Hyundai is dropping the 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine on the 2015 Genesis Coupe, a company spokesman said.
A 3.8-liter V-6 engine will be the only powertrain available in Hyundai’s rear-drive sporty car. The car’s equipment and packaging will also be reconfigured to make up for the loss of less-expensive models powered by the 2-liter turbo, spokesman Derek Joyce said.
Doing so should soften what would otherwise be an effective $3,000 price hike. The 2-liter turbo model that powers entry-level Genesis Coupes has a starting price of $27,245, including shipping. Pricing on V-6 models starts at $30,245.
Joyce declined to provide pricing for the 2015 model.
“We will accommodate the full range of Genesis Coupe buyers by repackaging equipment to meet everything from an entry-level buyer to a fully-loaded buyer,” Joyce said.
Each engine gave the Genesis Coupe distinct personalities. Models with the turbocharged four-cylinder engine felt more like a lightweight import sports car. Models with the V-6 resemble traditional American pony cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro with more power, torque and a deep, snarling engine sound.
Hyundai wants to burnish the coupe’s pony car credentials and, like it did with the redesigned 2015 Genesis sedan, which starts at $38,950, including shipping, shift the coupe more upscale. Joyce said the company is trying to remarket the coupe as a more premium sport coupe.
Going with a V-6 only lineup is “going to allow us to reposition the coupe with a more premium performance buyer,” Joyce said.
The change may cost Hyundai some U.S. sales. The 2-liter turbo-four accounts for about half of the vehicle’s current sales, Joyce said.
U.S. sales of the Genesis sedan and Genesis Coupe combined fell 30 percent to 7,500 units in the first four months of the year.
In 2012, when Hyundai last separated U.S. deliveries of the cars, Genesis Coupe sales totaled 11,286 units while Genesis sedan volume hit 22,687 units.
The Korean Car Blog reported the story on May 21 after receiving a screen shot from an anonymous tipster that purported to show the 2-liter turbo’s cancellation for the 2015 model year.
