Hyundai rear wheel drive in 2007 Options

[Cheese Toast]

Hyundai to Go Rear-Drive in 2007

Hyundai has announced that they’ll begin production of a rear-drive luxury model. We rented a Sonata a year or two back, and were very impressed with the build of the car and the quality of the interior materials, although we didn’t care for the powertrain or the styling. That said, this is another big step for the Korean automaker. We’re not big fans of front-wheel drive in general. We love driving the Mini Cooper S, but it’s the exception, rather than the rule. A great explanation why is here. Aiming for passionate drivers is a great move for Hyundai, and another reason why the Big Three (especially GM, in this case) should be worried about the Korean threat.


link to story found on Gizmodo.com

[Devin]

Now we just need a little rear wheel drive roadster from our favourite Koreans. I'm kind of itching for Hyundai to have something that would compete with Miata and Solstice soon. That or make Tiburon RWD and add a convertible version.

[elantraelite]

Actually look!!! They will have a rear wheel drive tiburon!

From Carsales.com.au

Exclusive: Hyundai goes rear-drive
Serious: HCD-8 concept car is expected to morph into the new rear-drive Tiburon, due here in 2008.

World scoop: Hyundai confirms its next-gen Tiburon coupe will be rear-wheel drive

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS 29 April 2005

"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.

Australian new car buyers have never experienced a rear-wheel drive Hyundai in the marque's 19-year local history.

Yet before that first 1986 X1 Excel, its entire range consisted of rear-wheel drive small and medium sized models, mostly derived from outmoded Fords like the Cortina-based Stellar.

Hyundai's Seoul motor show catch-cry this year is "Endless Surprise, In Our Motor-Life". A rear-wheel drive Tiburon replacement is nothing if not that from South Korea's number one car-maker. 

[willth]

i read an article in the paper, that g.m. daewoo was going to produce a rear driver, based on one of g.m.s holden models, for sale in korea. so maybe hyundai will follow.

[elantraelite]

Holden have sent a Holden Statesman, which is a longwheel base verion of our Commadore to South Korea which is simply rebadged as a Daewoo, and has either a basic 2.8i 4 or a 3.6i VVT V6 as the top of the line model.

In Australia the Statesman doesn't even come in a 2.8i 4, here its either a 3.6 VVT V6 or an old worn down 5.7litre V8 Chev engine.

So your pretty much correct on that artical willth, although, Holden has made it clear to Daewoo that they must design there own cars and Holden will have input into them as they want the Daewoo's to follow along in the fleet as a "Budget" version of the German Opel's sold here.

Holden has the control to decide what daewoo can do basically.

My dad is the manager of Powertrain for Holden and tells me most of what is happening...and its also fun to be able to sit in there test cars and check out all the new innovations they are coming out with (not that they are innovative to start with..lol) I'd perfer for my dad to be in Equus position and work for Hyundai...

This post has been edited by elantraelite: May 3 2005, 05:03 AM

[Bobzilla]

I know this is a little ot, but when did LS1 v8's become "old worn down V8's"?? Man those things have more bang for the buck than any other V8 out there.

350hp, mid 20's gas mileage.

[elantraelite]

Sorry BobMsWht2k2 I should have watched how I worded that. I really should have said old tech. Holden only get the blocks from Chevy, the rest is done down under to accommodate for a longitudinal configuration of the Commadore/Statesman. There definitely powerful I agree BobMsWht2k2. Although the 6.0litre is awesome in the Manaro (Pontiac GTO)

[silet]

Sorry BobMsWht2k2 I should have watched how I worded that. I really should have said old tech. Holden only get the blocks from Chevy, the rest is done down under to accommodate for a longitudinal configuration of the Commadore/Statesman. There definitely powerful I agree BobMsWht2k2. Although the 6.0litre is awesome in the Manaro (Pontiac GTO)

6.0L? It's not the 5.7L (350 cid)?

[elantraelite]

Well im not a Holden nut so i dont know much about it but my dad came home with a 6.0litre version which is suppose to take over for the 5.7litre here. Ill ask him tomorrow...lol its still in its testing stages, was i suppose to say anything? llol oops

[silet]

What's a Holden?

[gonzo777]

What's a Holden?

http://www.holden.com.au/

[Neurowave]

Just tell em to buy out neighbor Proto Motors and bring over the Spirra.