Hyundai HCD-12 Curb concept (photos)

At the 2011 Detroit auto show, Hyundai showed off its latest concept, the HCD-12 Curb, an on-roader that is built to handle beat-up city streets while treating the passengers to an interesting cabin tech package.

It's difficult to tell from photos, but the Curb is a very compact package--it's only about 4 inches longer than Hyundai's smallest Accent model.

Out back, the concept features an illuminated "Curb" logo that shines through one-way paint. There are no door handles; drivers simply swipe a touch panel to pop the doors.

Behind the grill, which is one of the most interesting interpretations of Hyundai's "fluidic sculpture" design language, live a power train not unlike the Hyundai Elantra and Veloster. A 1.6-liter gasoline engine mates with a DCT gearbox to help the Curb reach an estimated 40 mpg on the highway.

Inside, the Curb features Hyundai's Blue Link connectivity and telematics package and a slick touch-screen interface based on selecting icons by swiping around a globe.

Although the Curb has a high ride height for a vehicle so small, it makes no off-road pretenses. This is a car for urban canyon crawling and soaking up potholes.

Check out our continuing coverage of the 2011 Detroit auto show.

Massive 22-inch wheels fill the Curb's wheel wells.

Replacing the wing mirrors with cameras is usually a concept-only touch. These days, they're about the least pie-in-the-sky feature we see.