Model tested: Hyundai Coupe SIII 2.0
Price: £17,995
Date tested: June 2007
Road tester: Stuart Milne

Overall rating: 77%
The Hyundai Coupe occupies a unique part of the car market – it offers great looks and a sporty drive in an affordable package. We took to the road to find out if there are brains behind the Coupe's beauty.

1. Looks
Facelifted for 2007, Hyundai has styled the Coupe with lessons from the school of Ferrari, with F430-esque headlights. It takes on a look of its own around the rear though, save for lights reminiscent of a Bentley Continental GT's.
9/10

2. Looks inside
After the exterior, the interior disappoints. It's well built but dull, with acres of grey plastic. It's not all bad news though; a trio of dials in the centre console brightens things up.
7/10

3. Practicality
The Coupe has a 405-litre boot and plenty of space in the front of the cabin for occupants and their kit. Space in the back is restricted to two very small people, or just luggage. There's no leg room to speak of, and headroom is very restricted.
8/10

4. Ride and Handling
Considering its low price, the Coupe is reasonably adept, although it falls short of other coupes. The 2-litre model is agile and composed but lacks the depth of steering feel which buyers might expect.
7/10

5. Performance
The 2-litre Coupe is a hatchback-quick machine, rather than a genuinely rapid performer. It dispatches 0-62mph in 9.3 seconds, before hitting 129mph flat out.
7/10

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6. Running Costs
The 2-litre covers an average of 44mpg, while insurance is group 10. Emissions of 193g/km place it in tax Band F, costing £205 a year. Hyundai gives a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.
8/10

7. Reliability
Hyundai's five-year warranty speaks volumes about its cars; the Coupe does well in the Reliability Index, with less time off the road and lower repair costs than most other cars.
8/10

8. Safety
The Coupe hasn't been tested by EuroNCAP yet, but all models have 'dual-threshold' driver, passenger and side airbags, which won't deploy in a minor collision. Electronic brakeforce distribution is standard too.
7/10

9. Equipment
All models come with air-conditioning, a CD player, remote central locking, 16-inch alloy wheels plus electric windows and mirrors. The 2-litre version adds full leather trim 17-inch alloys, cruise control and heated front seats.
8/10

10. X-Factor
The Hyundai Coupe looks stunning; far more so than its budget price tag suggests. It feels like a proper sportscar at low speeds too. Just a relative lack of performance and niggling details let it down.
8/10