Joining the i20 will be the i20 i-blue concept car, which will use Hyundai’s all new 1.4 CRDi diesel engine, resulting in a CO2 output of just 99g/km and a fuel consumption of 68mpg.

There’s also a petrol-electric Hybrid concept, which will be based on the current Santa Fe but under the skin it will be a completely different car.

Hyundai engineers have developed a new hybrid drive system, which mates the current 2.4-litre petrol engine to a six-speed automatic transmission and a 30kW electric motor. The end result is CO2 emissions of just 148g/km and a fuel consumption figure of 44mpg.

The seven seat iX55 sports utility vehicle will also make its debut in production-ready form at Paris, but this vehicle will not be coming to the UK. Based on the successful Veracruz already on sale in the USA, the ix55 has been extensively re-styled and re-tuned to match European requirements and driving styles.

And finally the new Genesis saloon will be displayed. Based on Hyundai’s all-new, rear-wheel drive platform, the Genesis will be shown alongside the Genesis Coupe Show Car. Combining the dramatic looks of the production model, this one-off design study features bare carbon fibre bonnet and roof to reduce weight.

[Source: Auto Express]

Hyundai is working on a hybrid version of its solid-selling Sonata sedan and plans to show a concept at the Los Angeles auto show in November.

The car would use lithium-ion battery technology but would not be a plug-in hybrid, said John Krafcik, Hyundai's vice president of product development.

The L.A. show car will be a rolling chassis, with a production version to come to the United States in 2010--the same year the lithium-ion-powered Chevrolet Volt is set to launch.

While Hyundai is eying alternative powertrain technologies, a diesel, which it sells overseas, doesn't appear likely to make it to the United States, Krafcik said, because of costs and the fluctuating price of fuel.

"It's just really tough for us to make that case," he said.

Meanwhile, the launch of the Genesis luxury sedan, one of the most-expensive, powerful and talked-about cars in Hyundai's history, is going smoothly, officials say.

The goal is to sell 20,000 Genesis sedans annually. Including sales of the coupe version, due out early next year, the annual goal is 50,000.

So far all of the Genesis sales have been V6s. The V8, which can make 375 hp, goes into production this month in Korea and is set to arrive in the United States shortly. About 20 percent of the mix will be V8s when production fully ramps up.

Hyundai's goal is to sell 8,000 of the Genesis sedans by the end of this year.

So far buyers have been relatively young for the segment, with a median age of 56, and 66 percent hold a college degree. Demand has been high, and in one California market, the Genesis is on pace to outsell the Accent this month.

Hyundai also admits it has received a bit of luck. A Genesis ad was one of the first commercials shown after swimmer Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal.

[Source: AutoWeek]