Autoblog

Click above for more shots of the Genesis Coupe at the Busan Auto Show.

Two things revealed at this year's New York Auto Show had our salivary glands working overtime. The first was the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, which proved that at least one automaker (and now, two and possibly three) is getting hip to the idea that a rear-wheel-drive, two-door coupe with a turbocharged four-cylinder is needed in the marketplace. The second was over at the Kia booth, where Hyundai's sub-brand revealed its Koup concept, powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline direct-injected (GDI) four-cylinder. According to Kia, this new mill makes 290 hp and 289 lb.-ft. of torque and could power several different models in both automaker's lineups.

Fast-forward to yesterday when we received a couple of tips about a green Genesis Coupe shown at the Busan Auto Show in South Korea. The coupe supposedly shared display space with the same THETA turbocharged GDI 2.0-liter on a separate stand, causing some members of GenFans to assume that the 290 ps (285 hp) engine was fitted to the green coupe. However, the "380GT" badge on the back reveals that the coupe is actually powered by the run-of-the-mill 3.8-liter V6.

We called up Hyundai to ask about the engine and the Coupe on display. Their response: "We're not commenting on it at this time." While we understand that certain cards have to be kept close to one's chest, it would have been easier just to tell us that the coupe on display and the engine at its booth have nothing in common. Since they're remaining disconcertingly tight-lipped, can we assume that the turbocharged 2.0-liter GDI will find its way into the Genesis Coupe in the future? We hope so. And with Hyundai's recent announcement that direct-injected engines are going to find their way into several of its models, it adds that much more fuel to the fire.


[Sources: Hyundai, GenFans]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Kia KOUP concept.

We were able to get a sneak peak of Kia's newest concept last night, but the wraps finally came off the KOUP at 9:40AM this morning, and the concept offers a design study that will most certainly influence the automaker's future offerings. The KOUP is a cab-forward two-door in a similar vein as the Honda Civic, but fortunately or unfortunately, that's not where the similarities end. The front fascia is a nice amalgamation of the Euro-Civic, with a few cues that are strikingly similar to Mitsubishi's current gaping maw. The beltline, beginning beneath the carbon fiber wing mirrors, plummets to define the slightly sculpted sides and terminates into a Lancer-like rear end. Naturally, Kia saw fit to outfit the KOUP with a handful of typical concept elements, including a panoramic glass roof, carbon fiber diffusers (front and rear) and Brembo calipers with cross-drilled rotors.

While the exterior design is handsome enough -- in a watered-down, mashup kind of way -- the real interesting bit is under the hood. Kia has outfitted the concept with a 2.0-liter Theta II turbocharged engine with direct injection that's putting out (according to the automaker) 290 hp and 289 lb.-ft. of torque beginning at 2,000 rpm. That theoretical grunt is sent to the front wheels that are suspended by a MacPherson strut setup, while out back a dual-link arrangement balances ride quality and handling. The KOUP is also equipped with Continuous Damping Control (CDC), which should keep things composed and comfortable when the going gets sporty.

Overall, the KOUP concept proves that Kia might finally be getting its stylistic act together, despite some of the derivative design cues that this too-close-to-production two-door is sporting.

Click the image above for a high-res, albeit very red, gallery of the Kia KOUP.

Kia was kind enough to invite us (and the rest of the media types braving a monsoon in NYC) down to an art gallery this evening to check out this newest concept before its official unveiling tomorrow morning. The KOUP (we're unsure if it's pronounced "coupe" or "coup") is the next major step for Kia to evolve its current design language into something more palatable than what we've been endured in recent months (ahem, Kee Coupe Concept). From the details we saw in the awkwardly lit gallery, it looks like the designers could be on the right track, but we'll have to wait for the official reveal at 9:40 AM EST tomorrow to be sure.