Hyundai Nuvis Concept Video and Details Released

The 2009 New York Auto Show will see the unveiling of Hyundai Nuvis concept, a vehicle designed by the Korean manufacturer after taking inspiration from ship building principles. The car's body features lines inspired by the movement of water around the sides of a boat.

The Nuvis design features an hourglass shape that frames the blue acrylic shield grille and aggressive headlamps, whose two glowing white rings are offset by a pair of red rings on the taillights. Perched on top of 22-inch wheels, Nuvis’ proportions are tall, with the two body-side lines set up a flowing water effect, giving the appearance of motion.

An additional design element featured on the Nuvis is a brushed aluminum accent that spans the entire length of the vehicle. Normally, this type of trim is only found around the windows. On the Nuvis, this trim extends out from the headlamps, juts up along the hood and through the beltline, across the top and into the rear spoiler.

As you might have guessed by now, the Nuvis Concept is a green car. The 2.4l Theta II engine is mated to a six speed automatic transmission and it is backed by a 40 horsepower electric motor. The Hyundai Nuvis can move powered by the engine, the motor or a combination of the two.

This is because the Nuvis is powered by Hyundai’s Hybrid Blue Drive architecture, which has an all-electric mode and a parallel drive mode, meaning that the wheels are turned by power coming directly from the gasoline engine, or the electric motor, or both together, as conditions demand. This parallel hybrid drive architecture will serve as the foundation for future Hyundai hybrid drive vehicles, starting with the next-generation Sonata in the US.

The Nuvis features a lithium-polymer battery, mounted under the cargo floor. The 270 volt battery comes from the same range as the ones used on the Kia Forte LPI Hybrid (the first car in the world to use this type of battery, as the manufacturer says) and the Hyunday BLUE-WILL Hybrid.

Concept and uses about the same chemistry as a regular lithium-ion one. The difference between the two is that the new type of battery has lower manufacturing costs and are more resistant to physical damage.

A possible implementation of the technologies used for the Nuvis into a production model cannot be foreseen just yet, but it is clear that this is the direction Hyundai will take for the future. We can see that on the BLUE-WILL concept, which follows the same design principles as the Nuvis.