Doesn’t look too bad. Someone said Hyundai Coupe facelift and all I could think of was that mess they made of the original Coupe seven years ago…

We’re equally relieved. This Coupe still looks pretty handsome overall – some even noted the resemblance to Ferrari’s 456 when it was launched. And there’s a good reason why Hyundai kept its designers on a tight leash: this car is more popular in the UK than BMW’s 3-series coupe. So the cosmetic tweaks are limited to stretched headlights, a reshaped grille and new fog lights. There are new side air vents and some changes to the rear too including new lamps and exhaust trims. Which distinguishes this model from the old one, but it’s all a bit Halfords accessory department.

So that’s the cosmetics dealt with. What else is new?

Er, that’s pretty much it. There are some new paint colours, overpowering blue insrument lighting (a decade after Volkswagen did it on the Mk4 Golf) and some metal-effect trim on the centre-console and wheel. Oh, and an iPod connector, which is probably the best change of all. Mechanically, there are no changes at all. The four-cylinder engines (103bhp 1.6, 62mph in 11.9sec, yawn; and a 141bhp 2.0-litre, 62mph in 9.3sec, smaller yawn) and the 162bhp V6 we drove, are carried over.
continue reading "Hyundai Coupe facelift 2.7 V6"

Along with its Kia Ceed kissing cousin, the Hyundai i30 has been quietly playing an important part in the Korean car industry’s plan to gain mainstream global acceptance. The hatchback has already established itself as a competent player in the Golf/Focus sector, with only its badge and bland styling stepping in between it and critical acclaim.
The arrival of the estate i30 should significantly expand Hyundai’s profile in the sector, even if the longer, more accommodating version fails to advance its aesthetic cause one iota.

Does the world really need an estate version of the Hyundai i30?

Well, actually it does. Okay, so the popularity of the midi-MPV is burgeoning, but that doesn’t render the concept of a small estate redundant by any means. In fact, if the success of the Kia Ceed SW is anything to go by there’s healthy demand out there.
The transformation involves a fair bit more than the addition of a cargo net and new tailgate, though. There’s a selection of all-new panels from the B-pillar back, and a usefully longer wheelbase and overhang – the end result is significantly improved accommodation for passengers on top of a boot that boasts a capacity of 1395 litres.
continue reading "Hyundai i30 Estate 1.6 CRDi Premium"

CAR Online has just driven Hyundai’s new rear-wheel drive Genesis Coupe. And it’s good. Very, very good. Hyundai hasn’t yet committed to bringing the car to the UK, but our first drive confirms that – like Barack Obama and the US – the Genesis Coupe would be a transformational character for Hyundai.

CAR getting hot under the collar about a Korean coupe? Are you well? Is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe that good?

Absolutely. We drove this car hard for three full days on everything from motorways to dual carriageways and the twistiest, emptiest back roads we could find. As you can tell, we came away impressed.

Don’t confuse this Genesis Coupe with the front-wheel drive variants Hyundai has been knocking out since the 1990s. This is an all-new rear-wheel drive platform developed not only for the Genesis Coupe, but also the Genesis saloon and the VI Equus – a large four-door saloon that posh Korean hotels use as taxis.

There are two basic versions to chose from: a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo making 207bhp and a 299bhp 3.8-litre V6 with six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions. We sampled the larger engine with the auto gearbox, although it’s worth pointing out that any UK cars would be fine-tuned to suit our roads.

Put me in the driving seat.

Climb inside and you’ll sink into comfy leather seats, find plenty of headroom and clear, simple controls. The plastics covering the upper sections of the dash have a soft-touch quality feel to them, and while the quality deteriorates lower down and the centre console is a little bland, it’s hardly a deal breaker.

What’s particularly striking are the echoes of Infiniti G37 – the black dials that fade to blue at the edges, as though you’re looking at a solar eclipse; and there are even similarities in the seats, rooflining and the thin and tactile steering wheel.

Press the starter button and the deja vu continues: the V6’s hollow warble is strangely familiar and it can be no coincidence that, at 3.8-litres, the Hyundai out-punches the Nissan 370Z/Infiniti G37 by 100cc.

And out on the road?

It’s a big V6 with the emphasis on torque rather than screaming revs, so there’s plenty of muscular flexibility low-down and a willingness to pile on speed dramatically without getting over-excited about it. So while the Genesis never feels really fast, it never feels lacking in the shove department either.

The auto ’box was perfectly decent with smooth and relatively fast changes, but a lack of paddleshifters felt strangely OAP in a car so sporting. Slide the stick across to the left and you access sport mode and with it the chance to use the ‘+’ and ‘-’ manual option. This holds the gear to the redline and requires that you push the throttle far further down to activate kick-down. It works well, but won’t satisfy like we imagine the manual will.

Brembo brakes come as standard on this car and offer strong performance and a firm pedal even when you’re continually stamping on them.

How does it handle?

