Sometimes, names that sound good in a Korean boardroom just don’t translate well into foreign languages. Take the i-Flow, for example, which sounds like a monthly problem experienced by women and preceeded by mood swings, water retention and cramping.
Naming aside, the i-Flow represents the latest in forward thinking from Hyundai, a company who is momentarily white-hot. The i-Flow is a diesel electric hybrid concept that uses a 1.7 liter diesel motor with two stage turbocharging, in conjunction with an electric motor and lithium ion batteries. A six speed, dual clutch transmission feeds the power to the wheels and is partially responsible for the i-Flow’s claims of 78 miles per gallon. Hyundai states that the futuristic shape yields a drag coefficient of just 0.25Cd, but there seems to be an awful lot of grille area to achieve that number.
Hyundai worked with BASF on the interior materials, but we may have to wait until Geneva for interior pics. Somewhat disturbing is the announced “contoured screen interface” in the center stack, that will respond to “gestural inputs”. I’m pretty sure I don’t want my car responding to gestural inputs or voice commands, otherwise I’d be leaving a Godzilla-like path of destruction behind me every time I got in the car.