Hyundai's launched the new Coupe SIII, the car's third incarnation. It's been re-designed outside and in -- but sadly, the engines haven't and remain pretty gutless.
Motive power
Engines and transmissions remain unchanged. The entry-level model comes with a rather weedy 103bhp 4-cylinder 1.6 litre 16 valve DOHC petrol unit with an insurance rating of just 8D. The 1.6 litre unit is linked to a 5-speed manual transmission.
The mid-range model has a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder 16 valve DOHC petrol engine, that develops 141 bhp and gets to 60 mph in a listless 9.3 seconds with a top speed of 129 mph.
The top-end 2.7 litre V6 DOHC 24-valve version develops 165bhp with a top speed "nearing 140 mph", according to Hyundai. It's mated to a 6-speed manual box, with an optional four-speed auto box. Hyundai didn't quote performance figures, although it's unlikely to be much shy of the outgoing model's 8.3 lethargic seconds for the dash to 60mph, largely thanks to the car's low specific power output -- 165bhp and 181lb-ft of torque from a 2.7-litre mill is, in today's world, well behind the technology curve.
Look and feel
The new front end now features elongated headlights and a new letterbox like grille and fog lights. New side air vents now incorporate the indicator repeater lights, while the re-shaped rear features a more sculpted look with fully integrated twin tailpipes (2.0 and V6) and restyled rear light clusters.
Exterior paintwork colours include solid red and metallic options of blue, grey, silver and black. You get a choice of red or black interior trim, with leather a standard feature on all models.
New to the Hyundai Coupe SIII is blue instrument lighting and the centre console layout gets a metal-look finish, as do the steering wheel and air vents. The stereo is iPod-compatible as standard on all models.
Prices range from £15,745 to £20,495.
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