AIMS 2011 gallery: Hyundai

Hyundai rocked up to the Australian International Motor Show with some nice looking metal, but it was their sweet offerings which really grabbed our attention. Seriously. The Baileys panna cotta was sublime!

Anyway, back to the cars, the Blue square (Blue2) pictured above is quite interesting. Not in the least because of its animated screens front and back, but because it’s a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle powered by hydrogen. The Blue2 has 90kW provided by its fuel cell electric system and can travel 100km on just 2.86 litres.

Some may argue such technology is a better long-term solution than plugging your car into the electricity grid to ‘refuel’ (see the Honda FCX Clarity as an example). Hyundai say they hope to have their first FCEVs on the streets by 2014.

Also of note is the oddball Veloster with coupÃ© styling on the driver’s side and a 5-door hatch look on the passenger’s side; complete with differently positioned B-pillars. It will go on sale locally before the year is out. An awkward looking hatch thingy powered by a 103kW 1.6 litre diesel and with the option of a 6-speed double clutch transmission; will Australians really go for it?

Something more likey to achieve dependable sales is the smart looking i40 Wagon. Designed in Germany and featuring ‘a package of powertrains, equipment and technology tailored for European tastes’ it also goes on sale later this year.