LAS VEGAS -- Hyundai is getting out of the minivan business and may bring a plug-in hybrid sports car to the United States.

Production of the Entourage minivan will halt by year end, said Hyundai Motor America acting CEO John Krafcik. Sales have been weak since its April 2006 introduction, peaking at 17,155 units in 2007.

The Entourage rebounded this year because of a $4,000 consumer rebate, Hyundai spokesman Chris Hosford said. Sales totaled 2,712 through Feb. 28, up from 915 during the same period last year.

"We weren't a big player to begin with, and the segment continues to shrink," Hosford said.

John Krafcik: Hyundai's lineup will emphasize fuel-efficient cars and crossovers. A Sonata-based hybrid is planned for 2010.

At a press event here, Krafcik said Hyundai's focus will be on fuel-efficient cars and crossovers. The brand's first full-hybrid vehicle, based on a redesigned Sonata, is scheduled for the United States in October 2010.

Krafcik said the Blue-Will, a plug-in hybrid concept to be shown at the Seoul auto show this week, has a "very good possibility" of coming to the United States. He did not give a timetable.

"It will be a dedicated hybrid like the Prius and Insight," Krafcik said. "But those cars are benign. Our car has attitude. It comes under the idea of eco-sleek."

Photos of the Blue-Will show an aggressive-looking sports car. It is powered by a direct-injection, 1.6-liter gasoline engine with continuously variable transmission and a 100-kilowatt electric motor.

The Blue-Will uses Hyundai's in-house lithium ion battery, which also will be used on the Sonata hybrid. Krafcik said the Blue-Will could spawn a pure electric vehicle for Hyundai.

"We're certainly studying it," he said. "The plug-in hybrid is a step on the way to a pure electric car."