Hyundai HED-5

By Jonny Smith

Motor Shows

07 March 2008 17:13

What’s new on Hyundai’s Geneva Motor Show stand?

Reinventing the Trajet by all accounts. Everyone’s doing MPVs now so it’s time to spice up the long toothed Hyundai under the concept codename of HED-5. It’s pretty outrageous. Remember all those curves when the first gen Coupe came out? The HED-5 ‘i-mode’ trumps it.

Like the current popularity of rap music big wigs collaborating with anyone under the sun (is there anyone else left on earth for Timbaland to twiddle studio knobs for?) Hyundai has gone to the specialists for help. LG electronics get applause for turning the HED-5 into a digital theatre with web access, video games, movies and video calling. All this lot is called up via flip-down touch screens and webcams overhead.

But one of the most appealing aspects of the catchingly titled HED-5 ‘i-mode’ is the engine. It’s a diesel and it’s an all-new 2.2-litre four-pot that sniffs through a twin turbo to achieve 212bhp and 307lb ft . Hyundai call their German-calibre oil burner the R, and as you can imagine it’ll have bags of low-end grunt mated to a six-speed autobox. It all sounds fantastic until the year of production is mentioned: 2011. By which time they will probably be 300bhp diesel 1.4s cracking 60mpg…

Self-healing water based paint created via Bayer MaterialScience means no more stone chips and less flowers wilted during manufacturing process.

Some creative guru at Hyundai HQ must have been leering at custom ‘70s Chevy Dayvans for cockpit inspiration, as the six-seat HED-5 features swivelling leathered and lacquered captain’s chairs. The first row rotates to face second and third row occupants. When turned, the backrest morphs into a comfortable seat surface, all made possible through a slick electronic system. Perfect for car-park conferences or picnics.

Hyundai raise the game for luxo MPVs. Love the lightweight glasshouse, shame about the build date of the twin turbo diesel engine.

3.5/5

By Jonny Smith