Hyundai Nuvis hybrid interesting but...
Great styling but questionable potentialI've been looking at pictures of the Hyundai Nuvis hybrid all morning, and I have to say I'm slightly disappointed. While I really like the styling of this vehicle, I have to question its approach.
Offering the room of a large sedan the Nuvis crossover is an appealing vehicle, but at 34 mpg combined, I'm just not sure its the right approach for Hyundai to showcase its future unless it can be priced considerably less than the Ford Escape hybrid.
Instead, I'd like to see Hyundai's Hybrid Blue Drive, which will use Hyundai's new lithium polymer batteries, in a smaller, cheaper Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrid contending package.
Moreover, considering Hyundai's lithium battery helped reduce the battery weight of this hybrid, coupled with the effort Hyundai took to make the hot new 228 hp inline 4 cylinder engine more efficient, I'm a bit surprised that the Nuvis doesn't blow the Escape hybrid's fuel economy numbers out of the water (Water was the design influence of the Nuvis).
Nonetheless, Hyundai's increasing focus on hybrid cars is very encouraging.
Labels: Hybrid Vehicles, hyundai nuvis hybrid, lithium battery
posted by Dahcredyns at
10:27 AM
7 Comments:
I agree. Hyundai should know better than to market a very expensive hybrid which isnt what young people and the older age group generally are seeking. yes 5% will love anything that gets good mileage and costs a fortune. Hyundai is doing it I imagine because they would make more money overall selling 10k of these at 37k versus a 90k of the cheaper more popular hybrids at 20k.
I have to presume its just bolstering their short term portfolio and really will not help with a long term world car strategy..and long term profits.
Oh well.......supposedly they are coming out with the BLUE hybrid technology in the ELANTRA for 2010 and Im guesing pretty loaded for 20k or so. If so I will be in the market :).
yeah, but I expected a bit more of an innovative hybrid approach from Hyundai, particularly based around price.
of course, their focus on lithium could be the real innovation. i hope their battery technology lives up to the hype.
34 mpg is one mpg better than Camry Hybrid.
But Toyota could put their updated HSD into the Camry hybrid and achieve better fuel economy, which will eventually happen.
This vehicle however, uses lithium and a heavily refined engine, so I'd expect a bit more.
Still, the Camry hybrid isn't Toyota's marquee hybrid, it's the Prius. Anybody taking hybrids seriously in the next couple of years, in my opinion, must take on the Prius. So far, however, only Honda seems to understand that.
Yep, but Prius is not a crossover! Again, Korean cars in my experience often have poor fuel efficiency in comparison to Japanese. On the other hand, they are cheaper. This is simply a tradeoff.
If they can keep this priced a good bit under the Escape hybrid, maybe I'll change my mind. Of course, if they actually end up building something similar to this.
i like new car
Post a Comment
<< Home