1998 HYUNDAI Atos Multi 1.0L 5MT FWD (55 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The Atos Multi was a city car built by Hyundai to gain more market share for the city cars. It was a direct competitor for vehicles such as Suzuki Wagon R and the Daewoo Matiz. And it failed.

The Atos project started in the mid-’90s. In those times, Hyundai didn’t have a big experience in building cars and the company trusted its engineers to made a small vehicle were five adult passengers could fit and to be very economical. The concept was good but the result was bad.

The car’s designed like they put five adults inside and built the bodywork around them. In the end, a pair of headlights were installed in the front corners. A short hood and an almost vertical windshield covered the high greenhouse. In the end, the vertical drop of the tailgate ended the car. To accomplish the disaster, the car was fitted with 13” wheels.

The interior was tall short and narrow. Five adults could have fit inside, but only if the three people in the back were slim enough. The floor-mounted gear-stick separated the left and right front seats. The dashboard and the center stack were molded into one piece. The instrument cluster featured a nicer, case with a center-installed speedometer.

The Hyundai Atos was blamed for being underpowered. The 55 hp on a 785 kg (1730 lbs) was good by the ’70s standards. The 1.0-liter engine offered a motorcycle-like torque. In the end, the car was cheap to buy thirsty but roomy for five slim passengers.