Hyundai Tucson

New SUV lightens up

It's Hyundai's plastic fantastic!

Auto Express Car Reviews

04th March 2007

On display at Geneva next to the new i30, this radical concept shows how the compact SUV of tomorrow can be safer and greener. This is the Hyundai European Design 4, or HED 4 for short. Produced in conjunction with US-based firm GE Plastics, the two-door points the way for the next-generation Tucson, and has some impressive lightweight credentials.

Among these is a scratch-resistant windscreen which is 50 per cent lighter than if made of glass. By using the new material, the designers could create curves that would normally be impossible. The HED 4 also features Hyundai's new Elastic Front technology. Designed to meet Euro NCAP's pedestrian safety standards, the energy-absorbing nose is intended to look good without compromising crash protection.