FR-S FTW?

It was just a little over two years ago when our entire industry was excited about the start of something big from Hyundai. The Genesis Coupe was coming and it was going to re-energize the entire import-performance movement. We were promised a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive platform powered by a 2.0-liter turbo engine mated to a 6-speed manual. On paper, the Genesis Coupe sounded perfect. However, the Genesis Coupe that was envisioned with the hype was not to be found in the production car. Now, our industry is excited once again with word of the Scion FR-S on the horizon. By understanding how and why the Genesis Coupe failed, Scion can increase its chances of winning with the FR-S.   

Genesis Coupe 2.0T: The Failure

Make no mistake, the Genesis Coupe 2.0T isn’t a bad car. It’s simply a movie that never lived up to the hype of the trailer. It’s kind of like the Mitsubishi Starion ESI-R of the late 80s. Turbocharged, intercooled and still lacking balls. For starters, the performance community expected (or at least hoped), the Genesis Coupe 2.0T would be 500 pounds lighter. Of course, some of the weight issue has to fall on the government-mandated six-dozen airbags that now must be standard on all vehicles. But still, the car is a pig. On top of being overweight, it was assumed that 75-to-100 additional horsepower could be realized with the stock turbo using the right set of bolt-on parts, but that wasn’t the case. The Genesis Coupe 2.0T, as a product, missed the mark and the marketing was a complete failure with regard to appealing to import performance enthusiasts. Hyundai’s North American marketing team never directly addressed the needs of the import-performance enthusiast. Instead, Hyundai went mainstream with Super Bowl ads. I’m sure that Hyundai spent enough on those ads to place a spread in every import performance magazine for the next 10 or 20 years. Hyundai marketing pushed the Genesis Coupe 3.8, while the 2.0T became the red-headed stepchild. Instead of trying to get Japanese car buyers to purchase a Korean vehicle from a brand without a performance base, the marketing team (comprised of former Ford employees that launched the Mustang) targeted the market segment looking at V6 Camaros and Mustangs. Hyundai had a unique opportunity to build a loyal performance enthusiast base for years to come. In the end, they missed the layup.

SCION FR-S: Success = Right Product @ Right Price

Where Hyundai has completely failed at marketing, Scion has done everything right and then some. To say that the marketing department at Scion “gets it” is an understatement. Scion has successfully built up a brand and, more importantly, a community. Despite not having a dedicated sportscar, Scion as a brand has remained relevant through participation in import motorsports (DRAG, DRIFT, TIME ATTACK, RALLY). Now, Scion is poised to launch its FR-S next year. We have zero doubt that the vehicle will be marketed properly, our only concern is in the product itself. If the production vehicle looks close to the concept car, it will be a winner in that category. If they can truly make the vehicle lightweight (2,500 pounds), that will be a great plus. Of course, the plan to use a boxer engine doesn’t excite us as we’d much prefer the extremely-capable inline four from the new tC. Still, we could live with it and we only hope that it delivers the reliability that we’ve come to expect from Scion. It would also be nice to have equal-length exhaust manifolds so it doesn’t sound like it’s running on three cylinders. Ultimately, the price is going to be a big factor. While the FR-S will be in a class by itself, it must still be cognizant of the price point of the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Ralliart.