward for our R&D program," said Dr Hyun-Soon Lee, President of Research and Development.

Hyundai's other newcomer at the Frankfurt show will be the i30 Estate, which follows in the wheeltracks of the i30 five-door hatchback.

Like its five-door sibling, the stretched-wheelbase i30 Estate was styled at the Hyundai's Design Centre in Russelsheim, Germany, to ensure it's in tune with European tastes.

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