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Hyundai's fuel efficient line of cars dubbed 'i-Blue'

Written by Nelson Ireson

Tuesday, 22 July 2008

Efficiency has become one of the hottest buzz-words of the show car circuit, thanks to the rising cost of fuel. Korean company Hyundai is just one of the manufacturers in the auto industry to become aware of the need to offer efficient, low-emissions vehicles - not just in the car salon, but in dealership showrooms - and it’s launching a full line of 'i-Blue' cars that focus on doing just that.

First shown as a prototype at the Geneva show this year, the Hyundai i-Blue line of efficiency-focused cars will first get a new model, and a whole range to follow, with the debut of the i30 at the London Motor Show. The first car shown at Geneva in March was an i10 powered by compressed natural gas, but the new i30 is a more realistic production concept rather than the technological showcase of the previous model.

A spokesperson for Hyundai Australia has confirmed that Hyundai is open to all potential alternative routes to the goal of efficiency, but currently they are focusing on getting the recently unveiled LPG-hybrid prepared for local sale.

i-Blue i30 uses standard diesel and efficient gearset to improve emissions
The i30 i-Blue will be powered by a 1.6L CRDi diesel engine, and is designed to be competitive with rivals like Ford and Volkswagen - the i30 is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than similar models from Ford and Volkswagen. The only mechanical change to the i-Blue i30’s driveline is a tweaked set of gear ratios, to offer slightly higher gearing for lower engine revs, yielding a 6g/km drop in CO2 emissions, just enough to slip it in under the 120g/km standard for i-Blue branding. The rest of the i30’s performance and handling remains the same, providing the same essential driveability as the standard i30.

Hyundai is advertising the new i-Blue i30 with a starting price of £13,155 ($26,270) with standard equipment like stability control, air conditioning and alloy wheels found across the range.

The next i-Blue model will be the i10, offering an all-new 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine. In combination with a manual transmission, all i10s with the new powerplant will meet the sub-120g/km CO2 requirement. The new Kappa engine (pictured below) is rated at what Hyundai claims to be a class-leading 94.15Nm of torque per liter, or 113Nm total. Weighing in at just 82.4kg dry, the engine is also a small and lightweight package despite delivering power of 57kW from its 1.2-litre displacement.

The key innovations of the Kappa engine involve lightweight materials and special surface treatments of key components, such as piston rings, for reduced mass while maintaining longevity.

Natural gas-powered hybrids on the horizon, i-Blue models could follow
Hyundai Australia is working to get the super-efficient LPG-hybrid that combines low-carbon emissions fuel with regenerative braking and plug-in battery capability for domestic sale. The LPG-hybrid is scheduled to begin production in July of next year in its home market of South Korea, but no plans for export have yet been announced.

In the mean time, the simpler and more easily-imported i-Blue efficiency technology may be brought to Australia, though a local spokesperson could not confirm any plans were in place to do so.

With fuel prices still high despite recent drops in the international price of oil, and more expected costs associated with fuel consumption and carbon emissions in the near and medium-term future, fuel efficient transport is at the top of the priority list for many Australians. That kind of popular demand is what brings new technology to new markets, and it may mean Hyundai’s i-Blue range will find a home here sooner rather than later.

Hyundai i-Blue and Kappa engine gallery

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