Hyundai wants to be the greenest car manufacturer in the world, that's their goal for 2021.
That's pretty ambitious and they want to show that ambition with electric cars,
hybrids, plug-in hybrids, but also with fuel cell technology.
Hydrogen. They're already working on hydrogen lorries and buses,
but normal cars are in development as well. We already had the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell...
and now, we've got the brand new Hyundai Nexo.
It was presented last January on the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas.
Now it's here. You don't have to charge it up all night,
you can fill it up in five minutes and you're on your way again.
When you compare it to the ix35 Fuel Cell, the Nexo has grown in every single aspect.
It's become more grown-up. Also, its size is now more like the Santa Fe,
instead of an ix35. Beneath the skin, the technology has advanced as well.
Very progressing.
That means the technology has become lighter, it's more economical and the performance has improved.
Just like the ix35, the Nexo is an SUV.
That gives the Nexo an advantage which the Toyota Mirai, or Honda Clarity don't have.
It's easier for the Nexo to hide its fuel tanks, without it being very noticeable in the interior.
It has two tanks beneath the boot floor and there's another one beneath the rear seat.
If both are filled, the WLDP-cycle says it can do 666 km.
A little bit further than your fully electric car can take you.
The fuel cells are beneath the hood, together with the power electronics and the electric motor.
The electric motor produces 163 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque.
That's enough for this 1.800 kg weighing car.
The electric motor reacts like every other electric motor, very spontaneous.
It can get you easily through everyday traffic. I mean, you're not the fastest,
but you're certainly no slouch. Also, it doesn't make any noises,
which adds to the comfort. The electric motor isn't just powered by the fuel cell,
it also has a battery pack available. That means it's a hybrid.
Not a plug-in though, because it doesn't have a plug.
The electricity is generated by braking. If you put the recuperating in the most extreme mode,
you actually don't need the brake pedal anymore, because you can do everything with the accelerator pedal.
The steering feels pretty distant. Not a lot of feedback but it's light.
You could call it comfortable, which would fit perfectly with the chassis,
because that's clearly aimed at comfort. You'll barely feel potholes and imperfections,
almost like it's a flying carpet.
When it comes to the interior, Hyundai has tried their very best.
It looks good, it feels good and that's logical,
because it's a very important car for Hyundai. The dashboard is dominated by two glass screens.
One in front of me acts as instrument cluster, which tells me everything I want to know in a clear way.
Next to that, we've got the multimedia screen.
We already know that the multimedia system in Kia's and Hyundai's is incredibly good.
In this car however, it's a tad different.
Buttons which usually are next to the screen, are now on the middle console,
which now looks like the dashboard of a Boeing 747. There's buttons everywhere.
It's almost like we've traveled back in time. It looks chaotic and that's a careful way of saying things.
I'm almost 2 metres long and it's not like I'm cramped in any way. I've got enough space for my arms, my head,
legroom. I'm quite alright in the front. Maybe they could've extended the seat base,
but that's a detail. I fit in the back as well.
That's mostly because of the long wheelbase of this car, because that makes sure I can fit my legs in here.
The headroom is alright as well.
Beneath the floor in the boot are two hydrogen tanks, but despite that we've still got 461 litres of luggage space.
That might be smaller than in a Santa Fe, but it's big enough for the luggage of a big family.
Even though the interior is a nice mix of digital and analogue, the rest of the car is mostly digital.
It's filled with all kinds of safety features. There's even a prototype which has level 4 autonomy,
which means you can read the paper. This car however can keep itself between driving lanes...
and it can keep distances, so it's level 2 autonomous.
It does a pretty good job keeping itself in line.
Another nice feature is the blind spot assist, which not only warns you whenever something is bound to happen,
but if you use your indicator, it shows the image from you side mirrors in the instrument cluster.
It doesn't get much safer on this area. The importer has told me there are around 80 Nexo's...
coming to the Netherlands this year. That's a very shallow number,
but if you realize this car almost costs €70.000, as base model, it all seems logical.
Especially because the Netherlands only has four hydrogen stations.
In 2020, the goal is 20 hydrogen stations,
but we'll have to wait and see. On the other hand,
you've got lots of time for the hydrogen network to expand, because Hyundai puts a 10 year warranty on every new Nexo.
That's worth the consideration and if you're prepared to take the gamble,
this will be a very pleasant car.