2006 Hyundai HCD-9 Talus Concept

The 2006 Hyundai HCD-9 Talus was Hyundai’s attempt to combine a sports coupe with the parts of an SUV people actually used. It had a low, sweeping roof, four-seat cabin and V8 power, but also extra ground clearance, available four-wheel drive and enough cargo room for a weekend away. The result looked a bit like a grand tourer that had been told the driveway might get rough. Hyundai unveiled the Talus in January 2006 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where it was presented as a look at a possible new direction for sporty cars.

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The Talus was designed at the Hyundai Design Center in Irvine, California, under chief designer Joel Piaskowski. Hyundai wanted to build something for drivers who liked sports cars but had grown used to the space, visibility and everyday usefulness of an SUV. Its styling shared themes with the then-new 2007 Santa Fe, including the strong grille, narrow headlights and sculpted body lines, but the Talus pushed them across a much lower and wider shape.

Under the hood was a 4.6-liter, 32-valve V8 producing an estimated 340 horsepower, connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. The concept was configured as rear-wheel drive, with Hyundai also proposing optional four-wheel drive. Independent front and rear suspension backed up the crossover brief. The Talus rode on enormous 22-inch polished aluminum split five-spoke wheels with P265/40R22 tires, which were not exactly subtle but suited a coupe nearly as wide as some full-size SUVs. Hyundai listed a 110.2-inch wheelbase, 183.7-inch overall length, 76.1-inch width and 62.1-inch height.

The proportions did most of the talking. A high beltline, broad shoulders, short-looking glasshouse and arcing roof gave it the stance of a sports coupe, while the raised ride height meant steep driveways, potholes and light two-track roads were less threatening than they would be in a traditional low-slung GT. The body was finished in Molten Red tri-coat metallic with Cinder Black lower trim, while dual stainless-steel exhaust outlets were integrated directly into the rear fascia.

Getting inside was more theatrical than necessary, which is exactly what a concept car should be. The Talus had no conventional fixed B-pillar between its front-hinged doors and rear-hinged “jump” doors, creating a wide opening into the four-seat cabin. A powered clamshell rear hatch opened to the cargo area, the rear seats folded flat, and additional storage sat beneath the load floor. Hyundai managed to give a V8 concept coupe enough storage to make a hardware-store run, which was basically the entire point.

Inside, the Talus mixed Sierra Brown and Black Chestnut leather with metallic trim and blue ambient LED lighting. Its center stack was designed to resemble jewelry hanging from a necklace, complete with a retractable section hiding a 10-inch LCD display, air vents and a clock capable of showing three time zones. Rear passengers received individual nine-inch entertainment screens and separate audio controls. Technology included electronic stability control, night vision, shift-by-wire transmission control, wireless internet and adaptive cruise control, an unusually serious equipment list for a 2006 design study.

The HCD-9 Talus never entered production, but the idea behind it aged remarkably well. Hyundai was experimenting with the sports-coupe/SUV crossover formula years before high-riding performance fastbacks became an established category. More importantly, it arrived just as Hyundai was preparing to move further into rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered and more design-led vehicles. The Talus itself disappeared into concept-car history, but its combination of coupe styling, extra ride height, four usable seats and SUV practicality now seems much less strange than it did in Detroit in 2006.