A new Hyundai MPV bearing some resemblance to the Hyundai HED-5 i-Mode concept was spied up in the Alps earlier today. When our photographer spotted the car at a lonely petrol station in Sweden some months ago, he determined the test vehicle´s manufacturer from its VIN, printed on the sticker in the windshield.
Details on the sticker seem to indicate that the car uses an engine introduced in Paris last year. The U-II 1.7-liter diesel unit debuted with the Hyundai ix35. It produces 113 horsepower and up to 255 Nm of torque. CO2 emissions were listed at 139 grams per kilometre. On the sticker, the vehicle's engine code is listed as, "U2 1.7 VGT M/T," with VGT referring to the variable geometry turbocharger.
Reduced slope
In our pictures, the spied vehicle appear to have a greatly reduced slope leading towards the car's rear. Although an extension was clearly added with paint to make the rear look more squad, there is a clear slant to the windshield; an homage to the HED-5. Unlike the concept, the prototype features a B-pillar and a thicker roofline.
HED-5
The Hyundai HED-5 i-Mode concept debuted at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. At the LA show later that year the Korean automaker confirmed the crossover would enter production. The prototype which can be seen on the spyshots is the production model of that HED-5. In early 2011 Hyundai will unveil the car.
