Hyundai made a huge splash at the New York Auto Show this year with its Genesis Coupe, and it's looking for a repeat performance next month at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The Koreans are working with several aftermarket tuners to create special coupes for the tuner show and they just passed along a photo of one of them. This example was created by HKS USA and includes the usual array of body work mods along with plenty of mechanical upgrades. Hyundai hasn't provided details on the engine re-work yet other than noting it's got an HKS GT Turbo package, so presumably this car will use the 2.0L turbo four-cylinder as its starting point. Since the guts of the engine are being beefed up, we can safely assume this thing will be running considerably higher boost than a stock Genesis. Hopefully the HKS Hipermax III fully-adjustable suspension will help make all this power usable on the street as well as the track. The Genesis Coupe may just yet prove to be a very formidable competitor to all those new Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers appearing over the next few months, and we can't wait for our chance to drive one.
Hyundai will have a full display at this year's Paris Motor Show next month, and front and center will be a new subcompact to replace the Getz called the i20. With availability set for sometime early next year, the i20 features five doors and a longer wheelbase than the outgoing Getz, which means there's more space for passengers inside. Its styling was penned in Germany at Hyundai's European Design Centre, and that's a good thing as the i20 is one sharply dressed econo car. Unfortunately, the i20 was designed specifically for European tastes, and like the Getz, won't be making an appearance in the U.S. anytime soon.
Accompanying the new i20 in Paris will be the i20 i-blue concept, a high-mpg concept version of the production car that can achieve 68 mpg on the Euro cycle, as well as a hybrid Sante Fe concept and new ix55 sport ute based on the Veracruz. We'll be in Paris next month to watch it all go down, so stay tuned.
Hyundai swung with the Genesis and connected big time. But even though the Korean automaker wants to take its public perception upward, that doesn't mean it plans to keep releasing big, luxury sedans. For the six new and redesigned models that will appear by 2011, Hyundai America's product development chief says "We're looking at small, fuel-efficient cars." The company will also be giving buyers the option of putting smaller engines in some of their vehicles.
The i10, only on sale in India right now, is being considered for America (or not). And if the fortwo does well, Hyundai could invest in giving the i10 the safety and engine changes it would need to make it Stateside. A four-pot Genesis Coupe will available for the low twenties. Hyundai's first hybrid will be installed on the redesigned Sonata, which gets redesigned in 2011, and the reworked Tucson will get four-cylinder engines only, along with the Santa Fe. And when the Tiburon goes bye-bye in 2011, it could be replaced by a small, FWD coupe based on the Veloster concept.
Some 2008-model Hyundai Elantras are being recalled due to fuel pumps that could lose pressure and decreasing engine performance. In Elantras with the 2.0-liter Beta engine, gasoline with ethanol added creates a buildup of film on the pump's electrical contacts. This can cause the engine to hesitate during starting or while running. The recall is voluntary, and if you have one of the affected cars, don't hesitate to contact your dealer.
Hyundai's all-new Genesis sedan made yet another smashing impression as it pulled-off perfect 5-star ratings in recent U.S. government testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Korean luxury vehicle was sent into a fixed barrier at 35 mph with two crash dummies strapped inside. Once the dust settled, instruments revealed both front seat passengers would have had less than a 10 percent chance of injury -- results earning 5-star ratings. Front and rear seat side impact testing revealed a low probability of injury as well, also earning the car 5-star ratings. In NHTSA rollover testing, the Genesis exhibited less than a 10 percent chance of rollover, again placing it among the top performers in that category. The admirable crash test scores earned by Hyundai's first venture into the luxury segment are sure to give the competition even more sleepless nights, especially considering all that luxury and safety starts at just $33,000.
Remember: When traveling to faraway locales, always have your camera. A reader by the name of Steve did just so and was rewarded with some pictures of Hyundai's latest and greatest models. Why, you may wonder, was the Korean automaker testing these vehicles? They were likely undergoing high elevation testing, as they were snapped on Mount Evans in Colorado. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway, leading to the summit overlook, is the highest paved road in North America (thanks, Wikipedia!).
