Hyundai Coupe Reviews

It was early days for Korean carmakers when Hyundai unveiled its SCoupe in 1990. Hyundai was the first Korean company to arrive here and was still finding its feet in a sceptical market in the years before the Excel X3 broke through in 1994.The SCoupe brought another dimension to the Hyundai brand with its cute two-door coupe shape and impressive array of standard features at an affordable price.It represented an important step away from the Korean image of cheap basic transport and introduced some much needed emotion to an otherwise bland brand.MODEL WATCHWhen first launched there was just a single model which came with standard power steering, power windows, alloy wheels, a sporty tachometer, colour coded bumpers, and an AM/FM radio cassette player.Power was delivered by a Mitsubishi-derived 1.5-litre fuel-injected single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, which put out 62 kW at 5500 revs and 120 Nm or torque.Although modest the coupe’s performance was surprisingly spirited, while at the same time it returned amazingly low fuel consumption.There was a choice of a five-speed manual gearbox and a four-speed automatic transmission with a floor shift, with final drive going through the front wheels.The single model was replaced by a two-model line-up in July 1991. The base model was stripped of its power windows and alloy wheels, while the LS retained them and got tinted glass as well.A further realignment followed a couple of months later when the base model was rebadged the LS and the LS became the GLS. Both had steel wheels and wheel caps as standard, alloy wheels were then an option on both models, and both featured a rear spoiler.A facelift in 1992 brought a new narrow slot grille and slim line headlights, along with a small power increase, to 68 kW and 132 Nm, and a hot turbocharged engine which boasted 84 kW and 168 Nm.The LS base model then had power steering, rear spoiler, tachometer, split-fold rear seat, with cloth trim and carpet. On top of that the GLS had power windows, colour-coded bumpers, alloy wheels, and four-speaker sound.If you stepped up to the Turbo you also got central locking, fog lamps, sports seats, sports suspension, and a leather wrapped steering wheel.IN THE SHOPThe best advice for anyone contemplating buying an SCoupe is to hang back and think about what it is you’re buying. Park your emotion for a moment and remember that you’re buying an old car, one that was cheap and cheerful when new and is now nearing the end of the road.Have it checked carefully by a mechanic or a motoring organization before you purchase it. A few dollars spent on a pre-purchase inspection could save you the nightmare of a troublesome car later on.Hyundai build quality was questionable and certainly variable back when the SCoupe was launched so listen carefully for squeaks and rattles when driving your prospective purchase.Also listen carefully for knocks and clunks in the suspension and driveline when driving, the SCoupe’s drive shafts are a known problem.Same with the gearbox, which can be noisy in the intermediate gears, and weak synchros can make second gear difficult to select.The engine is a Mitsubishi unit similar to that used in the Lancer and Colt. It’s relatively trouble free although it has been known to crack cylinder blocks, so carefully check around the engine for water stains that might indicate a leak.The SCoupe was nicely equipped given its low price, and included full electrics as standard on some models. Unfortunately Korean electrics were troublesome back then which can mean trouble today.Early Korean paint quality wasn’t great and many are suffering from paint fade, particularly some of the bright colours that are prone to fading anyway. Lack of regular cleaning and the occasional wax and polish exacerbates the problem.IN A CRASHThe SCoupe was given an average rating in the recent used car survey, which means its crash performance, both in protecting its occupants and its likely impact on other drivers, was quite good.There were no airbags fitted to the S Coupe.OWNERS SAYCampbell Laidlaw bought his SCoupe in 2001 with 113,000 km on the speedo. It now reads 215,000, and he says it’s fun to drive, handles quite well and servicing has been limited to book services.Tina Lazaridis drives a 1996 SCoupe and loves the styling, the performance, and roominess. It’s a great car and very affordable.M. Hargreaves bought a 1990 SCoupe when it was seven years old and with 147,000 km on the clock. Although told not to buy it because of the high km she loved the look and feel of it, and the extras. It was red with a sporty look without the sports car price, just right for a young girl looking for her first car. She drove it for five years pushing the odo reading up to 250,000 km before selling it when it became too small for her growing family. At the time of sale it was still going strong.LOOK FOR• Sporty styling still appeals• Spirited performance with good economy• Holds value quite well• Affordable first car• Mitsubishi mechanicals quite reliable• Average build quality• Troublesome electricsTHE BOTTOM LINEStylish and affordable first car for beginner drivers, but rising kays mean increased risk of trouble.RATING50/100

