Over the past few years, China’s car market has grown and matured to the point that it makes sense for foreign automakers to design and develop more bespoke models tailored to the needs of local buyers.
Even Hyundai has jumped on the bandwagon and is now preparing a China-exclusive mid-sized family sedan that was previewed as a very thinly disguised concept car named the Mistra at the recent Shanghai Auto Show 2013.
It is this car that a Korean blogger from Naver nabbed in camouflage outside the company’s R&D center in Namyang south of Seoul. Not that we were expecting anything different, but only a very few details seems to have changed from the concept model, namely the smaller alloy wheels and replacement of the LED fog lights with conventional units.
The production Mistra should keep the same dimensions as the study with an overall length of 4,710 mm (185.4 inches), a width of 1,820 mm (71.7 inches) and height of 1,470 mm (57.9 inches), as well as a 2,770 mm (109 inches) long wheelbase, which positions it between the Elantra (4,540m long) and the Sonata (4,820 mm long).
One of the Mistra’s main competitors will be the upcoming Honda Crider mid-size sedan, which was also displayed in Shanghai, and just like the Hyundai, it too was designed exclusively for China.
Hyundai plans to have the Mistra on sale towards the end of the year or by early 2014.
Story References: Indianautosblog , Photo Credits: Naver/bbongs142
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