HYUNDAI'S stylish HCD8 supercar concept was unveiled to an impressed audience at the first motor show of the year, the Detroit Auto Show.

The HCD8 is the first car to come from the all-new $30 million Hyundai Design and Technical Centre in Irvine, California.

The design team used marketing research from Hyundai Motor America to design a sporty vehicle that offers more flexibility, more usable space and easier access for passengers and luggage.

Joel Piaskowski, chief designer at the Hyundai Design and Technical Centre, said: "The Hyundai HCD8 sports tourer was designed to address the sporty car market and still meet the values and needs of today's consumer."

He added: "The HCD8 is designed to be a high-performance car for everyday use. We also stayed true to the core Hyundai asset of making it good value - the HCD8 offers more value within its market segment."

The interior is finished with two-tone Vapor Grey leather seating surfaces complemented by wood flooring and wood and aluminium trimmed steering wheel rim and shift lever knob. The HCD8 with its supercharged 2.7-litre V6 engine, six-speed manual transaxle and tuned dual exhaust provides performance to match its styling.

Joel added: "Hyundai is about being bold and different in an automotive market that is not usually willing to take risks. Hyundai's dramatic growth has been fuelled by the ability to offer customers greater value at a lower price point. Now we are taking that to a new design level."