Hyundai's Coupé has always had a loyal following, but now it has the market all to itself, writes Paddy Comyn
If we had been reviewing this car four years ago, around about the time when the latest incarnation of the Hyundai Coupé first appeared, we would have been looking at a strong-selling car.
Back then, cars like the Toyota Celica, Renault Megane Coupé and Opel Astra Coupé had become the modern-day Ford Capri and they were a must-have for the young, free and single.
The affordable coupé was always a desirable and realistic way for drivers to own something that little bit special, and in Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s we lapped up cars like the Ford Capri and Opel Manta.
But when you take a look at where the still popular, still affordable and still attractive Hyundai Coupé sits in the Irish market, there are few rivals queuing up to compete with it.
Perhaps the market has changed and the affordable coupé does not quite have the relevance that it once had. Its customers, like our society, are changing rapidly. While there used to be a place for cheap and reasonably thrilling coupé cars, our desire for niche models has changed this.
The young, trendy professional who might have spent a Saturday morning polishing their Capri, or in later years their Celica, is now likely to have bypassed those formative years and has moved straight from their Volkswagen Golf to a BMW 3-Series Coupé in one swift SSIA swoop.
And those craving performance will have sniffed at the suggestion of a mere 103bhp from the Hyundai's 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, and are spending similar money on something fast, imported and Japanese. And the trendy young woman who would have once flitted from a hair appointment to worshiping at the altar of Brown Thomas in her affordable coupe is more likely to be doing so from the elevated seat of an SUV.
The Toyota Celica is no more, the Astra Coupé is gone, too, and while Honda used to make a Civic Coupé, they now concentrate on the new Civic. Ford, Peugeot, Volkswagen and Opel have not given up on coupés altogether. You can still have one, but now they come with heavy folding metal roofs, Cars like the Alfa GT, Mazda RX-8, Audi TT, Audi A5 and Nissan 350Z will all cost you much more than the than the average SSIA . So, if you want a cheap, honest-to-goodness coupé then there is only one left - the Hyundai Coupé.
So does having things its own way make the Coupé any less appealing? Well, no. It had been a while since Motors drove a Hyundai Coupé - a car that has gone under the knife as many times as Joan Rivers, and often with similar results. The car started life in 1996 as a pretty good-looking, but pretty basic coupé, before being mangled by a Korean designer seemingly working his notice in 2000. This was put right again in 2003 and finally tweaked and botoxed again last year.
The last version was without doubt their finest work and, their SUVs aside, is their finest car.
Hyundai seem to have an ability to master individual segments perfectly (and here we are talking about the Santa Fe and Tucson in particular), yet produce cars such as the Accent, which is terminally dull compared to some of the new offerings from sister company Kia.
The Coupé, however, has been the most dependable because it has a good design and, even a few years down the line from its launch, it is a striking car. It still manages to turn heads and looks much more expensive than it is. That is one of the main reasons why it has sold so well, particularly in our market.
In 1.6-litre guise, for the price of a fairly normal family car you can have something that looks on the outside like it came from an Italian design house.In fact, it was a Los Angeles design team that designed its sleek lines, putting right that Korean botch-job of a few years ago.
Inside, the Coupé is not that bad either, being something of a mixed bag, ranging from very high quality on things like the steering wheel and gear shifter, but less impressive on the dash.
Inside, the space up front is not bad at all and visibility is fine, too. But the rear passengers will grumble because it is pretty cramped back there for anyone other than children. The impressive 418 litres of boot space more than makes up for this in terms of practicality, though.
Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder, putting out 103bhp. And yes, before you ask, this really won't blow your socks off, but then this car is more about the looks than the outright performance. Besides, Hyundai will sell you a 2.0-litre 141bhp version, if you need that extra pep.
Its 0-100km/h speed takes a fairly pedestrian 11.6 seconds, and you do have to work the 1.6-litre quite hard to get the best from it.
However, when it comes to handling, Hyundai really got this car right from day one and it has evolved into quite an entertaining drive. Certainly, with this engine, it feels a little asthmatic and lacking in any really low down torque. But the steering is not bad and it grips very well, handlomg back roads in a way that some much more expensive cars would be envious of.
The suspension set-up is not too firm and this makes it very comfortable compared to other cars in its group. Overall, the ease of use of the controls and the pliant ride makes it feel like a normal family car. What is good about this car and engine is that you can have some fun on a back road without getting yourself into too much hot water - it is incredibly forgiving if you push it that little bit too hard.
When you consider price and the standard equipment, which includes 17-inch alloys and a sunroof, this is a really good value option. When you start to examine what you can get for this money elsewhere, then the other options seem a little dull in comparison. So there is no doubt that there still is a place for this car on Irish roads.
Given the absence these days of marques such as the Celica, Astra Coupé and Megane Coupé, when you are shopping for a car under €27,000 there is very little else to get the pulses racing except for a small hot hatch or a two-seater convertible such as an Opel Tigra.
It becomes a little more interesting if you are prepared to spend a few euro more. Then you could be into probably the finest sports car of its generation - the Mazda MX-5 for €29,995. Unless you particularly need those token rear seats, then this would be hard to pass up.
We expect an all-new version of the Hyundai Coupé in a couple of years time, so let's hope that they build on their success rather than undoing all the good work.
With luck they will keep the design theme that has worked so well in recent years, retain the affordability and the impressive standard equipment.
Until then, the last of what appears to be a dying breed should still find a place in Irish customers' hearts.
Factfile
ENGINE
1,599cc four-cylinder petrol engine putting out 103bhp @ 5,800rpm and 146Nm of torque @4,500rpm. Five-speed manual transmission.
SPECIFICATION
Standard features on 1.6 FX include front fog lights, a rear spoiler, keyless entry, 17-inch alloy wheels, CD player, an electric sunroof, power steering, half leather upholstery. Safety features include twin front and side airbags, seat-belt pre-tensioners and load limiters and anti-lock brakes. Metallic paint is an option.
L/100KM (MPG)
URBAN:9.3 (30.3)
EXTRA-URBAN:5.6 (50.4)
COMBINED:7.0 (40.3)
CO2 EMISSIONS:166 g/km
ANNUAL ROAD TAX:€391
PRICE:€26,995 (€26,995 to €31,495)