Hyundai working on a RWD sedan that will compete with the BMW 3 Series
August 13th, 2013 by Road Test TV
Hyundai’s realigning of its product lineup and coming back from being known as one of the worst automaker’s in the world is one of the most impressive stories in the automotive industry. The company has completely revamped its model offering with sexy design and better quality.
Fortunately for new car shoppers, Hyundai now offers some of the markets most competitive vehicles including the Sonata, Genesis Sedan, Genesis Coupe, Equus, Santa Fe, and the Azera.
So what does Hyundai have planned for the future? Coming up are major upgrades for the Hyundai Sonata, Genesis Sedan and the Genesis Coupe. Those changes will be completed by 2015 but the Korean automaker won’t stop there.
Insiders say that come 2016, Hyundai will unleash a new rear-wheel-drive sedan that will take on BMW’s 3 Series head-on – and they’re not joking.
Internally known as project RK, the model will be just a tad-bit larger than the BMW 3 Series and will have the driving characteristics of the very sporty Genesis Coupe – which to us sounds pretty outstanding. No word on what will power the RWD sedan but reports suggest a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo engine and/or the 3.3 liter V6 from the Azera could make the cut.
Looks wise the Hyundai RWD sedan will be influenced by the HCD-14 Genesis Concept that was unveiled at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show (pictured above).
Speaking about the Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept, John Krafcik, Hyundai President and CEO says: “We’ve departed from industry convention in many of our premium product, marketing, sales and service approaches, and it’s worked out pretty well, with Genesis and Equus now delivering a nine percent retail market share in their premium segments, higher than the five percent retail share Hyundai brand achieves in the overall industry. This success paves the way for a new generation of rear-wheel drive premium products. Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis gives a hint of the design direction we’ll be taking, and an indication of the focus we’re placing on driving dynamics and technology.”
Stay tuned for more details.
Source: AutoNews
