Here's the pitch: Mommy and Daddy get a boring car when they have kids and trade up into larger boring cars as the sweet little young'uns become surly teens. During this 20-year time span, the family car is an appliance utterly devoid of style, appeal, and emotion. The Hyundai Portico Concept, the theory goes, is a refined, stylish, fun-to-drive family vehicle of the future, able to transition from one life stage to the next without skipping a beat or forgetting that many people can't get past the notion that they somehow are what they drive.

In other words, it's Korea's idea of a Chrysler Pacifica, Ford Freestyle, or even the upcoming Mazda 5. But once you've weeded through the marketing hype and have looked past an exterior design that resembles an angry sea mammal, the key attributes of the Hyundai Portico Concept are notable. For example, it's wide enough that six people can comfortably fit in two rows of staggered seating, leaving a huge cargo area behind the second-row of seats. Here's another cool feature: there's no B-pillar, so the suicide doors open wide to create a huge portal through which to enter and exit. Want another one? An available hybrid drive system includes electric motors front and rear, effectively creating a slick all-wheel-drive system. Finally, the Hyundai Portico Concept includes a glass panoramic roof that can be darkened on bright sunny days. Otherwise, the Hyundai Portico Concept is fairly conventional, with an aluminum V6 engine equipped with variable valve timing, a six-speed Shiftronic transmission, a rear seat DVD entertainment system, and a navigation system.

We'd guess that the Hyundai Portico Concept is mostly pure fancy, with certain elements ultimately bound for production. And since Hyundai has a new seven-passenger Santa Fe SUV and a new minivan debuting this year, we'll be able to see sooner rather than later if the design and technology showcased inside the Portico Concept becomes a reality.

By Christian Wardlaw