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New eight-seat Hyundai concept debuts in India

The Hexa Space concept puts eight people in an ix20-sized car.

Hyundai unveiled a hexagon-themed multi-purpose vehicle at the 2012 Auto-Expo in Delhi.  The Hexa Space concept packages eight seats within a narrow footprint, designed for India's busy streets and other emerging economies.

The seats are arranged three abreast for the front and centre rows with two chars at the very back.  The centre seats in the first and second rows are slightly behind the outer two.  Hyundai describes the hexagonal seats as fitting together like puzzle pieces.

A variety of interior arrangements are possible. All but the driver's seat can fold flat to carry large loads; stowing the centre row gives back seat passengers plenty of leg room; and the interior can convert into a bed for camping.

Unobstructed access to the interior is given by pillar-less doors.  The front doors open in the conventional way but the rear pair lift out and slide back on a parallelogram linkage.

Six-sided shapes appear throughout the car's exterior and interior.  Even the steering wheel is more hexagonal than round.

The Hexa Space, codenamed HND-7, is based on the Hyundai ix20 and uses a 1.2-litre direct-injection petrol engine.  Drive goes through a six-speed automatic gearbox controlled by push buttons.

Although it is just a concept for now the Hexa Space looks as though it could easily translate into a production vehicle.

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Published on January 9, 2012