Blue Drive isn't just Hyundai's hybrid system either -- it's a styling influence as well. To drive the point home, the color blue has turned up all over the vehicle. It's in the headlights, it's trimming the brake ducts in the lower front fascia, it's hiding in character lines behind the front wheels, and it's lighting up the Hyundai logos at either end of the vehicle. Pull open the massive gullwing doors and you'll find plenty more.
On the floors, blue accent lighting runs from front to rear, emulating a river flowing beneath your feet. That is, if you notice the floor. Most people likely won't be able to take their eyes of the UFO-like dash and center console. Above the horseshoe-shaped steering wheel, two triangular gauges reach out to the driver while a long, blue waterfall cascades down the dash and between the front and rear seats all the way back to the rear seat backrest, similar to the crystal centerpiece seen recently on the Volvo S60 concept.
You won't see many buttons or dials interrupting the flow of the center console. Hyundai has replaced everything it could with touch-sensitive systems that will allow all four passengers to interact with each other as well as outside influences. Hyundai suggests that the system could allow passengers to view the daily specials of a local restaurant on the car's display simply by driving past it.
To further illustrate Hyundai's commitment to eco-friendly technologies, the company has fitted the Nuvis with seats made by True Textiles out of recycled soda bottles that feature a black-to-gray starburst pattern trimmed with blue accents. The seats are topped off with seatbelts made by Harveys Original Seatbeltbags, a company that manufactures handbags from old seatbelts - it's also provided a pair of handbags to match the Nuvis.
While Hyundai says the Nuvis hints at a future styling for the brand, it's likely that most of the extreme lines and designs won't be seen in showrooms in the near future. And while the gullwing doors likely won't make it to a production vehicle, the Blue Drive Hybrid system is already slated to underpin the upcoming Sonata Hybrid, and we wouldn't be surprised to see a Ford Edge and Toyota Highlander-fighting hybrid CUV from Hyundai in the near future.