The Hyundai HCD-11 Nuvis is a concept car designed at Hyundai’s California Design Center in Irvine and unveiled at the 2009 New York auto show. Its design was inspired by the interplay of fluid natural elements with rigid surfaces to create the illusion of constant motion, and one of its most unusual features is a pair of upwards-opening gullwing doors, rare on an SUV. It is also a hybrid.
Hyundai Nuvis at a glance
| Maker | Hyundai Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Designation | HCD-11 Nuvis |
| Designed at | Hyundai California Design Center, Irvine |
| Unveiled | New York auto show, 2009 |
| Type | concept SUV with hybrid drive |
| Doors | upwards-opening gullwing doors |
| Wheels | 22-inch |
| Engine | 2.4-litre Theta II |
| Electric motor | 205 N·m, 151 lb·ft |
| System output | 228 hp, estimated |
| Gearbox | six-speed automatic |
| Battery | 270-volt, 5.3 Ah lithium polymer |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Hyundai Nuvis. Free photographs of the car were not available, so the page keeps the old cover.
History of the Hyundai Nuvis
The Nuvis was the eleventh car in the HCD series from Hyundai’s California studio, which had begun with the HCD-1 sports car in 1992. Its theme was motion: the design team set fluid, natural forms against harder surfaces to make the car look as if it were moving even when parked. The gullwing doors carried that idea further, since they open upwards rather than outwards, which is unusual on a sport utility vehicle.
Under the skin the Nuvis was a parallel hybrid. A 2.4-litre Theta II engine worked with an electric motor of 205 N·m (151 lb·ft), giving an estimated total of 228 hp, through a six-speed automatic gearbox and a 270-volt, 5.3 Ah lithium polymer battery pack. The interior used seating fabric from True Textiles made entirely of post-consumer recycled polyester – reclaimed soda bottles – with matching seat belts from Harveys Original Seatbeltbags, who also made two matching handbags for the car.
Design and features
- Gullwing doors: upwards-opening doors, unusual on an SUV.
- Hybrid drive: a 2.4-litre Theta II engine with an electric motor in parallel.
- Recycled interior: seat fabric made from reclaimed plastic bottles.
- Big wheels: 22-inch rims set the stance of the concept.
Hyundai Nuvis versions
- Nuvis concept (2009): the single show car, HCD-11.
The Nuvis came from the same California studio as the HCD-7 and the Hellion. More Hyundai models are in the Hyundai collection.
Video: A Nu Hyundai: Hyundai Nuvis Concept
Video by MotorTrend Channel on YouTube.
Sources
- Hyundai Nuvis, English Wikipedia: design, doors, hybrid system, interior materials