Brilliantly. There’s loads of front-end grip to lean on and an overall feeling of composure and balance that encourages you to get the rear-end working. Our car’s auto transmission and open differential meant hooliganism was off the menu, but its poise meant it was still brilliant fun – in a strikingly similar manner to the Infiniti.

The steering teams up well with the user-friendly chassis: it’s light, quick and linear but – at the risk of sounding like a stuck record – a little more weighty feedback when you commit to a bend would be nice.

The damping, however, needs some attention for UK roads – it was too easily upset on even lightly fractured surfaces and lacked the kind of supple sophistication that distinguishes the best in the business. The challenge for Hyundai would be in smoothing the ride while retaining the excellence of the chassis.

Is it practical?

Pretty much. The boot is deceptively large, but it’s a shame that the space that’s unlocked by the folding rear seats is largely blocked by the bodyshell. There is enough room in the rear seats for smaller adults, but smaller is definitely the word. You might squeeze larger adults back there for trips to the shops, but any longer and they’ll be complaining about lack of headroom and having their knees pressed against the solid plastics on the seat backs.

Verdict

Hyundai’s Genesis coupe is a great car. It’s attractive, well-built, relatively practical and its balanced rear-drive chassis and eager V6 make it great fun to drive.

If it does come to the UK, expect a price tag of around £25k. And while that would undercut key rivals like the 350Z and G37, we wonder if Hyundai might need to be more aggressive to get to the potential customers who’ll struggle with the badge.

What are the chances of it coming to the UK? Tough market conditions mean it’s shifted from a dead cert to 50/50 at best, according to the UK press office. As a brand builder alone, we reckon it’s worth Hyundai taking the chance.

The Hyundai i20 is the latest little car from the reinvigorated Korean company, following in the footsteps of the i10 and i30. It’s still built abroad (India, to be precise) but the i20 has been designed and engineered in Europe, offers such a decent level of standard kit that you’ll cough up thousands more on rivals, and it comes with a five-year warranty. But does it have the sparkle to make us forget the lukewarm Getz?

Why should I take notice of the new Hyundai i20 (2009)?
Hyundai has been winning over hearts and minds in Europe. Trouble is, with its cars boasting extensive standard equipment and a five-year warranty, it’s been winning over a lot more minds than hearts – the only Hyundai that makes our heart flutter is the Genesis Coupe, and that isn’t currently coming to Europe.

The i20 probably won’t change those impressions. It looks like a bad copy of a Vauxhall Corsa, and unfortunately the badge still doesn’t really have much kudos in Britain 2009. That said, the i20 is much better looking than the old Getz.

So what does the i20 offer for the money?
The i20 is stuffed with all sorts of goodies you have to pay extra for on other cars. So every i20 (and the range starts at just £8195) has a CD player and aux-in socket, air-con and electric front windows. That’s the Classic trim level, only available on the 1.2.

Go for the mid-range Comfort spec (as half of buyers will) and you’ll add electric rear windows, a USB port, steering wheel-mounted stereo controls, a trip computer, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors and a trip computer. You’ll find all this in an interior that’s well made, if not especially exciting, but far from dire either. Plus there’s a reasonably sized boot and room for one six-footer to sit behind another.

Not bad, eh? Try and spec a Fiesta to the same level and it’ll cost you around £2k more. And because Hyundai wants the i20 to have a five-star Euro NCAP rating, the i20 comes with ESP as standard, plus lots of airbags.

Okay, so the Hyundai i20’s kit count is high, but is the driving dull?
Not at all, though now the Fiesta is so good the i20 struggles to keep up. Yet it’s actually good fun to punt along. The controls are light yet no overly assisted, there’s an inherent rightness to the pedal weightings and the gearbox is pretty slick.

The other bonuses are the tiny thin-rimmed steering wheel, which is a pleasure to hold, and the very supportive seats. Unfortunately, the ride deteriorates over the rougher roads and grip from the Hankook tyres isn’t great.

And the engines?
There’s a choice of three: a diesel that no one in the UK is expected to buy, an all-new 1.2 77bhp/87lb ft engine designated Kappa, and a 1.4. The smaller of the two petrols is just about punchy enough, delivers 54.3mpg and just misses the sub-120g/km mark with 124 grammes of CO2. It does, however, get thrashy near the top end.

Much better to stick with the 1.4, which costs a mere £500 extra, for which you gain an extra 148cc, 22bhp and 14lb ft. It makes a difference on the road; not only is the 1.4 noticeably faster, but also smoother, quieter and still returns 50.4mpg. If you really want you can even spec it with a four-speed automatic.

Verdict
The i20 is a big step forward for Hyundai. No, it won’t match a Fiesta or Corsa, but the gap between Europe and the Korean is now much smaller. What’s more, with a recession looming, if you’re after a new car then one that’s loaded up with options and still pretty cheap makes sense. It’s still a car for the head though, not the heart.