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With the Paris Motor Motor Show just weeks away, we here at the Automotive.com Blog thought previews of some of the vehicles to be shown would be just the ticket to wet our readers’ appetites. First on the menu: Hyundai.
Hyundai’s FD Concept is, from the drawings, a four-door hatchback or small crossover. Based on the similar Kia Cee’d (see below), the FD is all-new, designed and built for the competitive European “C” market segment. Competitors include the Renault Megane, Opel Astra, and Volkswagen Golf. The FD Concept will most likely go into production next year as either a late 2007 or 2008 model. It’s unknown if Hyundai and its subsidiary, Kia, will export either vehicle to the U.S. Out take? Difficult to tell at this time. European car buyers tend to be more conservative in their choices and Hyundai is new to many of them. However, Korean vehicles of today are of high-quality and priced to undercut many competitors, which may give the automaker the edge in the popular C-Segment. Our biggest concern is Hyundai's leadership. It's unknown if the CEO's arrest earlier this year (and subsequent release) will continue to have ramifications in the future.
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