New York Preview: Hyundai ready to talk about Nuvis Concept
by John Neff on Apr 1st 2009 at 8:00AM 
Hyundai Nuvis Concept – Click above to enlarge
The folks at Hyundai didn't have much a comment for us when we showed them spy shots of a new concept that were taken by an Autoblog reader on the street. Patience, they told us. One day later and we've got some official details about the concept, not the least of which is its name: the Hyundai Nuvis Concept. This is the eleventh Hyundai concept penned at the automaker's California Design Center in Irvine, and thus also gets an HD-11 added to its name. While the press release after the jump doesn't reveal many details, it does tell us that the Nuvis hints at a new crossover from the South Korean brand. The only other thing we know is that the concept features one long door on each side of the vehicle that opens up gullwing-style. The Hyundai Nuvis Concept will debut at the New York Auto Show next week, so stay tuned for our live coverage from the show floor.
[Source: Hyundai]
PRESS RELEASE
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., April 1, 2009 - The world will peer into Hyundai's future when the Nuvis concept makes its world debut at the 2009 New York Auto Show. The Nuvis is the eleventh signature concept car to be designed at the company's California Design Center in Irvine, Calif. In addition to showcasing the brand's cutting-edge capabilities, Nuvis also hints at a possible design direction for a future-generation crossover, blending attributes of a tall urban car and a premium utility vehicle.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ligor 8:28AM (4/01/2009)
Hyundai is showing Nissan how much more stylish the redesigned Murano could have been
it looks sweet adn it's california design studio is paying back big time to Hyundai's investment there.
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joe23521 11:27AM (4/01/2009)
If this was a Geely concept, they'd be ripping off Nissan, instead of showing them how it's done. Interesting how it works.
Randy 11:38AM (4/01/2009)
I'm not really a Nissan fan, at all! But what's not stylish about the Murano? I think it has fairly good looks.
Phil M 1:32PM (4/01/2009)
@ joe23521 : You don't understand much about the whole "design" concept, right? There's a big difference between copying like Geely does and coming up with a great design that could have been made by another brand. Maybe you are one of these pro-Chinese commenters that seem really quick to respond to any article or post deemed offensive to their national automakers?
joe23521 2:17PM (4/01/2009)
@Phil,
That difference you point to is quite a subjective one, IMO.
This car immediately reminded me of the Murano - this coming from a guy who owns a Hyundai and generally does not like Japanese cars.
I'm as disgusted by Chinese copycat cars as much as, if not more than, the next guy, but one has to be either delusional or hypocritical to deny the fact that Chinese cars get unfairly criticized, with people pointing out every little possible detail that could remind them of another car. Don't you think a lot more comments would've been made with reference to the Murano had this been a Chinese design? The bias has become so bad that an objective point of view can be labeled as Chinese nationalism.
thomas 11:32PM (4/01/2009)
theres a difference between inspiration and blatantly copying.
chinese car companies notoriously build cars that are only slightly DIFFERENT from an existing model (or 2)
whereas this Hyundai REMINDED you of a murano. mostly because its a crossover with a beltline the kicks up and forms a triangular rear pillar. something a lot of cars do, like the mazda 3 for instance. the surfacing on the body side (probably) the front and rear graphics are nothing like a murano.
Ligor 6:01PM (4/02/2009)
well, the car has it's own identity, but based on the 2003 Murano, the 2009 one is not as stylish on the outside anymore. I feel Nissan ruined it, especially the rear end.
My wife has hte '07 adn in about a yr or so she will be back up for a new lease, and the new Murano will not be in it as she doesn't find it attractive any longer
Now this Hyundai has the C-pillar of the murano but that's it, and I said Nissan should ahve gone in this direction with the '09 Muran orather than what they brough out. This is not a copy of the Murano as the Chinese would have done.
The Mazda 3 does the Murano like C-pillar but Nissan used it first in teh Murano, adn when I saw the Mazda 3 I originaly though is was the new sentra since it would have made sense for NIssan to use that design elsewhere
but Mazda produced a 6/10ths scale Murano and Nissan's Sentra looks like crap
Jim 8:36AM (4/01/2009)
I can see all the boss players getting one of these, lambo doors!
