concept

With the launch of the Genesis, Hyundai reinvented itself, and will further the process with a new SUV concept at the Geneva auto show. This new concept, dubbed the HED-6, following a naming scheme based on previous Hyundai concepts, is described in the press release as an "urban nomad," and is supposed to have picked up influences from Berlin, London, and Paris. We would suggest to Hyundai's design team that Europe hasn't traditionally been big on SUVs, but considering the recent critical success of the Genesis, we will shut up in respect to another bold move … Read more

Kia has released this teaser image of an upcoming small MPV concept set to be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva auto show in March.

Kia's calling it a "Million Possibilities Vehicle," but we all know that MPV stands for "multipurpose vehicle" or, in plain English, a minivan. Honestly, when did minivan become such a dirty word that automakers just won't let themselves use it?

Since it will be a small MPV, you should try to imagine something about the size and shape of a Mazda Mazda5, but with the styling cues of the Kia Soul, … Read more

One of our favorite aspects of the Geneva auto show are the concepts shown by design houses and engineering firms. Never intended to reach production, these concepts show what the companies can do. EDAG is one such company, and it has just announced its concept for the upcoming Geneva auto show, the Light Car - Open Source. This concept demonstrates new structural materials, liberal use of organic LEDs, and an electric power train. … Read more

We saw several electric car concepts at the Detroit auto show, but there were also a set of more traditional concepts with internal combustion engines on the automaker's specification lists. These cars show off the sorts of designs the car companies are looking at for future production models. Volkswagen and Audi push the diesel agenda with new entrants, while Volvo and Subaru show off the future direction of specific models. Lincoln tries out a new take on luxury, while Kia gets playful with its new Soul platform.

See concept cars from the 2009 Detroit auto show.

More 2009 Detroit Auto Show coverage.… Read more

Lincoln surprised us with a new concept at the 2009 Detroit auto show, designed as a compact luxury car. We did get a teaser at the CES 2009 show, where Ford ran a video of a conceptual dashboard without letting on that it was from the C concept. We're impressed that Lincoln realizes there is a future in small cars, and that good things can come in small packages.

See photos of the Lincoln C concept at the 2009 Detroit auto show.

More 2009 Detroit auto show coverage.

Describing it as an early Christmas present, Volvo released pictures and details of its new S60 concept car today. We appreciate the company's generous spirit, but we really wanted an Audi R8 V10. Maybe Santa will be nicer next year. Volvo shows some standard concept car cues in the S60 concept, with a center stack handmade out of some kind of crystal we've never heard of (Orrefors anyone?), LED headlights, and no B-pillar, giving the car an open feeling when the front and rear windows are down.

The body design looks good, and we would like to see … Read more

This century, vaunted supercar names such as Ferrari and Lamborghini might be displaced by Honda. At the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda showed off a supercar concept, the FC Sport, powered by an electric motor with energy generated by a hydrogen fuel cell. The fuel-cell powertrain, which Honda calls V Flow, is being used in the FCX Clarity, the hydrogen-fueled sedan that Honda currently leases on a limited basis. The FC Sport is designed to be a lightweight, performance-oriented car, and should have a 0-to-60 mph time of under 4 seconds to achieve supercar status. While Honda is known … Read more

Toyota will reveal a Camry hybrid concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show with an engine that uses compressed natural gas.

The concept signals that Toyota's hybrid technology will be used with engines that operate on a variety of fuels.

"We are using this as an opportunity to state that we are getting back into CNG R&D and that we are adding CNG to our portfolio of alternative fuels," said John Hanson, a Toyota spokesman. "We see CNG as an alternative fuel for the future, especially considering what we see as a pretty definite … Read more

Audi showcased its new turbo-hybrid concept, called the A1, at the 2008 Paris auto show.

See all coverage of the 2008 Paris Motor Show.