Next to the Veloster sports coupe, the South Korean company has also brought the Curb crossover concept tot he 2011 Detroit Auto Show. This concept is a preview version for a future model that they say will compete with models like the Nissan Juke. Hyundai expects the production model to debut in the next two to three years.

"We wanted the Curb to be urban tough without looking like a Brink's truck," said Jason Brown, Hyundai designer. "City driving was going to be its forte, not crossing the Rubicon trail, but we wanted it to have urban armor for daily driving on city streets. It needed to empower its passengers in this setting."

The Hyundai->ke201 Curb crossover concept is defined by Hyundai’s "Fluidic Sculpture" design language, a design language created to attract younger buyers. Next to the impressive exterior look, the new Curb Concept is also offered with advanced Blue Link and connectivity features against impact and shock.

Hit the jump to read more about Hyundai's latest Curb concept.

Exterior

Like with the Veloster coupe, the Curb's exterior design has also been inspired by a sports motorcycle. The concept front features glass that spills into the hood and wraps around the cowl, covering the A pillars and resembling a motorcycle helmet. The profile is dominated by a boomerang trajectory body side line, while the headlamps and taillamps create the illusion that they are connected to the engine compartment or interior. And to finish with the same aggressive look, the Curb sits on 22-inch five spoke wheels wrapped in Michelin tires with a custom saffron colored tread pattern to match the interior.

Interior

The interior gets a large acrylic screen with multiple zones that allow information to be passed between passengers all via a touchscreen. Facilitating this transport of information are the large monitors featured on the headrests. The list of technologies includes: Heads Up Display (HUD) provided by Continental with navigation, Pandora internet, and, of course, the Blue Link Location Sharing feature that will send Curb’s location to select members of social networking sites.

The Engine

The Curb is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) four-cylinder engine that delivers 175 HP and 169 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission and Idle Stop and Go (ISG) technology.

When Can I Buy One?

Do not expect to see a production version of the Hyundai Curb until 2013. Prices should start at under 20K.

Competition

When put into production, the Hyundai Curb will take on models like the Nissan Juke and the Kia Soul.

The Nissan Juke is powered by a choice of three engines: one diesel and two 1.6 Liter versions. Horsepower ranges from 110hp to 190hp, so most of the choices are outrun by the Curb. We don;t like the look of either car, but if we had to choose one, we'd pick the Nissan Juke only because it doesn;t make us want to say, "Beam me up, Scotty!" like the Curb does.

The Kia Soul is powered by a 126 hp diesel or gasoline engine. The Hyundai Curb laughs at this power output, but we still get a chuckle out of the Curb's design so we may even take the Hamster-toting Soul over the Curb. Yep, us speed-lovers dislike the design that much.