First unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, the Hyundai HED-5 i-Mode Concept has been approved for production. The automaker made the announcement at the Los Angeles auto show this week. Moreover, the hatchback will be offered in the United States, the company said.
Power comes from a 2.2-liter R diesel engine featuring sequential turbocharging. The engine is rated at 286 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission delivers power to the wheels. Hyundai claims the dual stage turbo is responsible for an 80 lb-ft difference in torque at low engine speeds, when compared to a variation of the same engine with a single turbocharger.
Four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline direction injection engines can be 15 to 20 percent more fuel efficient than comparable V6 engines, the automaker says. Fuel economy is rated at 30 highway miles per gallon.
It’s not know how close the production exterior will be to the concept version, but we suspect at the very least the general shape will survive the translation.