When Hyundai launched its sporty Coupe in 1996 the brand was flying high. Its small cars were dominating the cheap end of the market with drive-away deals that were hard to resist if your motoring needs could be met with a simple set of wheels, but the Coupe took the Korean car maker into another realm. It was one where fashion was just as important than function.It was a test of Hyundai’s ability to lure buyers through showroom doors with promises other than a cheap no frills deal. That said the Coupe was still cheaper than its rivals in the sports coupe market.MODEL WATCH Hyundai had obviously seen the success enjoyed by Toyota’s Celica in the trendy suburbs of Sydney or Melbourne and were determined to follow the Japanese carmaker’s lead when it launched the Coupe.The Korean carmaker wasn’t new to the coupe segment, it had built a rather bland model called the SCoupe before, but the front-wheel drive two-plus-two Coupe tackled the style-driven sports coupe segment head on.The Coupe’s generous curves were penned in California instead of Seoul, none the less its slightly exaggerated shape is an acquired taste. It’s elegant and sporty from some angles, but at the same time it’s dumpy from others. Fussy highlight lines down the front and rear guards emphasises the swoopy profile, and add to a visual clutter that confuses and challenges the eye. At the end of day, however, styling is a personal thing and some may find the Coupe attractive.Hyundai offered three models in the Coupe range, the base SX, mid-range FX and the SFX that had all the bells and whistles you could wish for.The SX came with a 1.8-litre twin cam fuel-injected four cylinder engine, which boasted a modest 94 kW and 161 Nm. There was a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed auto, which drove the front wheels.Even though it was the entry level model the SX was reasonably well equipped with an adjustable steering column, power steering, power windows, fog lamps and body coloured bumpers.Power for the mid-range FX model was a bigger 2.0-litre fuel-injected twin cam which pumped out a more respectable 102 kW and 180 Nm, and there was the same choice of five-speed manual and four-speed auto ’boxes.Equipment level was quite impressive with smart alloy wheels. remote central locking, alarm, CD player and a rear spoiler over and above the features offered with the SX.The range topper was the SFX, which had the same power train as the FX, but had standard ABS, cruise control, electric sunroof, leather trim and a driver’s airbag as well as all those goodies that came with the lesser models. Air-con was an option.On the road the Coupe’s engines were reasonably willing performers and happy to rev out through the range, although their enthusiasm to rev didn’t translate into thrilling on-road performance when they needed 11 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standing start.The thrill of driving was also somewhat dampened by the rubbery feel of the manual gearshift, which wasn’t sporty in the slightest sense, and the auto was clearly aimed at the hairdresser set.Handling was predicable and secure up to a point, but if you were too enthusiastic it was easy to have the rear jump out on you. That’s in spite of some tuning work done by Porsche.IN THE SHOP With Coupes now having covered around 100,000 km on average it is important to check service records and make sure those that have passed the 100,000 km mark have had the major service scheduled for 100,000 km in which the cam timing belt is changed. If you choose to buy a car that hasn’t had the change as recommended by Hyundai as part of the regular service schedule then get it done. It’s better to be safe now than sorry later on.Hyundai’s engines and gearboxes are generally rugged and reliable, same with the drive lines and suspension. If they have a problem it is in the ancillaries, which seem to suffer from a lack of refinement that may be due to inadequate development at the engineering stage.Electrics are a particular problem with poor connections, troublesome wiring, and overall poor quality giving the Koreans a reputation once reserved for British cars with their dodgy electrical systems.Hyundai trim and plastics are generally hard wearing and stand up quite well to the