Hyundai tried to make its way into the European car market with a small MPV based on the same platform as the Kia Picanto, but the results were far below expectations.
In 1999, the Korean carmaker launched the second generation of the Atos. It looked like an ideal city car with great fuel-efficiency and small enough to sweep through the city traffic. In Europe, the customers didn’t like the car’s shape, and that resulted in slow sales, while in other markets, it was highly appreciated. In 2005, the carmaker introduced a facelifted version.

While it was still a cube on wheels with an extended front end for the engine bay, the design team managed to install a different set of headlights with a horizontal shape instead of the bubbled ones used before the facelift.

Inside, the car was spacious for four adult passengers, thanks to the high roof and high-mounted seats both front and rear. Due to that concept, the rear occupants could slide their feet under the front seats. At the front, the carmaker reshaped the dashboard and installed an open storage area on the passenger’s side. Hyundai carried over the simple design of the instrument panel from the Accent lineup.

Under the hood, the Korean carmaker installed a newly developed 1.1-liter engine and paired it to a 5-speed manual as standard. It also offered an option for a four-speed automatic transmission.