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jonjon72 8:52AM (4/01/2009)
Great looking concept.....Hyundai is the one other manufacturers should be looking over their shoulder for.
They aren't quite there in respect from buyers but they are getting people to notice them and getting a few converts. Hey, even GM and Ford have launched similar programs in the last 24 hours! I wouldn't be suprised if more of the competition start to jump on board.
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CaptKangaroo 9:10AM (4/01/2009)
Gullwing doors will never make it to production for a Hyundai unless they stamp a Genesis luxury division moniker on it. Why? Kia is the 'sporty' division of Hyundai Conglomerate and there's no way the Nuvis will have a Hyundai badge on it with gullwing doors.
Hyundai/Kia is the real thing if you haven't noticed. Products like the Genesi, Soul i30(Europe) and upcoming hybrid Sonata and i-Blue are going to make serious inroads to market share. This is bad news for GM, Chrysler and the bigger players.
Hyundai, whose brand image is far better here in Canada, is already outselling Honda, Nissan and Mazda. Once consumer perception catches up to product reality in the US, coupled with an economic downturn which results in value-driven consumers connecting to value-brands, well, Hyundai will show the teeth we all knew they had. And there are some sharp teeth under that polite Korean smile
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Rich 9:13AM (4/01/2009)
It means "now fish" in Dutch.
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Kool, Could be due for NA 9:52AM (4/01/2009)
I will bet my two cents on this vehicle being the DM, the next Santa Fe. Sure, it has to lose the cool looking gull wing doors, but the rest does seem to cry mass production. The current Santa Fe and Vera Cruz (and much of the Hyundai cars after that) did come from the HMC's US design studios (including the exterior of the now-famous Genesis) with the full support from its CEO. With Genesis clenching the 2009 Car of the Year from NAIAS, HMC seems to be bent on focusing its cars in terms of design and engineering. As it has been the case for the next generation Tuscon (due next year) having been previewed in Geneva, this Nuvis concept will likely point towards the next Santa Fe. As Ligor noted above, the thing looks very much like the Nissan Murano, strongly making this concept design more product feasible but the gull wings.
Now, tell us Hyundai, what is below the hood? Also, do make mine with the 20 inch wheels, please.
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sinbad 10:02AM (4/01/2009)
This is a cool looking concept but I am more than sure it will look all watered down if it makes to production (besides, I have seen a lot of similar concept designs from couple of years ago and nothing has made it into production, yo ucan check out Mitsubishi Nessie concept). This looks like a design exercise and not production ready, the rear visibility would be awful, so pretty much the roofline, the rear, and the doors will not look like that in production vehicle. I know that recent Hyundais made a great stride in quality/design but they still get old very quickly and after all said and done they still don't stand out from the crowd (aka mostly generic looking).
donniebyers 10:15AM (4/01/2009)
It's a pretty sad commentary when Hyundai has more appealing vehicles than the big three U.S. automakers. I guess it boils down to laziness.
The big three gives us what they want us to buy, while foreign companies gives us what we WANT to buy...
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Taglane 11:27AM (4/01/2009)
Oh God. another one of you guys. There are plenty of..... Why am I explaining? You'll still stay retarded.
Dave 11:23AM (4/01/2009)
Donniebyers. You're dumb.
Anyways, what is with automakers' fascination with putting MASSIVE 18 and 19inch wheels on their soccer mom crossovers? Sure, they make you look "cool and powerful and awesome", but when you have to drop like $800 for new tires, I'm sure everyone on the soccer team is going to have to hear about it.
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thomas 11:35PM (4/01/2009)
its a concept. thats why. its job is to look cool.
what people do on their own is on them.
Taglane 11:27AM (4/01/2009)
I am seeing this as what the Murano could have been.
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R. 11:34AM (4/01/2009)
I am seeing this as what the Murano could have been. *retard voice*
Taglane 11:41AM (4/01/2009)
........