Filed under: Coupes, China, Hyundai, Misc. Auto Shows
New Hyundai Coupe (Tiburon) debuts in China
Spy shots of an updated 2008 Tiburon surfaced a couple of weeks ago, but the heavy covering obscured the visual tweaks Hyundai is planning for its front-wheel drive coupe. Today, however, Hyundai unveiled an updated version of the Coupe, known as the Tiburon in the U.S., at the Guangzhou Motor Show in China. Not much information is available, but we can see the modified front end sports new headlamps, a wide lower grille and small slit right above the license plate. From some angles it looks similar to a Mazda MX-3. The rear has also been updated with a wide expanse of black housing a pair of exhaust tips at the bottom and new taillights that are smaller than the current model's. There are reportedly no mechanical changes involved with this update, so the Tiburon will likely soldier on with either a 2.0-liter four-cylinder or 2.7-liter V6. We can't say whether or not this is what the 2008 Hyundai Tiburon destined for the North American market will look like, but chances are it is.
(Check out more pics including live shots from the show and more official Hyundai pics after the jump)
[Source: autoblog.nl]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
iQuack 4:32PM (7/24/2006)
Looks like just about every other boring coupe out there with nothing to distinguish it. Too bad!
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aaron 4:36PM (7/24/2006)
i think the current one looks a lot more sexier. not diggin this. it seems to be a facelift for the sake of facelift...
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yasev 4:40PM (7/24/2006)
great disappointment, expected something better, something similar to concept version. too bad.
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SobeSVT 4:44PM (7/24/2006)
I see no point. Look the same as the old one.
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N Z K 4:46PM (7/24/2006)
I agree; it isn't so much a new Tiburon as it is a facelifted one. It does seem a bit derivative, but the 'lift may be necessary to keep it fresh in the market.
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Scotty 4:46PM (7/24/2006)
I think this looks fantastic for a 20k coupe.
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Ben 4:55PM (7/24/2006)
is it 20k ? I think it's 15k at best.
Civic Si and RSX will be having this for lunch.
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Ron 4:59PM (7/24/2006)
* yawn * snore *
Wake me up when it gets exciting please.
This is a step backward for Hyundai.
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Ryan 4:59PM (7/24/2006)
"6. is it 20k ? I think it's 15k at best.
Civic Si and RSX will be having this for lunch."
The Civic Si previous generation was a FLOP AT BEST. The new Si should not be compared until the next Hyundai offering comes out this is just a refresh. The RSX is a discontinued biiiotch.
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Ryan 5:02PM (7/24/2006)
Years the Tiburon has been in production: 9 and still going.
Years of RSX production: What like three (3)? That was sure a runaway sucess for Acura!!!
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Joe 5:02PM (7/24/2006)
I think that this car is beautiful. The original was truly an attractive vehicle, but this is quite an improvement, especially considering the price point (of the current model). It has made it look more expensive and sporting. Hopefully the update extends to the interior and the mechanicals as well. And, to Ben, the Tiburon was never really supposed to compete with the Civic Si or the RSX. Perhaps the base Civic coupe, but certainly not the Si. And the RSX is being discontinued, so it's rather pointless to even compare it to that, unless we're talking about used ones, in which case, yes, a used RSX would probably compete price-wise with the new Tiburon and beat it in performance and quality.
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XJ 5:05PM (7/24/2006)
I was looking for more articles on this coupe, but found this instead.
(Is this the next Corolla?)http://www.wheels24.co.za/Wheels24/News/0,,1369-1372_1971435,00.html
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chewy 5:05PM (7/24/2006)
That looks to me like a decent redesign. Looks a little sharper, it is made to give it some more shelf life.
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PJ 5:38PM (7/24/2006)
Hmm. Well, it's certainly a more successful mid-cycle refresh than the one applied to the first-gen Tiburon.
But like Aaron said, this doesn't look any better than the current Tiburon. Change is good, but improvement is better. Come to think of it, that's one big honkin' lower air dam.
Although I always considered the Tiburon more of a rival for the prev-gen Eclipse or GTI, the comments regarding the RSX and Si seem off-base to me. Sure, the last Si was a flop, but the fact is, the Tiburon now plays in the same marketplace as the massively improved Si, and will continue to do so until 2008 or 2009. And as a performance machine, the new Si does indeed eat its lunch.
