RE: PH Blog: What happened to the affordable coupe?

[Mr2Mike]

rallycross said:

You may have got 2 seated sports car mixed up with affordable coupe (usually with 4 seats)

You'd better take this up with Toyota then, the in Europe the base spec Mk2 MR2 with the 3F-SE engine was called the "Coupe", and the next one up was the "GT Coupe".

A coupe absolutely does not have to have 4 seats, or even 2+2.

[JohnnyF2]

kambites said:

Don't they still make the Hyundai Coupe in some form or other?

No, the last of the Hyundai Coupes was the SIII series, which they stopped making in 2009. Today there's only the Hyundai Veloster, which is an interesting looking car, (certainly not bland!), but is not really intended as a direct replacement for the Hyundai Coupe.

Then there's the Hyundai Genesis, but it is aimed at a class above the Hyundai Coupe, so not so affordable, and not officially available in the UK anyway.

I still have my old '98 (Gen 1) Hyundai Coupe F2, I've had it for years and could never sell it! Great chassis, very light by today's standards, and with a gruff 2.0 N/A engine, and built like a tank, nothing ever breaks. Driving a Coupe, (I mean any Coupe, not just Hyundai), it's a very different experience to driving a hatch, even a hot hatch. We've got other cars in the family... Climbing out of my F2, and then getting straight into a hatch like a recent Golf GTI, well the Golf may be quicker but I feel like the car is up on stilts, on tippy-toes by comparison. It may have the sporty bling, but you can definitely feel the shopping hatch under-pinnings compared to a Coupe type car.

[Bladedancer]

topalwaysdown said:

Don't forget the Corolla saloon, those things are everywhere. I'd estimate 1 in 10 cars in Ireland is a Corolla saloon!

I got given an Opel Corsa as my hire car, I was quite disappointed that I couldn't have one of the Kia Rio saloons they had on the forecourt

I saw plenty Corolla Saloon with a nice body kit when I was in indochina last year. I've spotten a body-kitted 2.0 - quite a looker. Would def. get it over a hatch given choice.

[kambites]

Agoogy said:

So..then... in answer to the thread title.... they're still around if what you see suits your personal definition of a coupe....but in hindsight they never were that affordable...
And these days the line between coupe, hatchback and saloon are more blurred than ever...

Think that's probably a fair summary, yeah.

[Guvernator]

Still think the new Hyundai Genesis would do very well over here if it was sold at the right price. Strange decision not to bring it here IMO.

[kambites]

Guvernator said:

Still think the new Hyundai Genesis would do very well over here if it was sold at the right price. Strange decision not to bring it here IMO.

Who would buy it though? The badge snobs will dismiss it because it's a Hyundai; bargain hunters will dismiss it because it falls into the top tax bracket; company car buyers will dismiss it because it'll have horrific BIC tax rates;... does that actually leave enough people to make it worth importing? As much as I hate to say it, if it was going to sell here it'd need a diesel engine.

[Guvernator]

kambites said:

Guvernator said:

Still think the new Hyundai Genesis would do very well over here if it was sold at the right price. Strange decision not to bring it here IMO.

Who would buy it though? The badge snobs will dismiss it because it's a Hyundai; bargain hunters will dismiss it because it falls into the top tax bracket; company car buyers will dismiss it because it'll have horrific BIC tax rates;... does that actually leave enough people to make it worth importing? As much as I hate to say it, if it was going to sell here it'd need a diesel engine.

Depressingly, you are probably right!