car that didn’t need to be tuned.
Along with a handsome midcycle face lift for 2013, Hyundai has improved the coupe’s base 2.0-liter, port-injected four with a new twin-scroll turbocharger and a larger intercooler. Horsepower jumps from 210 to a healthy 274 while torque climbs from 223 pound-feet to 275. Although torque peaks at just 2000 rpm, there’s not much thrust from the turbo until the engine spools past 3000. EPA ratings of 21 mpg city and 30 highway for the 2.0T/manual combo in sporty R-Spec trim remain unchanged; we averaged 22 mpg.
With a six-speed manual transmission, the 2.0T R-Spec weighs 3418 pounds, can reach 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, and covers the quarter-mile in 14.4 seconds at 99 mph. That’s nearly a second quicker than before in both measures of acceleration.
Four-pot detractors should note that the coupe’s optional 3.8-liter V-6 also gets upgraded, now with direct fuel injection helping it make a stout 348 horses and 295 pound-feet, up from 306 and 266, respectively. Compared with the still-droning 2.0T, the V-6 plays a great soundtrack. Direct injection helps add 1 mpg to both city and highway ratings, now at 18 and 27 (with the manual). We observed 18 mpg.