Hyundai To Unveil i20, i20 I-Blue Concept, ix55 SUV And Santa Fe Hybrid In Paris

We're finally seeing some official shots of the Hyundai i20, the Euro-market grocery getter that will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show next month. The i20 is expected to arrive with 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter gasoline engine options as well as a 1.4-liter common-rail diesel for the petrolphobic. In the i20 i-blue Concept, the diesel has been tweaked for maximum emissions and economy: a CO2 output of just 99g/km and 68 MPG estimated. Finally, Hyundai plans to introduce a repackaged Santa Fe Veracruz as the ix55, along with a Santa Fe Hybrid boasting an estimated 44 MPG. Full press release below the jump.

Hyundai models to make debut at Paris Motor Show Six new Hyundai models will make their international debut at this year's Paris "Mondial de l'automobile". Hyundai Motor Company will use this event to showcase several production – ready vehicles designed and built for Europe, as well as demonstrate its 'green' credentials with two innovative concepts, the eye–catching Coupe show – car and the premium sedan Genesis. Taking centre stage for its World Premiere will be the all–new i20 sub – compact, set to become a best–seller in the European Hyundai range. Also debuting will be the i20 blue concept, the latest model in Hyundai's i–blue range of advanced low emissions concepts. Alongside the eye–catching i20 will be the luxurious seven–seat ix55 sports utility vehicle, and Hyundai's eco–friendly Santa Fe as Petrol–Electric Hybrid concept. All–new i20: The all–new i20 sub– compact, due to be launched in Europe towards the end of 2008, will be a highly significant addition to the new generation of Hyundai vehicles identified by the ¡i' prefix. Designed at Hyundai's European Design Centre in Russelsheim, Germany, the chic new five–door i20 rides on a longer wheelbase than its predecessor model, the Getz, giving the i20 an athletic stance and spacious interior architecture. Featuring Hyundai's distinctive design motifs ? a bold chrome–topped grille flanked by piercing teardrop headlamps at the front and striking stacked rear light clusters – the i20's modern lines are further strengthened by neat detailing, including colour–co–ordinated bumpers, sills and wing mirror. The well–packaged interior boasts generous levels of standard equipment. Kun Hee Ahn. President for Hyundai Motor Europe commented, "The i20 was designed and engineered to meet European tastes and needs. It was built on an entirely new platform and much of the ride and handling development took place on European roads, which has created a firm and agile drive. At HME, we are confident the i20 will succeed in the fast paced sub compact sector, as it offers much more in terms standard equipment, fuel economy, interior space and style than many of its competitors." i20 blue: Based on the all–new i20, Hyundai's latest i–blue car incorporates a number of modifications, further enhancing the standard vehicles's already–impressive environmental credentials. These improvements are achieved without compromising performance, reliability or driver satisfaction. Key modifications to deliver a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel consumption include: full–length under floor covers, a 15 millimetre reduction in ground clearance, changes to the front and rear aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tyres and high performance, low friction engine oil. The i20 blue also runs the extremely efficient 1.4 CRDi diesel engine, which produces 90PS and generates 220 Nm of torque, mated to a six–speed manual gearbox – instead of the car's usual five–speed unit. The regular i20 stands out for its incredibly low CO2 rating and fuel consumption and the i20 blue is even more impressive, with just 99g/km and 4.0 litres /100km. Santa Fe Petrol–Electric Hybrid: Further demonstrating Hyundai's commitment to reducing CO2 emissions, the Santa Fe Petrol–Electric Hybrid concept maintains the overall design of the existing Santa Fe, yet is an entirely different vehicle under the hood. Hyundai engineers have developed a proprietary parallel hybrid drive system, which mates the powerful but thrifty 2.4–litre Theta petrol engine to a six–speed automatic transmission and a 30Kw electric motor powered by Lithium–ion batteries. The result is reduced CO2 emissions of just 148g/km on a combined cycle and a fuel consumption figure of 6.2l/100km. ix55 sports utility vehicle: The seven seat iX55 sports utility vehicle will also make its debut in production–ready form on the Hyundai stand at Paris. Based on the successful Veracruz already on sale in the North American market, the ix55 has been extensively re–styled and re–tuned to match European requirements and driving styles. Its evocative design is complemented by the all–new, advanced 3.0–litre V6 CRDi turbo diesel engine, which delivers 240 HP and will accelerate to 100km/h in just 10.4 seconds, while returning excellent fuel efficiency of 9.4L/100km on the combined fuel cycle and emitting 249g/km CO2. The seven–seat iX55 is a flexible and functional vehicle. When not in use the 3rd row seats can be folded flat, creating a huge cargo space of 598 litres (VDA) or, for even more luggage room, both of the rear rows of seats can be folded flat to provide 2,457 litres of space.

[Hyundai via WCF]