The Tiburon has quickly attracted attention as one of the newest sport coupes on the street. Styling is half the battle in this class, and the Tiburon presents a bold stance in what is becoming a bland world of sport coupes.
Bulging fenders and sharp creases give Hyundai's new shark an aggressive appearance. The grilleless front end is low with a one-piece body-colored wrap-around bumper with an integrated air dam that channels cooling air into the engine compartment. Ellipsoid projector headlights are stylish and throw a sharply defined beam that minimizes glare to oncoming cars. Frameless doors with flush-mounted glass and aerodynamic side mirrors help minimize interior noise. Rear styling is rounded and aerodynamic with integrated bumper and elegantly shaped jewel-like combination lamps. FX models come equipped with a rear wiper and washer. With a coefficient of drag of 0.33, the sleek lines help minimize noise and maximize fuel efficiency.
In addition to the sports equipment, the FX gets nicer cloth upholstery, a six-way adjustable driver's seat, a more elaborate sound system, a lid for the center console, power door locks, power outside mirrors and optional cruise control. The FX fog lamps are integrated into the standard front air dam for a clean appearance, though they add little illumination. Two-tone leather seats with a matching steering wheel and shift knob are an option for the FX.
The Tiburon's chassis is commendably stiff, a key element in ride quality and handling. MacPherson struts are used for the front suspension, while the rear is a dual link design. The shock absorbers are gas-charged units mounted inside the coil springs, which resist heat buildup and deliver a controlled ride over rough surfaces. Antiroll bars fore and aft reduce body lean in corners. All the components are aimed at delivering the agile handling qualities we expect from a sport coupe.
As mentioned, the base model employs drum brakes at the rear, while the FX gets rear discs. Disc brakes resist fade better than drums, but only hard driving for extended periods reveals much difference in performance and both models use discs up front where 90 percent of the braking force is accomplished.
The interior is functional and attractive. The formed foam seats are firm, supportive and comfortable, with thigh bolsters that provide good side support during hard cornering. The base model is comfortable, but the FX benefits from a driver's seat with tilt adjustment, lumbar support and fabric accents.
There is ample leg, head and shoulder room up front. The wraparound contoured dash makes the driver feel like a pilot without inducing claustrophobia. Attractive curves over the top of the vents are reminiscent of bygone era of sports cars. The ventilation controls are big Lexus-like knobs that we found easy to operate when the car is moving.
Power windows are standard on both models. The big ovoid speedometer and tachometer are stylish, as well as highly legible. Slender front roof pillars contribute to excellent forward visibility, a view enhanced by bulging front fenders clearly visible from the front seats. The back seats are roomier than those in the Celica or Eclipse.
Overall, we give the interior an enthusiastic thumbs up.
The trunk is surprisingly roomy. The Tiburon offers more trunk space than the 200SX and Sunfire, but not as much as the Eclipse. It swallowed a king-size presentation portfolio laid flat, the passenger car equivalent of putting a sheet of plywood in the back of a pickup truck.
The 2.0-liter Tiburon engine provides quick acceleration on back roads and plenty of torque for cruising around town. It employs double overhead cams, 16 valves, electronic fuel injection and a distributorless ignition system. A knock control system permits a high 10.3:1 compression ratio for improved output and a modified pentroof combustion chamber with a tumble port design and dual-aperture spray injectors provide optimum responsiveness and performance while reducing emissions. Hyundai worked hard to minimize friction and vibration by using lightweight parts, silicon-impregnated pistons and fluid-damped engine mounts. While it's neither the smoothest nor the quietest engine on the market, it falls well within acceptable bounds.
Hyundai definitely did its homework on the Tiburon's chassis. It's among the stiffest in its class, which is probably why the Tiburon weighs a bit more than some of its competitors. Chassis stiffness is where agile handling starts, and we were very favorably impressed with the Tiburon's athletic responses in quick maneuvers.
Even in extreme lane-change and slalom exercises, the car felt balanced and stable, and the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is quick and accurate. The Tiburon is one of those cars that made us go out of our way to give it some exercise on favored stretches of winding back roads, something that can't be said for some of its competitors.
If there's any downside to the Tiburon's dynamic traits, it lies in the action of the five-speed manual gearbox, which feels less precise than some others in this class. In particular, low-speed downshifts into first gear can be a challenge. Making a proper upshift in hard low-speed cornering also requires a little extra care, a trait that's not at all uncommon in small front-drive hot rods such as this.
However, at higher speeds the gearbox works fine and the gearing is well suited to the engine's power characteristics. The optional four-speed automatic takes much of the sport out of this--or any--sport coupe, but the 140-horsepower engine offers sufficient torque to work well with the automatic.