Hyundai preps rear-drive coupe
Newswheel staff :: 03 August 2007 :: Filed under Coupe, Hyundai
[Click on an image to view]
Moving on up
Back in the late ‘80s it was all about the Japanese. Duly the likes of Lexus came, saw and conquered. Well, that’s pretty much what happened, Stateside. More discerning Euro palates, however, never really acquired a taste for high end Japanese metal.
But what about Korean tackle? Hyundai could well be the brand watch over the next five years as it delivers rapid growth and prepares to take on established German and Japanese brands at the fancy end of the market. And the new rear-drive Coupe will be among the first salvos of the Korean brand’s fight for supremacy…
The Coupe will share its platform with the upcoming Genesis rear-drive saloon. However, the most recent rumours suggest it won’t receive that model’s V8 engine. Instead, V6 power will be on the menu, as per the current front-drive model.
Hyundai’s HDC8 concept of 2004 might provide one or two styling pointers for the new Coupe
For now, detail specifications and pricing are unknown. However, safe to assume the upscale platform and the expected large leap in quality willpush the Coupe’s stick skywards. The current car is pitched at just under £20k in V6 trim. So, we reckon the new model will be within spitting distance of the likes of Nissan’s 350z and the Mazda RX-8.
Still, even at slightly over £20,000, the new Coupe should be an attractive option, even considering the fact that Hyundai has absolutely zero track record for building driver’s car.
In fact, the Coupe could be just one a number of new affordable rear-drive performance cars from the far east. It’s thought Nissan, Toyota and Mazda are all working on new compact rear-drive sportscars or coupes. Rear drive making a serious comeback well into the 21st century? Who’d a thunk it.
The new Coupe should hit the street next year.
As recently as 1999, the combined Hyundai-Kia entity cranked out two million cars. Today, the company finds homes for around four million cars a year. Make no mistake, therefore. While Ford and GM slowly bore their way towards the Earth’s core and the usual European brands ride the economic cycles, Korea’s biggest car maker is most definitely on the up.
Steer your pointers here and here for more spyshots of the upcoming Hyundai coupe.