There's plenty to see here. We've all seen the Genesis Coupe before, but not in yellow, and it looks good. The Portico doesn't really get the blood boiling, but it could turn into an important Edge\Traverse fighter for the Koreans. Perhaps the most interesting car here is what appears to be a heavily disguised Equus sedan. Being that its covered head-to-toe, we had to look closely to spot the rear fender bulge which seems to identify the car. Update: As our readers have pointed out in the comments, this appears to be the new Kia based on the Hyundai Azera. Thanks! Thanks, Steve!
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Hyundai Genesis sedan.
The Hyundai Genesis sedan has only been on sale for a month, but the automaker is already considering upgrading the current 4.6-liter V8 with a 5.0-liter version. Hyundai's North American product chief, John Krafcik, told MotorTrend that the Tau V8 could be stroked up to 5.5-liters, but the ideal displacement to keep fuel economy on par with power is an even five liters.
The plan is to increase the displacement of the V8, as well as adding direct-injection to Hyundai and Kia's range of fours, sixes and eights over the next few years. It's a move that several automakers have already adopted and Hyundai's decision to increase its V8's displacement will only happen if it can keep output the same or better while retaining the 4.6-liter's fuel economy.
InsideLine, no strangers to luxury, recently put the Hyundai Genesis up against the kind of competition the Korean automaker wants to be associated with: the Lexus GS 350. The GS 300 first came out in 1993 and had the luxury re-defining LS and ES for siblings; at the time, Hyundai was still making do with Excel, Sonata, and Scoupe, and parking any of them next to a Lexus would have laid bare the gulf. Now the marques are going head-to-head. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call progress.
Still, issues of cost -- and perception -- skew the comparison slightly. The V8 Hyundai goes up against a V6 Lexus, because adding two more cylinders to the Lexus would have meant a $12,000 difference. As it is, there's still almost $8,000 between them. And there's the fact that the Lexus and the Hyundai don't exactly compete with each other (we'd have thought an ES comparo would make more sense) in brief, either.
Nevertheless, it's not a bad bout, and it turns out to be one of the closest fights InsideLine has ever judged. The Lexus gets a win-by-a-nose for things like fit and finish and speed, while the Hyundai returns the favor in the highway performance and space issues. The flying H takes home the silverware by a mere two points, aided in part by the price advantage -- which, as far as Hyundai's concerned, is the point. Follow the link for the full story. Thanks for the tip, Charles!
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Hyundai Genesis sedan.
Hyundai's first foray into the world of rear-wheel-drive needs to be a success in order to justify the development, manufacturing and launching costs. Hyundai's vice president for product development, John Krafcik, told reports that the automaker expects to sell 50,000 Genesis models annually in the U.S. – 20,000 sedans and 30,000 coupes.
But the Genesis is only part of Hyundai's image makeover. The Korean manufacturer intends to launch its first hybrid model by 2010, equipped with a next generation lithium-ion battery pack. According to Krafcik, "Our first U.S. hybrid is going to be the Sonata," however, Hyundai has no plans to offer the new sedan with a plug-in option. That's a strategy that's served Toyota well, and Hyundai is clearly trying to follow in the Japanese juggernaut's footsteps.
Click above for high-res gallery of the Hyundai i10.
Since last October, Hyundai has been selling the i10 minicar in 70 countries throughout the world. The diminutive sedan is just over 140 inches long (about 20 inches shorter than the Honda Fit), powered by an 80 hp, 1.2-liter four that returns up to 56 mpg and retails for between $7,800 and $11,200 in India. Those specs could be enticing for American consumers looking for a simple runabout that's smaller than the Fit/Yaris and larger than the smart fortwo, so Hyundai is seriously considering bringing it to the States.
According to a Hyundai source speaking with Automotive News, the i10 would retain its name and could be badged either a Hyundai or a Kia. Output would be increased, and its curb weight would grow by around 400 pounds in order to meet U.S. safety standards. But with features like keyless entry, ABS, dual airbags and fog lamps, the i10 could be a serious consideration for consumers looking for a cheap commuter with the amenities they've grown to expect.
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