#01#Hyundai's Coupe is something of a favourite here at
The Car Enthusiast; a stylish and good to drive Coupe for the price of a decent spec family hatch. The latest incarnation is a complete redesign inside and out with modernisation, style and quality the keywords and a new range of exterior colours and interior trims aimed at keeping things fresh and bold.
In terms of styling, surely the most crucial aspect of the Coupe given its raison d'être, Hyundai has managed, yet again, to bring the Coupe up to date. The face-lift leaves no panel untouched and does a very fine job of freshening up the looks. The various details have been nipped and tucked. For example, BMW-esque grilles have replaced the Ferrari-like strakes behind the front wheels.
As our pictures show, the new car looks just that next to the outgoing model and instantly dates it. The interior too has been breathed on and the red leather of our test car lent a real air of class and quality to the cabin, lifting it from the rather dark and drab black interior of the
previous S2 Coupe we tested.
The centre console has also been redesigned to modernise it and improve the level of perceived cabin quality. It also works a treat. In terms of superficial improvement, this face lift is a real success. The whole interior looks and feels much better than the older car; you really have to look at the pictures, or ideally the cars themselves, side-by-side to appreciate the benefits of the changes.
Behind the wheel, the dials (now backlit in blue) are clear and easy to read. Minor controls work well and feel good to use, but the stalks still lack quality and could do with a rethink. The levels of comfort are good, although the sunroof fitted to our test car robbed a significant amount of headroom. The sunroof does make the interior feel more airy, but drivers taller than six-foot would do well to try cars with and without this option to see whether the compromise is worth it.
#p##04#
The 2-litre, four-cylinder engine is carried over unchanged and is now something of a weak link in the package. Treat the Coupe as a junior GT and things are fine; the engine has a torquey enough nature and the gearbox an appropriately slick shift, with sensible ratios, to make it a relaxed and adequately refined cruiser. Try to have a little fun and work the engine hard and things go a little awry. It becomes raucous at much over 4500rpm and pushing on can be at odds with mechanical sympathy. It begins to sound thrashy and an ill fit with much of the persona of the Coupe, which is a shame really and something Hyundai needs to focus on bringing up to date, in line with the looks.
The drive in general is still good. The engine can dissuade one from tearing up B-roads, but the chassis is well up to the challenge with decent steering, good grip levels and firm, well damped, suspension lending a sporting edge to the job in hand. It's not hot hatch levels of fun, but it can put a smile on your face. Ultimately the underpinnings are beginning to feel a little dated and need some attention for the next version. The engine in particular isn't up to contemporary standards in terms of outputs and refinement. Fortunately from this point of view, there isn't really any competition snapping at the Coupe's heels.
The Hyundai remains in something of a niche of its own. There are no other four-seater coupes on the market at this price and certainly not with the level of equipment and five-year unlimited mileage warranty the Coupe so enjoys. For these reasons alone the facelifted car would be worth a look. The fact that it looks so well and the interior is so improved over the older car just adds more justification. We can see a lot of current owners upgrading to this new car and a lot of new customers buying their first Hyundai.
2007 Hyundai Coupe SIII range overview
| Model | UK (£ on-the-road) | Ireland: (€ on-the-road) |
| Hyundai Coupe SIII 1.6 | £15,745 | €26,850 |
| Hyundai Coupe SIII 2.0 | £17,995 | €31,350 |
| Hyundai Coupe SIII 2.0 automatic | £18,995 | n/a |
| Hyundai Coupe SIII 2.7 V6 | £19,495 | n/a |
| Hyundai Coupe SIII 2.7 V6 automatic | £20,495 | n/a |
