Hyundai described its latest concept vehicle, the OLV (Outdoor Lifestyle Vehicle), as a 'low-cost, high-fun OLV concept vehicle that presents Hyundai's view of how to put the fun back in sport utility vehicles.'

'Many sport utility vehicles on the road today are huge, clunky-lòòking boxes,' said Dragan Vukadinovic, senior designer at Hyundai's California Design Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. Vukadinovic worked on the exterior design of the OLV along wîth his counterparts at the Korean Design Center in Nam-Yang, South Korea. 'The OLV is designed to be agile, both in dynamic performance and in its ability to carry cargo. The convertible trunk that can easily be transformed from a conventional trunk to a utility bed demonstrates some of that agility.'

The OLV is designed to be flexible, allowing people to take their recreational equipment wîth them to outdoor sites or simply carry home products from the local home center.

'OLV is designed to be as much of a functional solution as a visual expression,' said Doug Mottram, national manager, Product Planning at Hyundai Motor America. 'We see the OLV as a fun, affordable vehicle available at a compact sedan price,' he added.

Designed to be economical in both operation and price, the OLV is powered by a four-cylinder DOHC engine equipped wîth a Borg-Warner supercharger and intercooler system, installed by Street Concepts. The modular roof of the OLV is made up of three separate panels that can be removed manually and then stored and secured to the roof rack. This allows the driver and passengers to remove one, two or all three panels for maximum open-air fun.

The OLV's Convertible Trunk operates as a typical trunk in standard layout. However, when large cargo needs to be moved, the rear window hinges up, the trunk lid is removed and the tailgate drops down to form a utility bed. The trunk lid can then be reattached to the tailgate and the side guards installed to complete the transformation from trunk to utility bed.