This week, Automotive News released a pair of articles describing its vision for the five-year product pipeline of Korea’s two major auto manufacturers, Hyundai and Kia. The articles are compilations of rumors and facts that attempt to paint a picture of what we can expect from Korea’s finest through the end of the decade. As we’ve learned from our looks at the Japanese, European, and American product pipelines, not every bit of future-planning is good.
There are plenty of Korean cars to look forward to, but there are also several upcoming models that leave us confused, scratching our heads. Whether the car is getting old, whether the car just doesn’t make sense, or whether it’s never going to exist, here are the upcoming Korean cars to avoid.
4. 2017 Hyundai Azera
The Hyundai Azera is in a weird position. In terms of equipment and price, it occupies an odd middle ground between the frugal mid-size Sonata and the luxurious Genesis sedans. More than anything, the Azera exists to eat into the sales of both other Hyundai products — although given its low U.S. sales numbers, it’s not doing much damage to anything. However, it’s still a huge, huge hit in Korea, and so we might end up with a next-generation Azera even though no one is really clamoring for it.
(Current model shown.)
3. 2015+ Hyundai Veloster
We just finished a week with both a Hyundai Veloster and a Mini Cooper, and we all agree that the Mini is a much better-built car, although the Veloster has plenty of promise (thanks to tons of interior space and a door for the rear seats). That said, if it wants to compete with the likes of BMW, it’s going to need to build a more solid machine. However, that’s not going to happen anytime soon, as Hyundai is still figuring out whether or not to make a next-generation Veloster. Until then, we’re stuck with the current Veloster, which is a good car, but one that needs to be much better.
(Current model shown.)
2. 2015+ Hyundai Genesis Coupe
The Genesis coupe is out of date, plain and simple. The Genesis sedan has been revamped with new sheet metal and more luxury than the last generation, yet the two-door variant still occupies some weird slot between a luxury grand tourer and a sporty coupe. The aesthetic reflects the old Genesis look and the interior is mostly hard plastic — not exactly befitting a luxury-car variant. However, Hyundai has no idea what to do with this car yet, and so we’ll be stuck with the Genesis coupe in its current form for the next few years.
(Current model shown.)
1. 201? Kia GT4 Stinger
If you remember this year’s slew of auto-show concepts, you’ll likely remember the Kia GT4 Stinger, a rear-drive coupe concept that many believed would kick-start Kia’s rise to greatness as a manufacturer of fun, quirky cars. Of course, like most good things, it’s not going to happen — as of right now, the single greatest car that Kia could build is nothing more than vaporware, a concept that’s likely to never see the light of day, given the high cost of developing a purpose-built platform for a single car. According to AN, Kia has zero plans to introduce a production version of the Stinger.
So it goes.
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