Introduced in 2008, this rear-wheel-drive coupe marked Hyundai’s entry into the modern sport-coupe segment and became one of the brand’s most important early enthusiast cars. It arrived as a standalone performance-oriented nameplate rather than a trim package, giving Hyundai a more serious presence among affordable rear-drive coupes and helping broaden the brand’s image beyond economy cars and family sedans. Early versions paired turbocharged four-cylinder and V6 power with manual and automatic transmissions, while later updates sharpened the styling and further emphasized its performance focus.
The model is especially significant because it arrived before Hyundai’s later, more formal performance-brand era. For many buyers and enthusiasts, it represented the company’s first convincing attempt at a mainstream rear-drive sports coupe with broad appeal. Its long hood, short-deck proportions and accessible pricing made it a recognizable alternative to established Japanese and domestic rivals, and it developed a strong following in tuner, autocross and amateur motorsport circles.
A major mid-cycle refresh for the 2013 model year gave the car a more aggressive appearance and a more mature cabin, while keeping the core formula intact. The coupe remained on sale through the 2016 model year, after which the nameplate was discontinued. That closed a single continuous production run that lasted from the late 2000s through the mid-2010s, leaving it as an important milestone in Hyundai’s performance-car history.