The South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai showcases at Frankfurt one of its most exquisite and unconventional cars, the ix-Metro. As we reported in the past the little futuristic car is Hyundai's project aimed at the young urban audience, which demands great flexibility, environmentally friendly machines and imposing design.
“We wanted the ix-Metro to be something out of this world. We took our inspiration from NASA and even sci-fi movies because spacecraft are universally understood symbols of progress and innovation," explained Rogelio J. Flores, Chief designer on the ix-Metro project.
The ix-Metro’s strong points are ... well, pretty much all of them. Though we don’t know if this cunning concept will ever make the production line, we have to say we like it and we're quite impressed by the the fact the South Korean car maker displayed several cars worthy of an international auto show.
The ix-Metro features an unconventional sci-fi design inside and out. The car’s body shape and structure was designed not only to attract attention, but also to achieve a very good safety rating. “For thematic inspiration interior designers took a cue from the humble pine cone and its natural, elegant fragmentation of a spherical object,” Interior Design Manager Sandy Hartono said in a press release.
The concept’s front doors open conventionally, while the back doors slide in order to facilitate access. The interior boasts an unorthodox design as well, being dominated by a spacecraft-like bluish light. The center console and the dashboard, both received OEL information displays.
Another neat feature of the ix-Metro is the absence of the B-pillars that greatly improve visibility. Whether the car will ever become reality in the form presented at the Frankfurt Auto Show or even some of its technology will be transferred to a production car, we think it would still be a positive thing for the automotive industry as mechanical-wise, the prototype uses the 3-cylinder 1-litre Turbocharged GDI 12-valve DOHC with Dual CVVT that develops 123 hp and returns 71.2 mpg with 80 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
