Hyundai has been active in the sports coupe market in Australia for some time, but didn’t have a great deal of success until it introduced the Tiburon coupe to Australia in March 2002. Even then sales were hampered by its somewhat odd styling and its relatively high price. Prices were cut dramatically when Hyundai realised its mistake and sales lifted to a reasonable level. However they were still hampered by the fact that coupes were going out of fashion in the early years of the 21st century.

Tiburon's styling remained somewhat unusual, even after a minor facelift early in 2005. Then the designers surprised us all with a far better looking car when the facelifted the Tiburon in February the 2007. Though it retained the same overall shape as before it looked so much better that many thought it was a new design.

Hyundai Tiburon had pretty good handling right from day one. The South Koreans have a very similar attitude to Australians in their likes of good chassis dynamics and driving pleasure. So the Tiburon has a nicely neutral feel and gives good feedback through the steering. Punt it along in a lively manner on the right road and you’re face is likely to break into a grin on more than one occasion.

Interior room is pretty good in the front seats of the Tiburon coupe, chiefly because front-wheel drive through a transverse engine takes up less space. The rear seat is about average for this class, meaning it’s much better suited to kids than adults. Access to the rear seats of the Hyundai Tiburon requires a degree of flexibility, but we have seen worse.

When launched in Australia the Tiburon came with a choice between a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing a somewhat lacklustre 102 kW, and a 2.7-litre V6 with a healthier, though still not outstanding, 127 kW. The latter output dropped marginally to 123 kW with the introduction of the 2007 model because the old-design engine had to be modified to meet new emission regulations.

The four-cylinder engine was withdrawn from the Australian lineup midway through 2004. At the same time the price of the V6 was drastically reduced, to the extent that the V6 was then cheaper than the four-cylinder had been at the time of its 2002 introduction.

Transmission is by a five-speed manual with the four-cylinder engine, and a six-speed manual beside the V6. A four-speed automatic transmission is available with both engines, its relative lack of ratios being partly counterbalanced by it having sequential-manual modes that let a keen driver make their own decision about which gear the Tiburon needs.

Build quality has improved markedly in Hyundai cars in the last few years. Tiburon is one of the older generation models but isn’t too bad in the quality stakes. Our ‘what to look for’ section will give you some advice on areas of possible concern.

A good amateur mechanic can do a fair bit of work on this car as the design is relatively simple. As always, it's sensible to leave the safety related items to the experts.

Despite being a sporty model the Hyundai Tiburon doesn’t normally attract unreasonably high insurance premiums. There seems to be some confusion among insurer companies as to exactly what class the Tiburon falls into, so it's worth shopping around for a good deal.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The engine should start easily and idle smoothly virtually from the moment it kicks over. The four-cylinder won’t be as smooth as a six, but should still be reasonably refined.

Listen and feel for hesitation from the engine when it’s suddenly asked to work hard.

Make sure the manual gearbox has reasonably slick changes and that there's no grinding or jamming during fast downshifts.

Automatics that are inclined to change too often, or not often enough, could be due for an overhaul, though a service may be all that’s required.

If you suspect that a Hyundai Tiburon has been repaired after a crash, look for mismatching of paint colours and watch out for paint overspray on unpainted surfaces. If there's the slightest doubt call in an expert.

The interior can be of variable quality. Check for untidy edges between plastic panels, minor controls that don’t fit neatly and controls that are stiff or sloppy in operation.

Watch out for damage to seats or trim caused by rough usage. In particular look over the rear seat area in case bored kids have run amok. Also check the boot for signs of harsh use.

Check for uneven tyre wear, especially at the front wheels. This can be an indication of harsh driving.