Hyundai Portico – PO crossover illustrated
Hyundai Portico – PO illustration
Hyundai is prepping to launch a large-sized crossover vehicle similar to Toyota Venza or Mercedes-Benz R-class. The new crossover is going to replace two Hyundai minivans that both failed to succeed. The US will see Entourage minivan replaced, while in Europe, Hyundai is going to discontinue a low sales volume Trajet minivan.
The Portico was originally unveiled at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show. Beneath the elegant exterior shape, the 6-seat Hyundai concept car featured a hybrid powertrain consisting of two electric motors powering both front and rear wheels and advanced Lambda V6 engine. The concept also featured a six speed automatic transmission.
Designed by Advanced Design Team at Hyundais South Korean Design Center headquarters, the Portico concept provided a look at the future of family transportation. At its official presentation in Chicago Hyundai officials denied the vehicles is going to production, but earlier this some Portico prototypes have been spotted while undergoing some pre-production testing.
Reportedly, Hyundai has been developing Portico crossover under the PO codename for the past three years and latest rumors suggest that the vehicle is slated to go into production in the first half of 2010.
The 2010 Hyundao Portico crossover has been first spied in the wild late last year and there are some high quality pictures of it also here on the Hyundai blog. Based on the previous spy shots is also the Portico illustration/rendering above, issued by the fellows at Caradvice dot com dot au. Well, the rendering is not really the best one we have ever seen, but it gives quite a satisfactionary sneak peak preview at the upcoming Hyundai Portico -PO. [Source: Caradvice]
May 29th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
it’s canceled
May 29th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Say what…how do you know that…cant be…wasnt it supposed to be the 5 fighter
May 29th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
As for the car…not loving the way the rear windows goes up…otherwise…it’s pretty tight
May 29th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
It actually may HAVE been cancelled, like the 1st poster said. There have not been any spyshots for over a year (LeftLaneNews.com used to get shots of it all the time).
My guess is that they are completly re-doing the project now that they have seen the Venza and other competition. Complete re-design, and in my opinion that”s a wise move (it could look much better).
May 29th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
The PO car has been spied several times in the last few months. Just take a look here and I even don’t have all the pics… So I think Hyundai did not discontinue the model.
Spy shots:
http://www.hyundai-blog.com/index.php/2008/10/24/2010-hyundai-portico-spotted-nearly-undisguised/
http://www.hyundai-blog.com/index.php/2008/08/19/hyundai-portico-po-interior-hyundai-fs/
May 29th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
SoundGallery…true…but i hope they show us what it wud have looked like
May 30th, 2009 at 5:39 am
Guys this vehicle is not canceled. why would it be canceled?
May 30th, 2009 at 7:03 am
its not canceled. that guy is a hater
May 30th, 2009 at 7:03 am
hes probably chrysler hahahaha
May 30th, 2009 at 8:33 am
The Portico was cancelled (For like 6 months back in 2008), the key word being was. The 32 MPG GDI V6 Theta from the Next Gen Sonata will probably be the base engine for the New Girl. This is also the engine that saved this WUV (Wagon Utility Vehicle).
John, I think that rear window going up is a new Hyundai: Wagon/SUV/Hatchback design cue. From the i30, to the i-xonic its there.
May 30th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Admin…i went to the actual site where this was originally posted…and this is supposed to be a tuscon illustrated
May 31st, 2009 at 6:26 am
I think that website has it wrong. The Tuscon is the ix-onic. This is the Portico, and before any of you guys ask; the Nuvis is the Next gen Santa Fe.
June 1st, 2009 at 6:40 am
Compare this shot:
http://www.hyundai-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/2010hyundaitucson.jpg
And then Compare this shot.
http://www.hyundai-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/2010hyundaiporticopo.jpg
They look very familiar, but slightly different. If the Portico is the Tuscon, it will be the state side version, and the ix-onic will be the Euro Version. If not, they are different CUVs, but slightly.
June 1st, 2009 at 9:28 am
I would say it looks ‘okay’ at best in this rendition and a redesign would not be a bad thing if true. I’ve been impressed with HMC offerings lately but truth be told, I expect more from Hyundai now..
Also, if HMC is making tweeks to the design, I would offer they change the name as well. I would argue that ‘Portico’ would not do the vehicle justice. Sounds, to my anyways, like ‘Portly’ or ‘Porky’.
