Two years ago, at the same venue, the biggest name in the Korean automotive business failed to showcase any significant new concept at its domestic motor show, underestimating the show's significance and its domestic competition. But at the same show, GM Daewoo unveiled the T2X concept, stole the limelight and was hailed as the car of the show, and to rub salt into the wound, smaller companies such as Ssangyong also unveiled a number of new concepts at the show.
Vowing not to repeat the mistake, Hyundai is showcasing the Veloster concept, a compact coupe, targeting the younger Generation-Y. The name Veloster derives from 'velocity', with the meaning 'the one who controls speed'.
The Veloster displays plenty of visual speed with exceptionally short front/rear overhangs supported with a strong wheelarch volume, long wheelbase, 20-inch alloy wheels and a low, flat roof line. When comparing Veloster against other concepts from Hyundai, it must rank as one of the most aggressive cars to come out in recent memory. However, the overall front detail was left wanting, with the grille in particular almost looking as if it was forced on to the front just to keep in line with the recent Hyundai concepts.
The overall interior design is clever and very well-resolved, with a circular design theme applied throughout the IP, center console, door trims and even to the seats. Interior functions feature an IT support jack and an entertainment system for an MP3 player. The silver/red/white interior color coordination has been resolved exceptionally well, and the overall quality of the model enhanced what was already a great initial concept.
Hyundai, criticized by some for conservative design, even with its concept cars, certainly have pushed the envelope with this concept, and it is evident that designers were given freedom to design the car of their dreams.
Along with Hyundai, Kia also failed to display a significant concept at the 2005 Seoul Motor Show, instead displaying the 'used' concepts like the Mesa, and Soul. However for 2007, it is showing the KND-4 concept, a compact SUV/CUV concept, also targeting the younger generation. Whispers around the booth are that KND-4 might be a styling indication of the next generation Sportage.
The overall proportional balance of the KND-4 looks very similar to the Kia Kue concept from the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year. Both concepts an extremely fast front and windshield, looking like a one-box, yet with a steeply angled backlight, overall visual weight of the vehicle is located far to the rear, thus giving the overall vehicle a wagon profile. Front-end design of KND-4 also shares many similarities with the KUE, with an almost identical lower 'clenching of the teeth' graphic line.
The KND-4 has good proportion and stance, with large wheels, wide track, long wheelbase, and short front/rear overhangs, supported by a robust wheel-arches, giving the vehicle a 'tough, go anywhere' look. However, the weak sill volume, which could have been much stronger and robust, gives the appearance that the body was just placed on top of the underpinnings. The rear-end design has more than a little similarity to the Volkswagen Magellan concept of 2001.
The interior design is well-executed with simple and flowing surfacing, but doesn't show many fresh styling ideas, as IT functions were the main theme of the design. The next generation High-Definition display, Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) was integrated to the central display, enabling all-in-one system for movies, audio, navigation, and mobile phone display all possible.
Ssangyong WZ sports sedan
With the premiere of the Hyundai Genesis concept halfway across the world in New York, Ssangyong was showcasing its own large luxury sedan concept for the domestic market.
Code-named Wz, it will go into production sometime late in 2008, to compete with the Hyundai Genesis (BH), and GM Daewoo's L4X, a re-badged version of the Australian GM Holden Caprice, which also made its Korean debut at the show.
The D2 segment in Korea is all of a sudden turning out to be very congested and competitive, with traditional luxury car market leaders Hyundai and Ssangyong, looking to face a tough challenge from GM Daewoo, which will make full effort to re-enter the market with the L4X after a long hiatus, since the bankruptcy of Daewoo almost a decade ago.
With exceptional stance and proportions, Wz displays a sleek, athletic coupe-like profile - keeping up to date with the trend - and it would be a shame if the profile gets lost or diluted on its way to the production. Viewing from the side, the shoulder line is simple and strong, but perhaps lacks a little in volume as it reaches the rear, for a large luxury sedan.
Some details on the display model were left wanting, perhaps due to lack of time, with poor headlamp boundaries and unrefined proportions of the head lamps and grille.
The Wz interior design uses a horizontal single cluster layout with 'crocodile leather' grain which surprised some onlookers, but otherwise interior details appeared almost an afterthought.
