Hyundai Mistra revealed

This is the Hyundai Mistra, a concept car unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show that previews a new China-only saloon car that’s set to go on sale later this year.

The Mistra is 4,710mm long, 1,820mm wide and 1,470 mm high, with a 2,770mm-long wheelbase, making it almost exactly the same size as the current Volkswagen Passat.

The concept rides on 19-inch alloys and features a special green paint colour called Frost Jade that’s been specifically chose to suit Chinese tastes. The Mistra production car is targeted at young parents in their 20s and 30s.

Hyundai is keen to make up for lost time in the Chinese market. A relative latecomer to the country, Hyundai started selling cars in China in 2002 through a 50:50 joint venture partnership called the Beijing Hyundai Motor Company (BHMC).

The firm has been growing rapidly in China ever since, leading Hyundai to claim that local media use the term ‘Hyundai Speed’ for businesses that expand rapidly in China.

As for the name of the concept, Mistra signifies 'beauty, nobility and mystery', while its Chinese name, Mingtu, apparently signifies 'integrity and quality'.

Hyundai also showed its Grand Santa Fe at Shanghai, a 225mm-longer version of its seven-seater SUV that’s due to go on sale in China in the next few months.

Talking at the car’s unveiling, President of BHMC, Sung Kee Choi, said “Hyundai has achieved remarkable growth in the past decade, in line with the Chinese auto market’s rapid growth.

The Mistra and Grand Santa Fe will lead us towards another successful era. We will prepare against fiercer competition in the Chinese market through our strategy of `brand innovation based on quality.”