Hyundai's Prius-fighter: HEV spotted

Hyundai’s never offered a direct competitor to Toyota’s Prius but in 2016 that will change as the automaker test its own compact hybrid car.

Spy photographers spotted a Hyundai prototype hybrid on test in Germany.  

Potentially riding on the next-generation Elantra’s platform, the new model is codenamed AE HEV - AE for the upcoming model, HEV for Hybrid Electric Vehicle.

IMAGE GALLERY: 2016 Hyundai HEV

It will be powered by a 1.6 petrol engine, an electric motor and a small lithium-ion battery. It’s expected to be launched in 2016 with a plug-in hybrid and more body styles to follow in 2017.