Wednesday, February 9, 2005

John McCormick Hyundai's new minivan concept, the Portico, unveiled in Chicago

Hyundai recasts minivan with Portico concept

By John McCormick / Autos Insider

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Chicago - - Hyundai signaled its intentions for a new minivan with the Portico concept, unveiled at the Chicago auto show.

Designed in Korea, the 196 inch long Portico seats six in two rows of three and boasts a highly flexible cargo area. According to Hyundai's vice president of product development and strategic planning, John Krafcik, the concept "previews the next generation of family transportation.

"We'll have two all-new Hyundai models with seating for seven and roomy, flexible cargo space within the next year or so -- all part of the 24/7 new model launch cadence we started with the Hyundai Tucson last fall."

Portico features front hinged front doors and rear hinged rear doors with a pillarless design. The concept is powered by Hyundai's Lambda V6 engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission soon to be offered in a production Hyundai. The Portico is also designed to accept Hyundai's hybrid drive system. This configuration features two electric motors; one driving the front wheels and a second driving the rear wheels, providing all-wheel-drive capability. Front power is supplied by a 110 kW (136 horsepower) electric motor; a 60 kW (83 horsepower) motor powers the rear wheels.

John McCormick is a columnist for Autos Insider and can be reached at jmccormick@detnews.com