The Hyundai Mistra Concept made its debut at the Shanghai Motor Show->ke2470. Hyundai plans to position the mid-sized sedan between the Sonata->ke1859 and Elantra->ke1391 in its lineup.

With the Chinese market suddenly booming, the Korean manufacturer is grasping at all it can to increase its share in China, hence this being a China only model. The Chinese market hosts 1.3 billion people and its middle class is growing, making the market an important one for car manufactures.

Thanks to China’s anti-Japanese-car sentiment, companies based in other countries – Korea included – have had a lot of success in the region. Hyundai is hoping to cash in on this with the Mistra.

So, is this new concept model one that can help Hyundai reel in the up-and-coming Chinese middle-class, or is this simply another concept that will fall by the wayside?

Hit the jump to read more details about the Hyundai Mistra Concept and find out.

Exterior

The Mistra features a sporty look for a four-door mid-sized sedan. The hood is long and sloping with a wide front grille highlighting the large Hyundai badge.

The styling includes bold lines that give a flowing look to the body, making the Mistra almost look in motion even when standing still. A two-tone paint scheme is offered to further cement the cars sporty style.

Interior

No details about the interior have been released yet. The official details should be released later this year.

However, with how stylish the exterior is one should expect a high-quality cabin with plenty of style. Options, like leather and high-quality trim should also be expected.

Drivetrain

No information about the drivetrain is available, but it should be announced later this year. We estimate that the Mistra will need to have at least a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with about 180-horsepower to compete. We also expect engine options to hit up to 250 horsepower, giving the sedan the performance expected these days.

Price

No pricing information has been released, but expect for the pricing to be released later this year. We estimate that prices will likely start in the $18,000 (about 111,000 Chinese Yuan) range.

Competition

Ford Fusion

The Fusion combines purposeful styling with good performance. The car can be purchased with up to 237 horsepower and is capable of 31 mpg. It also offers a good-quality modern interior with Ford's Sync system available.

Honda Accord

The Accord offers up to 278 horsepower to make it one of the higher-performing cars in its class. The styling is clean and crisp; it almost resembles older models with updated styling. The interior is of good-quality materials, but has styling that is disjointed.

Conclusion

The Mistra looks like it provides clean styling that should appeal to potential buyers. China is an important market for automotive manufactures, as they try to get a foothold on the emerging market. If Hyundai can match the exterior styling with performance and a high-quality interior, it may have a winner on its hands.

The Mistra will go on sale later this year and there is no word on if it will ever be sold outside of China.