2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe turns up the wick with big horsepower boosts

Sure, the refreshed 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe now looks more aggressive, but the real story is under the hood, with new powertrains that pack more punch and a few more gears, as well. The V6 Genesis Coupe now features direct injection, while the turbocharged four has a new turbo and intercooler setup. Both models are available with eight-speed automatics and get slightly better fuel economy, as well.

The 3.8-liter V6 in the Genesis Coupe now makes 348 horsepower and 296 pound-feet of torque, up from 306 and 266, respectively. The 2.0T model gains even more, going from 201 horses to 274, with torque improving from 223 lb-ft to 275. (All numbers cited are with premium fuel.) Both cars retain their six-speed manuals, but now have a Hyundai-developed eight-speed with paddle-shifters as the automatic option. Despite the new automatic, fuel economy goes up by just a single digit. More importantly, Hyundai says the new V6 is good for a 0-to-60 time in the low five-second range.

There's plenty more to this mid-lifecycle revision, including seven new exterior colors and some new hues for the interior, which has also been improved. Other hardware upgrades include a re-calibrated, quicker steering rack, front strut camber adjustment, and revised damper settings. The Genesis Coupe also gets the Hyundai BlueLink telematics system.

It's pretty clear from the extent of this refresh that Hyundai is playing to win in the suddenly revved-up sports coupe segment. Just a few years back, several automakers had written off these enthusiast-focused models, but with new introductions like the Scion FR-S and this much more capable Genesis Coupe, things are looking good for lovers of affordable performance cars. Hit the jump for the full press release.