Hyundai confirms its next-gen Tiburon will be RWD

[ConceptVBS]

"FUTURE Driven" Hyundai will abandoning front-wheel drive for its next Tiburon

Due to be unveiled towards the end of 2007 before a local debut the following year, the rear-wheel drive coupe will be a "serious sports car", according to a senior Hyundai Motor Company executive.

Although details are scant, it is believed the Tiburon replacement will be a three-door coupe featuring many of the styling cues as well as the general proportions displayed on the HCD-8 Concept Car, which made its global debut at the 2004 Detroit motor show and has since appeared in Melbourne.

The HCD-8, as it stands, is powered by a supercharged version of a current 2.7-litre DOHC V6 with a six-speed manual gearbox.

However, variations of Hyundai's new-generation 3.3 and 3.8-litre V6 engines are expected to debut in the 2+2 seater sports car, with the latter one likely to be the range-topper.

"Yes, we are developing rear-wheel drive for the next sports car," was the surprising response from Hyun Soon Lee, Executive Senior Vice President for Hyundai Motor Corporation.

This remark came after a suggestion from the gathered press at the opening of the 2005 Seoul motor show in South Korea that the company seek the passionate sports car route to increase its global youth appeal, rather than simply focus on quality.

Mr Lee's remark even caught out other Hyundai executives.

It is a surprising development for a model that started out as the very unsporty two-door derivation of the front-wheel drive Hyundai X2 Excel of 1990 called the S-Coupe.

That car's predecessor jumped up to the 1995 J2 Lantra platform to become the SX, FX and SFX Coupe until the current, sharper - but still front-wheel drive - Tiburon came into the fray in 2002.

A rear-wheel drive sports car is in line with Hyundai's desire to push its vehicles further upmarket.

Such a model willl probably share many components with a rear-wheel drive sedan in much the same way that Nissan's 350Z has spawned a range of mostly-US market Infinity products such as the G35.

There has been speculation for some time that Hyundai was considering releasing a luxury line of vehicles above the current, Sonata-derived Grandeur - which has just had a complete makeover and is the star of Hyundai's stand at Seoul.

Adding further credence to Hyundai's sports image push is its re-entry into the World Rally Championship from 2008.

The company says it will field an all-wheel drive "sports car" very loosely derived from the yet-to-be released Accent replacement, the front-wheel drive MC4 small car.

[jinushaun]

HOLY SH1T!! Hyundai is getting serious, and plugging one of the holes Toyota has in their lineup--affordable RWD performance car.

[griswold44]

Toyota, I want the Celica to stay in America. Offer it in RWD and All trac (AWD) with a six speed and have it knock this back in the hell hole it came from.

[griswold44]

Is this article real? There are a lot of spelling errors in here, so whats the authenticity of this article?

[Vintalage]

Do you have a link for this article?

[jinushaun]

Originally Posted by griswold44

Is this article real? There are a lot of spelling errors in here, so whats the authenticity of this article.

According to Google, Hyundai wants to bring RWD in 2007, but no particular model is specified. From what I can gather, it sounds more like a 300C competitor than a RWD Tiburon.

http://www.auto-asia.com/viewcontent.asp?pk=10045

the company is preparing to build rear-wheel-drive cars from around 2007 as it seeks to position itself to compete at the premium end of the market with the likes of BMW and Lexus

[FightingChance]

Yeah, I've heard the same as jinushaun, that it's going to be for a top end, more luxury defined marque. Although a RWD 6 cylinder would be sweet, it sounds like it would elevate the Tiburon into 350Z territory, where I think it would have trouble competing. (as well as inflating the price)

[paul8488]

Ha! Sounds cool. Pontiac really needs to get on that 2+2 Kappa we heard mention of a while back. Though maybe you guys are right, and the Tiburon will move way upmarket. Knowing Hyundai these days, it'd be 350ZX performance at Accent prices.

Hmmm... maybe my call for a RWD Epica wasn't so far off! If Hyundai can do it... GMDAT sure can!

[Buick61]

Oh this can't be true. There's no market for RWD.

[JoeT]

NO MARKET FOR RWD! WHAT THE ........

It's already a good seller down here and with RWD I think its sales will grown greatly. Us Aussies expect nothing less than RWD or AWD in a sports car. Thats why the Falcon and Commodore sports versions sell so well.

[wpbharry]

Hyundai is also planning a large RWD luxury model on top of the Azera (XG replacement coming this fall). Would've gone up against the Zeta cars.

Tib sounds more like a Korean GTO.

I haven't read ONE review of the '06 Sonata (off-topic, kinda) that hasn't been stellar.

Hyundai has gotten serious, obviously.

[HEMI300C]

Originally Posted by JoeT

NO MARKET FOR RWD! WHAT THE ........

It's already a good seller down here and with RWD I think its sales will grown greatly. Us Aussies expect nothing less than RWD or AWD in a sports car. Thats why the Falcon and Commodore sports versions sell so well.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that he said that jokingly. I mean, he has a Charger in his avatar and three RWD cars in his signature.

[Sal Collaziano]

For those not familiar with the Hyundai HCD-8, here's a couple of pictures.


Hyundai's been serious for quite awhile now. Since the first XG300, I could tell...

[Vintalage]

More

[jro4566]

Actually, the HCD-8 is the new Sonata coupe, which will compete against the Accord, Camry Solara, and G6.