It’s not bad but not great..
June 1st, 2009 at 9:35 am
Update on the name: Portico – A porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of a building.
From Latin porticus, from porta, ‘gate’. Okay, so it is a gateway to a new breed of car? I would say no, has been done already.. Not feelin’ it..
June 1st, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Ok let’s say the original Portico was cancelled. Then what do the current Entourage owners trade up to in 5 years or so? ..A Kia Sedona,… a Toyota Sienna.. a Honda Odyssey which WILL have a 2010 model comming out late this year!
Like I said before, if you are a minivan owner, and you need to trade UP to the new vehicle, you will not trade DOWN to a wagon or mid size SUV. The two vehicles are not interchangeable. I hope that’s not correct.
June 1st, 2009 at 8:15 pm
EB,
I don’t see any reason why Hyundai couldn’t do a quick facelift to front and back of the vehicle. From the spyshots I’ve seen the interior looks good as it is.
If Entourage owners need something of simular size they could look at the Santa Fe.
June 1st, 2009 at 8:39 pm
i like how the window goes up, smoke, i’ve also noticed it on all the newer hyundais. even the gen coupe has it but only after the kink, which may be why the kink is even there in the first place. to give it that shape… no idea just a theory.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:48 am
Check it out…another rendering…looks the closest so far…
http://yflove.net/data/file/26/982460924_002ba3e2_YF11.jpg
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:31 am
Joshy, I think the kink window might end up on the small cars.
John, oh yeah that Sonata might be the top of the line version.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:09 am
Thanks for the post John.. Looks kinda Lexus ES350-y from this angle.. I have a feeling this is going to look much more substantial than its price, much like current offerings.
Hope I’m not disappointed..
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:36 am
Hyundai is here to duke it out with Buick and Lincoln, and make Infinti and Cadillac look back with an eye for cost cutting. Good move to go upmarket Hyundai.
I wonder if the Portico might replace the Azera, like the Venza Replaced the Avalon. Infinti did the same as well, and replaced its full sized sedan with a Crossover. The others are doing the same. That Big Sedan Slot between the Large Sedan and the Mid Sized car has its days numbered for most makes. I hear they are doing that for Buick, Honda, etc… Plus, I think the Azera sized sedan would do well as a top of the line KIA.
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:38 am
KIAs version of the Azera is coming out in October, Hyundais should have been joining it. The Portico does share similar specs to that KIA VG (Amanti Replacement) sedan.
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:42 am
By the way, I talk to someone who owns a Trajet in Asia. She says they just as rubbish as the Entourage here in America.
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:46 am
They call the Venza a car (It is car Based) on the Toyota Website.
August 11th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Come on Am I the only one who see this is a sonata station wagon or a sonata cuv ? look at both the new YF sonata spy pics and the pics of the portico and you can see the same belt line below he wndows and the same headlamps, same dashboard …I may be wrong but I believe this portico is a sonata station wagon and I think its kewl and I am going buy one when it gets here hoply in the usa , i’ll trade in my 2007 sonata for that
August 11th, 2009 at 2:58 am
Billy the next Gen Sonata will be as generously apponted as an Azera s the Sonata Sedan and Portico Wagon, will take its place.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Still can wait for this thing. Then I can get rid of my Caravan.
August 20th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Who knows EB, they might put a direct injection in there that gives that Portico 30 MPG?
November 12th, 2009 at 9:18 am
I hope this to be released in the US in the next year or so. I plan to trade my 2004 Nissan Quest for the Portico!
January 13th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Hi from Ireland, very good post, deserves a Digg.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Hi from Wexford, good post, deserves a Digg.
June 11th, 2010 at 7:20 am
Chris Perry has some big shoes to fill in his new job. Hyundai has named Perry to replace Joel Ewanick as its vice-president of marketing. Ewanick, who left Hyundai in March for a short stay in the same position at Nissan, recently was appointed to that role at General Motors. Ewanick is credited with many of the particularly creative initiatives that have boosted Hyundai’s market share in the past several years, including last year’s assurance program, in which the automaker committed to making payments for laid off customers. Perry has been with Hyundai for ten years and since 2007 has been director of marketing communications. In that role, he’s been involved in developing the aforementioned award-winning programs, so things shouldn’t shake up too much. Perry will report to CEO John Krafcik.