Hyundai to announce all blue ix20

We know it should be green, but when Hyundai talk about environmental technology in cars they see it as blue.

Oh well never mind. Today will all be unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show where Hyundai will give us more information on its new b-segment people carrier, the ix20, as well as a new saloon car called the Optima, a facelift i10 with tiny 1.0 engine and 99 g/km emissions and a rather funky looking concept called the POP.

Hyundai ix20 concept
Essentially it’s a Kia Venga but with a new ‘Fluidic Design’ dreamed up by Hyundai’s new team of design engineers at their European R&D centre in Russelsheim, Germany. The new design apparently reduces weight and allows the air to flow more efficiently over the streamlined curves, reducing drag and improving overall performance.

However, it’s under the bonnet where it all matters these days as car makers scramble to reduce emissions, reducing the taxation in our wallets and tempting us into their showrooms. Road fund licencing bands has become of upper most importance to the majority of car buyers and factors heavily in their buying decisions.

Hyundai & Kia have been busy in this department, bringing us ISG Stop & Go technologies, new efficient designs and a flurry of concepts showing new ways of building safer cars out of thin air.

Today Hyundai will show us how their investment has paid off and reveal not only a new competitor in the b-segment class, but also one that can carry 5 people and their luggage comfortably without destroying the ozone layer. Enter the Blue Drive ix20.

It’s going to be powered by the same engine that Kia will also unveil today in their Venga. A new 1.4 diesel engine from their new U2 family range of engines, which produces 75 bhp and only 114 g/km of CO2. This will mean a band C rating and £30 a year road tax which is pretty impressive for a car of this size.

ISG Stop & Go will be a given as this also helps reduce emissions, as well as low-rolling resistance, high pressure tyres. What we don’t know is the performance figures as early reviews are suggesting the Venga, with it’s current 89 bhp diesel engine, is left a little wanting on the acceleration stakes.

Still the way things are going with car design we’ll all be driving around in bubbles and floating along nicely at 30mph. But we’ll be content because we also know were saving the planet.