Hyundai’s future will be on display when the Nuvis concept makes its world debut at the 2009 New York International Auto Show. The Nuvis is the 11th concept designed at Hyundai’s California Design Center in Irvine, Calif. Consistent with Hyundai’s pledge to U.S. fuel economy by 2015, Nuvis is powered by Hyundai’s Hybrid Blue Drive architecture, which uses breakthrough lithium polymer battery technology.
Hyundai’s all-new, homegrown Hybrid Blue Drive architecture helps define the Nuvis concept. Hyundai’s proprietary parallel hybrid drive system mates the already fuel-efficient 2.4-liter Theta II engine to a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 30kW (205 N-m) electric motor for maximum fuel economy.
Hybrid Blue Drive has an all-electric mode and a parallel drive mode, meaning 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 United States.
The Nuvis has an assertive face demonstrated by the strong, hourglass shape that frames the blue acrylic shield grille and aggressive headlamps, whose two glowing white rings are offset by two red rings on the taillights.
Perched on top of 22-inch wheels, Nuvis’ proportions are tall, strong and protective. The two body-side lines set up a flowing water effect, giving the appearance of motion.
Large gull-wing doors, either opened or closed, create unique front, rear and profile views. Blue ambient lighting cast across the body adds to the overall upscale feel of the vehicle.
The Nuvis’ spacious and luxurious interior is dominated by a cool, blue acrylic center stack that ebbs and surges in the manner of a river. The cascading floor, with its ambient blue lighting, further enhances an environment in which seamless technology flows, enveloping both the driver and passengers.
The sculptured seats are custom woven with a graduated fabric finished in a silver-to-black sunburst. The ecologically friendly seating fabric is provided by True Textiles, the industry’s leading provider of environmentally responsible textile solutions.
The Nuvis fabric is made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled polyester – reclaimed soda bottles – and increasingly sustainable manufacturing processes. Hyundai collaborated with the True creative team to produce this unique fabric with an 80-inch repeat, providing a fabric that is as attractive to the environment as it is to the viewer. The matching seatbelts are provided by Harveys Original Seatbeltbags, a well-known manufacturer of handbags made out of seatbelts. Harveys also developed two matching handbags for the Nuvis concept. In the rear, a high trunk floor houses the Nuvis’ lithium polymer battery pack.
Press Release courtesy of HyundaiUSA.com.
Article Last Updated: April 9, 2009.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.