tough Aussie conditions, but fit and finish is a problem and it’s not unusual to have squeaks and rattles as a result.Owners report that seats tend to be uncomfortable on long journeys, and there is little room in the rear to carry passengers in comfort or much in the way of luggage. They also complain that the rear hatch is heavy to lift, and the rear compartment lip is quite high which means you have quite a high lift to put luggage or shopping away.OWNER’S SAY Angelo Stamboulakis is generally happy with his 1997 Coupe FX, which has done 105,000 km. His only complaint is a problem with the automatic transmission, which is reluctant to upshift when cold.LOOK FOR • affordable sports coupe• reliable engines and gearboxes• major service at 100,000 km• cramped interior• uncomfortable seats

Hyundai was the first to arrive here and was still finding its feet in a sceptical market in the years until the Excel X3 in 1994.  The S Coupe helped establish the brand with its cute shape and impressive array of standard features at an affordable price.  It represented an important step away from the Korean image of cheap basic transport and introduced much-needed emotion.MODEL WATCHWHEN launched there was only a single model with standard power steering, power windows, alloy wheels, a sporty tachometer, colour-coded bumpers and an AM/FM radio cassette player.Power was delivered by a Mitsubishi-derived 1.5-litre fuel-injected single-overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine that put out 62kW of power at 5500 revs and 120Nm of torque.Though modest, the coupe's performance was surprisingly spirited. It also used surprisingly little fuel.  There was a choice of a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission, with final drive going through the front wheels.The single model line-up became two in July 1991. The base model was stripped of its power windows and alloy wheels. The LS retained them and got power windows and tinted glass.A further realignment followed several months later when the base model was rebadged the LS and the LS became the GLS.  Both had steel wheels and wheel caps as standard (alloy wheels were then an option on both models), and each had a rear spoiler.A facelift in 1992 brought a new narrow-slot grille, slimline headlights, a small output increase to 68kW and 132Nm, and a hot turbocharged engine with 84kW and 168Nm.The LS then had power steering, rear spoiler, tachometer, split-fold rear seat, cloth trim and carpet. The GLS also had power windows, colour-coded bumpers, alloy wheels and four speakers.  If you stepped up to the Turbo you also got central locking, fog lamps, sports seats, sports suspension, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.IN THE SHOPHyundai build quality was questionable and certainly variable when the S Coupe was launched, so listen for squeaks and rattles.  Also listen for knocks and clunks in the suspension and driveline. The S Coupe's driveshafts are a known problem.  The gearbox can be noisy in the intermediate gears, and weak synchros can make second gear difficult to select.The engine is a Mitsubishi unit similar to that used in the Lancer and Colt. It is relatively trouble free, though it has been known to crack cylinder blocks. Check around the engine for water stains that might indicate a leak.The S Coupe was nicely equipped given its low price and included full electrics as standard on some models. Korean electrics were troublesome back then, which can mean trouble today.  Early Korean paint quality was not great and many cars are suffering from paint fade, particularly some of the brightly coloured models.CRUNCH TIMETHE S Coupe got an average rating in a recent used-car survey, which means its crash performance, both in protecting its occupants and its likely impact on other drivers, was quite good.  No airbags were fitted.OWNERS' VIEWSCampbell Laidlaw bought his S Coupe in 2001 with 113,000km on the speedo.  It now reads 215,000, and he says it's fun to drive, handles quite well and servicing has been limited to book services.Tina Lazaridis drives a 1996 S Coupe and loves the styling, the performance and roominess. It's a great car and very affordable.  M. Hargreaves bought a 1990 S Coupe when it was seven years old with 147,000km on the clock.  She drove it for five years, pushing the reading up to 250,000 before selling it when it became too small for her growing family. It was still going strong.THE BOTTOM LINE10/20 Stylish and affordable first car for a beginner, but rising kilometres mean increased risk of trouble.LOOK FORSPORTY styling still appealsSPIRITED performance with good economyHOLDS value quite wellAFFORDABLE first carMITSUBISHI mechanicals quite reliableAVERAGE build qualityTROUBLESOME electrics