It was bound to happen sooner or later, in light of the recently launched Genesis Coupe and now comes word that Hyundai ’s sporty Tiburon won’t be produced for the 2009 model year. But the rear-wheel drive Genesis is not a replacement for the long-serving coupe which has been around since 1997 if you ask John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America’s product development vice president.
“We are seriously looking at a small front-wheel-drive coupe to replace the Tiburon, but I can’t say when that will happen,” Krafcik told Automotive News on Thursday. The front-wheel drive Tiburon, offered with either an inline four-cylinder or V6 powerplant, will be sold until the spring of 2009, when the Genesis coupe goes on sale.
Krafcik went on to suggest the Tiburon’s replacement would be similar to the Veloster concept shown at Seoul auto show last April. The concept featured a similar powertrain to the Tiburon, with a five-speed manual mated to a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
