- Hyundai told Inside Line on Tuesday that it plans to dial up the horsepower on the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe to make room for new Hyundai Veloster Turbo, which is due out next summer.
- Hyundai confirmed on Monday at the 2011 SEMA Show that the Hyundai Veloster Turbo will debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.
- Hyundai insists it has room in its lineup for two turbocharged coupes, but that it is aiming at a "clear separation."
LAS VEGAS — Hyundai told Inside Line on Tuesday that it plans to dial up the horsepower on the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe to make room for new Hyundai Veloster Turbo, which is due out next summer.
Hyundai confirmed on Monday at the 2011 SEMA Show that the Hyundai Veloster Turbo will debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.
"It's official," wrote Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik in the automaker's Twitter feed. "Veloster Turbo is coming. More details in January at the Detroit Auto Show."
In a phone conversation on Tuesday morning with Inside Line, a Hyundai Motor America spokesman explained the strategy behind the decision to offer two turbocharged coupes that likely will be close to each other in price and specifications.
"There will be more separation during the mid-cycle refresh for the Genesis Coupe," explained Miles C. Johnson, Hyundai Motor America's product spokesman. "We will dial up the horsepower on the base model turbo Genesis Coupe. That's the strategy. Now that the Genesis Coupe is moving up in performance, there's room for a car beneath it."
He said Hyundai would then be able to offer a front-wheel-drive turbocharged coupe with Veloster and a rear-wheel-drive turbocharged coupe with Genesis.
He would not divulge output figures on the upcoming Genesis Coupe, but indicated it would be "well over" the current horsepower. The 2012 Genesis Coupe with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivers 210 horsepower.
The Genesis Coupe is slated for a refresh for model year 2013, according to the automaker's four-year cycle plan.
Johnson would not speculate on pricing for the turbocharged Veloster, but it is expected that the car will begin around $20,000. The base 2012 Veloster with a 138-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission starts at $18,060, including a $760 destination charge.
Johnson said the turbocharged Veloster will get the new 1.6-liter T-GDI, a turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder that makes 208 hp.
He said that the decision to introduce a turbocharged Veloster was not related to complaints among automotive journalists that the Veloster is underpowered.
"It wasn't a reaction to that," Johnson said. "It was 'do we have room in the lineup for two turbocharged coupes?' and then making sure they are differentiated enough."
Inside Line says: By this time next year, we'll have three new 200-hp sport coupes (Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ, Hyundai Veloster turbo) to choose from. Looks like 2012 is going to be a good year for enthusiasts on a budget.
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skispeed says:
05:42 PM, 02/06/2012
I really don't understand car builders now. I have an 08.5 Mazdaspeed3 built in Japan I got for $24K with 270HP Turbo. Now Hyundai is coming to market with this car and only offering 200HP but for the same price and nothing else to offer? I would think for a Korean car maker they would of upped the HP to 300HP to sell the car, otherwise it's a overpriced Ford Focus. Just my two cents worth.
lzks says:
06:08 AM, 01/03/2012
AHAHAHAHA. Did someone brag about buying HHR SS?? lolgasm. But this car is going to be a joke just like the base model. It won't be priced just 2 grand over the base, it doesn't make sense. It costs 2k flat to do that. So it will be priced at 22k at least. And at that price, it will have to compete with Mazdaspeed3, but with only 200hp and not so great steering and suspension, it will lose in almost all aspects to MS3. This car = joke. I would seriously rather buy Juke, because looking at specs alone, that car's actually not that bad.
jetsaholic says:
08:56 PM, 11/01/2011
Are these actual pictures or renderings?
5lv8 says:
04:56 PM, 11/01/2011
jimmytheg:
If it was rear wheel driver, it would be too similar to the Genesis Coupe.
mhteg says:
03:45 PM, 11/01/2011
Sweet, Hyundai added a turbo. If you don't know how a turbo works, this article gives a great explanation on it.
http://explainlikeakid.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-turbo-in-car-works.html
run_and_drive says:
01:53 PM, 11/01/2011
I'm guessing Hyundai plans to up the hp on the Gensis Turbo so that it edges out the Toyota/Subaru RWD coupe. The timing will be just about right to one-up them, especially since the Base Gensis Coupe will be the FT-86/BRZ's only real competition (unless rumors of Honda's new, RWD Integra prove true, but that won't see the light of day until long after).
At any rate, it does open up a place for an FF Hot Hatch in Hyundai's line-up. I wonder if they'd have done it if the FT-86 comeptition didn't create a need to upgrade the base Gensis Coupe?
church123 says:
01:45 PM, 11/01/2011
Oh, and BTW, if priced competitively, Suby/Toyo BRZ/FT86 all the way over a Veloster Turbo. RWD and no turbo lag FTW.
church123 says:
01:44 PM, 11/01/2011
The comparisons here to the GTI are a bit comical IMO. I'll give $20 to the first stock Veloster turbo owner who dynos their car at MD Automotive (where Insideline dynos) and beats Insideline's GTI numbers to the wheels. If you want to see why I'm so confident, just compare the _Sonata_ turbo numbers to the GTI on the same dyno.....
flwind says:
01:22 PM, 11/01/2011
"208 HP for $20K Big deal. My new HHR SS had 235hp and cost me $20K. For $600 I did the factory turbo upgrade and get 290hp now. THAT is a deal!"
Yeah, but HHRs are FUGLY
lions208487 says:
01:11 PM, 11/01/2011
@carols20- You're right, but remember that that V-tec is a much better engine than Hyundai's 2.0T.
Look at the Sonata, it may have the numbers, but a 6 cylinder Malibu with it's 3.6 DI at 255 HP is much faster.
The Veloster is still a nice little hatch, and for those that may want a Volvo C30, it's a nicely loaded less expensive option.