Hyundai will stop Tiburon production

Hyundai has announced that the 2008 model year will be the last for the sporty Hyundai Tiburon two-door hatchback. John Krafcik, product development vice president for Hyundai Motor America, says the Tiburon will be produced until the new rear-wheel-drive Genesis coupe goes on sale next spring. He says the Genesis coupe is not a replacement for the front-wheel-drive Tiburon.

" 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 said.

Krafcik said the replacement likely would be similar to the Veloster coupe concept first shown at the Seoul auto show in April 2007. The fwd Veloster coupe was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission.

Hyundai introduced the Tiburon to the United States in the 1997 model year to spiff up its image as a value-minded econobox brand. The second generation debuted for the 2003 model year with a base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 138 hp and 136 pounds-feet of torque. A V-6 comes standard on the GT trim making 172 hp.

Through the first three months of this year, Tiburon U.S. sales fell 28.7 percent to 2,071 units.