Hyundai to Show HED-1 Concept at Geneva

Five-Door Mini-MPV Would Be New Segment for Hyundai

Hyundai might not build the most interesting or best performing vehicles on the road today, but the automaker's overall

While Hyundai's cars may not be the most interesting on the road, their current success is unmistakable. (Photo: Hyundai Motor America)

reliability and improvements in quality have turned it into the success story of the decade.

Today, the South Korean firm is considered one of the automotive world's main players, a position that has surprised both analysts and some at the company itself. Though the brand's portfolio of vehicles is quite diverse, Hyundai will continue to expand, presenting upcoming ideas in the form of new concepts.

At the Chicago Auto Show, Hyundai pulled the wraps off the Portico concept, a six-seater hybrid-powered minivan, a prelude to a production minivan expected to debut later this year.

While this spectacle of modern design impressed the media, improving one's image doesn't come without hard work, hence the release

Hyundai will unveil the new HED-1 concept at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland. (Photo: Hyundai Motor America)

of yet another concept vehicle. Within the next month, the company will unveil the new HED-1 concept at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland.

As with the Portico, HCD-7 and HCD-8 vehicles, the HED-1 is Hyundai's method of probing the public's reaction to its interpretation of a specific body style. The HED-1 is a compact MPV, a sort of mini-minivan that's of the same type as the new Mazda5, a popular class of vehicle in markets outside of North America, and one which Hyundai wishes to explore. The concept was designed in Germany at the firm's European Design Studio, also responsible for last year's E3 compact car concept.