"The Hyundai HCD8 sports tourer was designed to address the sporty car market and still meet the values and needs of today's consumer," commented Joel Piaskowski, Chief Designer at the Hyundai Kia Design and Technical Center in Irvine, California.
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| The HCD8 is a performance-oriented coupe that also offers greater flexibility and room. (Photo: Hyundai Auto Canada) |
Hyundai reports that its design team incorporated in-house market research to help develop the basic premise for the new car's design, which essentially is a performance-oriented coupe that also offers greater flexibility by delivering more interior room and easier access for occupants and luggage.
"We used the findings from HMA Marketing and Product Planning studies and incorporated them into the HCD8 sports tourer," Piaskowski commented. He also stated, "In the U.S., the sporty coupe segment is viewed as a flat or even a declining market. For this segment to grow, the vehicles must evolve to meet the needs of consumers. Their diverse lifestyles require vehicles with increased accessibility, more functionality and more cargo volume. The HCD8 is designed to appeal to 'youthful minded professionals' who want a great looking, high performance sports coupe with the added functionality they need."
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| According to Chris Zarlenga, Design Manager on the HCD8 project, "The HCD8 pushes the architecture and package to the limit." (Photo: Hyundai Auto Canada) |
So, other than its obvious styling details, increased interior room and off-road capabilities, what specifically makes the HCD8 different than the current Tiburon sport coupe?
According to Chris Zarlenga, Design Manager on the HCD8 project, "The HCD8 pushes the architecture and package to the limit. This provides a new and exciting proportion that can accommodate the needs of the concept. To increase accessibility to the rear seat we lengthened the door apertures and by increasing the height of the rear profile and optimizing storage space, we were also able to add interior utility."