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Hyundai mulling new Lexus-fighting upscale crossover

The idea of Hyundai marketing a luxury automobile might have seemed ridiculous a decade ago, but that was before the Genesis sedan, Genesis coupe and Equus came along. Now that buyers seem more accustomed to the notion of an upscale Hyundai, the Korean automaker is said to be considering launching a luxury crossover to take on the likes of the Lexus RX and Cadillac SRX.
The report comes from our compatriots at Edmunds, who spoke to Dave Zuchowski, head of Hyundai's North American unit, who said that the project is not yet part of the company's plan, but that "it is something under consideration."
The last time Hyundai entered that territory was with the Veracruz (pictured above), a model that was sometimes compared to but ultimately failed to compete with the Lexus RX when it was sold between 2006 and 2011. The Veracruz was effectively replaced by the seven-passenger Santa Fe with which it shared its underpinnings. This new project being considered would similarly be based on the latest Santa Fe, and the challenge Hyundai is facing once again would be to position it as a sufficiently upscale product to warrant a premium sticker price.

Hyundai shows a mysterious coupe design in promo video

You never know where you'll find some interesting automotive news. In this particular case, we found some curious Hyundai info buried in an otherwise painfully boring Hyundai promo video. At about the 1:12 mark in the video, we see footage of a person working on a clay model of a car. It's low, sleek, and looks like it would only have two doors. It appears to have a liftback as well, and fairly aggressive vents in the back. Nothing else in the video indicates what the car is, though. However, we've got some educated guesses. One possibility is that this is a model for the successor to the recently departed Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The short deck and steeply raked rear window and pillars fall right in line with the styling of Hyundai's old sports car, not to mention the bulging rear fenders. Genesis has also made it clear that they intend to have a coupe to replace the old Genesis on sale by 2020. The luxury brand also has a small rear-drive platform in development in the form of the G70 on which it could base the coupe, along with some reasonably potent engines. Last we heard, the twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 was under consideration. However, an argument against this being a Genesis coupe is that it would be odd to show a Genesis model in a Hyundai video. The companies are clearly trying to put space between each other, so including a Genesis vehicle in this video seems out of step with the two brands' goals. This brings us to the second possibility for this mystery coupe; that it must be a Hyundai of some sort. Hyundai has had very few coupe or coupe-like vehicles in its past. The Tiburon is long dead, thanks to the aforementioned Genesis Coupe, which will have a Genesis-branded successor. The Veloster is coupe-like and due for replacement, but recent spy photos show that it will look more like the current model and not the clay vehicle in the video. That leaves us with just one other coupe it could be: the Elantra coupe. It was killed off for the 2015 model year, but Hyundai might take another stab at it. If the company offered it exclusively with the turbocharged 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, it could attract a small enthusiast base, with the added advantage that, aside from the Civic Si, it would be the only sporty front-drive coupe on the market. Of course, it could also be something entirely new that isn't connected to any previous Hyundai or Genesis product.

The Hyundai Solus is a 500-hp Genesis Coupe for SEMA

Hyundai is working on a SEMA Show car again with its old pals at ARK Performance. This time the project is a wide-body Genesis Coupe dubbed the Solus, a performance concept theoretically aimed at the BMW M4 and Lexus RC F. The white paint is subtle for SEMA, but ARK Performance built new parts for practically the entire body. The bumper gets larger intakes and a carbon-fiber splitter, the fenders are widened at both ends, and a new hood fits the revised look well. Side skirts bring the styling treatment along the profile to highlight the more aggressive rear. The styling should mesh nicely with the 700-horsepower Tucson that's also coming to the event. ARK Performance didn't neglect the engine, stroking the V6 from 3.8 up to a full 4.0 liters and then adding a Rotrex supercharger. The result is a claimed 500 hp running to the rear through a six-speed manual. The company also installs its own coilover kit to help handling. This isn't the first Genesis Coupe Ark has tuned. The company has produced multiple tuned versions of the model for SEMA going back to 2010. Last year, it switched gears slightly with a 550-hp supercharged Genesis sedan called the AR550. Seventh Consecutive SEMA Vehicle Blends Premium and Performance Sponsorship Provided by Hyundai Car Care Express and Quaker State FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 30, 2015 – Leveraging its long-standing relationship with Hyundai Motor America, ARK Performance has released details on its race-inspired Solus Genesis Coupe, blending performance and luxury to take on vehicles like the BMW M4 and Lexus RC F. The vehicle will be revealed at Hyundai's SEMA press conference on November 3 at 11:30 a.m. PT. For the tuner's seventh consecutive vehicle built for SEMA, ARK added performance and luxury in tandem, creating a premium coupe that can go toe-to-toe with top rivals from around the world. Building on the success of last year's AR550 Genesis Sedan, the vehicle's design focuses on creating a wider visual look to give a more powerful stance using ARK's own "Solus" wide body kit. The interior also has been given a complete makeover with a redesigned dashboard, race-bred steering wheel and gauges, with ample carbon fiber. The Solus Genesis Coupe is sponsored by Quaker State and Hyundai Assurance Car Care Express, with more than 300 service centers nationally. Car Care Express provides customers with quick oil changes, tire rotation and other basic services in less than an hour.