As does the RSX-S. As I understand it, the RSX's cancellation has more to do with Acura's image strategy than any failing on the car's part. It's certainly gotten enough professional kudos, sold enough units, and amassed enough of a following to be considered a success.
I don't have anything against the Tiburon, incidentally. It's a '90s-think style coupe, which was fine in 2003, but expectations for sport-compact performance have gotten pretty serious since then.
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Ryan 5:51PM (7/24/2006)
"As does the RSX-S. As I understand it, the RSX's cancellation has more to do with Acura's image strategy than any failing on the car's part."
According to who? ACURA? Thats like "Chevrolet Magazine" naming a Chevrolet car of the year. Fact is if a car is making money Acura would give to shits less about their "image" it's about money.
"Sure, the last Si was a flop, but the fact is, the Tiburon now plays in the same marketplace as the massively improved Si, and will continue to do so until 2008 or 2009. And as a performance machine, the new Si does indeed eat its lunch."
-Did you know that a 2006 Civic Si will kick the ass off a 1985 Civic Si?
"And as a performance machine"
Are we still talking about a Honda Civic?
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Hung2 5:52PM (7/24/2006)
This is the only coupe in Hyundai's line up right? It goes without saying that it lacks imagination and a WHOLE LOT OF other stuff. Sad.
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Aki 6:16PM (7/24/2006)
'"And as a performance machine"
Are we still talking about a Honda Civic?'
0.90g lateral acceleration--same as a Dodge Viper. Yes, it is a performance machine.
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PJ 6:28PM (7/24/2006)
The 2006 vs. 1985 argument is irrelevant. The point is that, until the Tiburon's replacement arrives in 2008 or 2009, new-car buyers who are considering the Tiburon also have the option of buying the new Si, and are likely to cross-shop the two. That directly affects the Tiburon's sales success.
Dismissing the Si as "just a Honda Civic" is no less fallacious than dismissing the Tiburon as "just a Hyundai." Performance machine? Well, if you want to make it a numbers game, compare these performance stats from C&D comparison tests: The si does 0-60 in 6.7 versus 7.1 for the Tiburon, 70-0 in 179 ft versus 193, 0.91 g on the skidpad versus 0.82...
More importantly than that, though, is that subjectively, the Si is a much lighter, nimbler, more quick-witted machine. I assume you've driven the Tiburon, given your enthusiasm for it, but what about the Si? Or the RSX-S?
Anyway, you're going to have a hard time making the case that the RSX was a flop. Acura sold every one they could build, and never offered rebates. Used ones are in high demand and hold their value strongly. And yes, its objective performance figures also put the hurt on the Tib.
Anyway, I don't want to get drawn into an argument. I'm not even that much of a Honda fan, I just dislike the notion that, just because you like one car, all of its contemporary rivals *have to* be crap.
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Jeff Gilleran 6:28PM (7/24/2006)
I have a 2004 Tiburon.
Its a great car and It didnt cost alot of money considering its content.
Resale is also excellent on these cars.
With the exception of the V6 engine and moonroof, mine is totally loaded.
I get 32-34 MPG on the Hwy and have a great time doing it and actually enjoy driving!
The new look is a definate refresh and Hyundai has have reworked the options a bit from 2005 forward. (the 2005 and on GS isnt standard with cruise control)
I found some of them somewhat odd changes but other than that Its got Hyundais very reliable 2.0 engine and 5 Speed trans along with the massive warranty.
The looks for the 2003-2006 are VERY much Ferrari 450 GT as well as a small amount of Audi TT.
Could be because the designer of the car IS ex Ferrari.
All In all a great car for someone that doesnt want to look completely vanilla (exception, 06 Civic) and be like the rest.
It turns heads, Is liked by men and women both, decent quality and performance along with great fuel economy for this segment.
What more can you ask for?
Im extremely pleased with the car, and its great for a single bachelor or bachelorette.
Even though there is room in the back for short term adults or small kids, this is pretty much just for couples or singles, obviously not a family car.
:)
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Blogger 6:31PM (7/24/2006)
The front end looks too much like a Toyota Celica. Darnit Hyundai, why do you always have to steal styling cues? Don't you have a brain?
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