Hyundai is working on a plug-in hybrid sports car with two seats, senior executives have confirmed to Australian media.
The Korean automaker revealed on Monday at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show that it is working on as many as 18 eco-friendly models for launch by 2025, one of which is tipped to be the sports car.
“I can't tell you more about it, but definitely we are doing that,” Hyundai design boss Luc Donckerwolke told Drive when quizzed about a sports car at this week’s CES. “I am actually reviewing a project on this next week after CES.”
Drive reports that Hyundai R&D chief Yang Woong Chul confirmed the sports car will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain and that the Hyundai N performance division, led by ex-BMW M engineer Albert Biermann, is handling the development.
Woong Chul also described the targeted performance of the car as being “serious.” Drive’s sources suggest Hyundai is benchmarking the Lamborghini Huracán and Porsche 911 Turbo for the project.
Talk of a Hyundai sports car dates back several years. Hyundai together with students from the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) of Turin even played with the idea in 2015 when it presented the PassoCorto concept. And with the Genesis Coupe no longer in production, there’s definitely a void in Hyundai’s lineup that the front-wheel-drive Veloster will never fill. The hybrid sports car could be just the ticket.
