The Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan has only seen a month of sales in the US, but there are already plans to make improvements to what lies beneath. The Tau V8 is Hyundai’s first V8 engine to be designed and built in-house and its 4.6 litre capacity and 280kWs of power provides good performance for the large sedan. Not content to leave well-enough alone, Hyundai has recently revealed plans to increase displacement and improve the technology to boost power levels, while retaining emissions and fuel efficiency standards.

According to the team at MotorTrend, Hyundai had already revealed that the Tau was capable of being bored and stroked up to 5.5 litres. Hyundai’s North American product chief, John Krafcik, has explained that 5.0 litres would be much more likely to see duty in the US, on the condition the upgraded donk can match the fuel efficiency numbers of the 4.6 litre.

The Tau V8 already features one of the highest power ratings in its class but the move to upgrade is more directed at bolstering the 450Nms of torque. An increase in displacement will certainly help the torque figures but Hyundai is well aware of the increased fuel consumption that accompanies larger engines. Direct-injection technology is slated for introduction to keep consumption in check while power and torque take a step up.

With the Genesis expected in Australia in the not-too-distant future, we’ve got some good things to look forward to from Hyundai.

[Source: MotorTrend]