The Citroën C3 Picasso. The Opel Meriva. The Fiat Idea. All those cars are unknown in the US, they belong to the growing segment, in Europe, of small MPVs. They’re about one foot shorter than a Ford Focus, all very innovative in terms of space efficiency, combining very compact exterior dimensions with an interior volume that could compare with models one size up.

Toyota will launch its brand new Verso S at the Paris motor show next month, and Hyundai will launch its entry exactly at the same time. It’s a brand new model, but the car is not, as this ix20 will reuse the platform and engines from the recent Kia Venga (not sold in the US).

With very dynamic lines, this ix20 (Hyundai doesn’t use names in Europe, all its models have an alphanumeric designation) wants to move from the traditional box on wheels image of MPVs. The ix20 will be sharp and stylish to appeal to young families who do most of their driving time in heavy traffic, where compactness counts.

Hyundai has just released this sketch, but the car is on a roll now, it will be available in Europe in about 3 months. We have no information yet about its availability outside Europe, but we guess this ix20 won’t come to America.