Hyundai considering small, sporty RWD sedan; Genesis Coupe future uncertain – report
Hyundai is in the midst of refreshing much of its range and a sedan designed to compete with the BMW 3 Series is under consideration.
According to sources that have spoken to Automotive News, Hyundai is mulling over a small rear-wheel-drive sedan to slot in underneath the recently launched second-generation Genesis four-door.
Tentatively dubbed IK, the new sedan would be roughly the same size as the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Lexus IS. As with the Genesis sedan, IK would undercut the more established marques, and would likely be priced against the smaller Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA.
Automotive News reports that as the powers-that-be decide on a course of action, the Genesis Coupe (above) will sit in a holding pattern for the next two to three years. It claims one option sees the Genesis Coupe being cut entirely from the Korean brand's range, while another envisages an indirect replacement by a smaller two-door version of the IK.
Ahead of the unveiling of the second-gen Genesis sedan, the Genesis Coupe was given a light update. For the US market, this involved removing the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the range, leaving the coupe as a solely V6 affair.
Another model with a sword hanging over its head is the quirky Veloster. While executives wrestle with its future, expect more limited edition Veloster models to rear their heads above the parapet.
Automotive News has confirmed other less glamorous, but arguably more important, updates to Hyundai's range. This includes a reskin and refresh of the Elantra either by the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016. Also slated for a 2015 debut is a replacement for the ix35/Tucson small SUV.
Around mid-2015 Hyundai will introduce a hybrid version of the newly redesigned Sonata in select overseas markets, with a plug-in hybrid version likely due sometime in 2016.
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