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Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz might be the compact pickup we've been waiting for

The recent pickup truck renaissance and the dominance of the crossover has not been a great thing for car-heavy brands like Hyundai. That doesn't mean the Korean manufacturer is sitting on its hands, though, as it's taken the 2015 Detroit Auto Show to introduce the Hyundai HCD-15 Concept, also known as the Santa Cruz. The handsome trucklet heralds an eventual production model, and while the overall styling is likely to be softened by the time a sellable model arrives, there are a number of features present on this design-only concept that give us hints about the future Santa Cruz. Rear-hinged half-doors grant access to the back seats, while the cabin itself can seat five people without much shoehorning. The cargo area, while quite compact at first glance, can easily be expanded to space Hyundai describes as "similar to a mid-size pickup." Aesthetically, we're fans of the Santa Cruz's styling, which is more brutish than "fluidic sculpture 2.," without appearing brash. The hexagonal grille, upright front fascia, and fast C-pillar are all very nice touches, although the rear tailgate does appear somewhat awkward. The Santa Cruz's theoretical powertrain (it never moved while on stage, and it lacked a real interior) features at its heart a 2.-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder. With 190 horsepower, 300 pound-feet of torque and HTRAC all-wheel drive, we can only hope that Hyundai's powertrain claims see the light of day. Take a look at our full gallery of live images from the floor of the 2015 North American International Auto Show, and then head below for Hyundai's official statement on its latest concept truck. Hyundai's Fresh Take on the Sport Truck Concept Appeals to Trending "Urban Adventurer" Millennial Lifestyles Appeal of a Modern CUV with the Incremental Utility of an Expanding Truck Bed DETROIT, Jan. 12, 2015 – Today, Hyundai revealed its innovative Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This fresh concept reflects a completely new interpretation of truck utility for a new generation of buyers, especially Millennials, who represent the second-largest population of car buyers. "The Santa Cruz crossover truck concept meets the unspoken needs of a growing Millennial lifestyle we call 'Urban Adventurers'," said Mark Dipko, director, corporate planning, Hyundai Motor America.

Hyundai Le Fil Rouge concept shows the future of brand's design

At this year's Geneva Motor Show, Hyundai revealed a concept called the Le Fil Rouge, which in English means "the common thread." Though the car has an unusual name, it's important for the Hyundai brand because this car represents the future of the company's design. Elements found on this concept will be applied to all future Hyundais, be they sedans, hatchbacks or crossovers, which also partly explains the car's name. Hyundai says the name also comes from how the car builds on Hyundai's past design and is a "reinterpretation" of its 1974 Coupe Concept. We're not so sure about that last part, but we think the Le Fil Rouge is a mighty handsome sedan, and its future production cars should look pretty good. Aside from a "common thread" of design, Hyundai says the car's theme is "sensuous sportiness." That seems to translate into a low-slung, curvy, coupe-like sedan form. At the front, the nose is very low, and it's dominated by a massive version of Hyundai's corporate "cascade" grille. It's actually a bit reminiscent of the recent Lagonda sedan. It appears that the grille contains lighting elements all throughout. It should be easy to translate this design into conventional radiator grilles, huge lights, or simple, blocked off styling motifs for electric vehicles. This low, wide grille leads into a long hood and front fenders with classic rear drive proportions. The hood has two large creases in the middle that lend some aggression to the swoopy shape, and there are two bright metal accent lines that run up the sides and loop up and around the windows back toward the hood. Along the side, we find a bold character line that lines up with the end of the headlight. It trails back along the car and merges with the rear panel that would likely contain the taillights. The roof also has a bit of a fastback look, ending at the trunk lid. It also contains a rear window with a double-bubble shape. It's an elegant, organic car that does some cool things with lines and curves. It will be interesting to see how it translates to production cars. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hyundai Le Fil Rouge Concept: Geneva 2018 View 9 Photos Related Gallery Hyundai Le Fil Rouge concept View 13 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Hyundai Concept Cars Sedan 2018 Geneva Motor Show

Hyundai and Turin IED collaborate on Kite buggy concept for Geneva

The last time Hyundai's European Design Center collaborated with Turin, Italy's Instituto Europeo di Design (IED), we got the PassoCorto concept in 2014. That four-year-old vision made an appearance in recent news feeds, as a potential harbinger of a mid-engine Hyundai sports car when the Theta II engine arrives. The Korean carmaker is at it again with IED, and this time the two have worked up a doorles, roofless, windowless buggy referred to as the Kite concept, planned for display at next month's Geneva Motor Show. The full-sized scale model measures 12.2 feet long, 7.3 feet wide, and 4.7 feet high — that's about four inches shorter and one inch taller than a Mini Cooper, but 20 inches wider. Being a model, the Kite won't be fitted with any powertrain, but the students behind the project envision one brushless electric motor on propulsion duty. This is the first of IED's previous 14 automaker collaborations to have an interior, so the 15 students from nine countries who worked on the project did their homework, tapping Gruppo Sila for the shift-by-wire gearbox, and Sabelt for the seat and seatbelts. Guests to the stand will be able to experience the Kite concept through virtual reality, while the whiz-bang gearbox gets shown in a separate, dedicated area. The design school's annual project serves as the thesis project for the Masters in Transportation Design program. Last year's offering, the Scilla concept prepared with Pininfarina, was a 180-degree departure from the Kite, but the students spent time off-road recently with their McLaren crossover concepts of 2010. If you're smitten with this year's product, you won't be able to buy it, but Hyundai does sell an actual kite. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hyundai Kite Concept News Source: Car Body Design via Carscoops Design/Style Green Geneva Motor Show Hyundai Concept Cars Electric Off-Road Vehicles 2018 Geneva Motor Show