At a media event in Los Angeles, California, Hyundai->ke201 president John Krafcik said that they expect their new sports coupe to get around 40 miles per gallon. If they can reach that goal, it would mean that the new Korean coupe would best the new 2011 Honda CR-Z, which gets 36 miles per gallon in the city and 39 on the highway.

The new Hyundai, which will either be called the Veloster or Tiburon, will get its outstanding fuel economy from a four-cylinder motor. No fancy hybrid system for this little car.

At the event, Krafcik also said that the sports coupe would be a great performing car, along with its top-notch fuel economy. The motor should be a 1.6-liter with 140 horsepower and since there are no battery packs, the weight should be low as well.

When talking to Autoblog, Krafcik made it clear whom the new car was for. Hyundai will look to attract young people with additional technology, such as a large screen in the dashboard.

With the ability to get 40 mpg from a normal motor, Hyundai is putting a big thorn in the side of all those sports hybrids. The plain four-cylinder will mean that the car will be cheaper than the CR-Z and around the same price as the Ford Fiesta->ke1170. We hope that the new sports Hyundai will live up to these high expectations.

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