Test Drive Hyundai Coupe (Tiburon) 1999 - 2001 coupe
Little fighter
Image - Nothing - says annoying television advertising. Maybe somewhere it is, but not only in the automotive business. Image, or how fashionably talk now, the brand is one of the most important components of any brand, especially relatively young. It is a pity that we most often pay attention to the image of the brand, and not on the fact that under this brand is produced. And Hyundai Coupe is a typical example of such myopia. If SUVs, minivans and conventional models produced by the concern, buyers around the world, including ours, accepted with a bang, then to the sports coupe, at least we have the attitude while wary-negligent. I repent, I myself went to this test with some prejudice, you can say with the installation for disappointment. Rather, not so much disappointment, I just doubted that Coupe would be able to surprise me something, and even more so to hit. And the more nicer I was convinced of my wrong - the car was surprisingly worthy, if not to say more.There is such a saying: how do you call the ship, so he sails. So, in the case of this model, the name plays a very important, even a decisive role. In my opinion, Coupe for such an interesting car sounds too freshly, but Tiburon (so refer to this car for sale in the US market) - just right. Hearing him, I immediately want to if you do not drive, then at least look at the car with this name. I will say more - this name perfectly approached the nature and movement of the car, and it is not clear why the firm has tried Europeans. It is possible for this there are good reasons, for example, not quite good sound of this word for some European language. But the more sonorous name, it seems to me that it could if not affect the level of sales, then at least make a model better known, individualize it.
It so happened that there was no time for a preliminary acquaintance, so adjusting the seat and mirrors under it, go on the road. And immediately a pleasant surprise - let's break down a slightly clutch, I climbed a little with gas, but without it confidently moved from the place at idle. And while we, wavying between pedestrians, moved from the site near the dealer center, the car confidently, without oppression, was driving at the minimum speed, without requiring Pogazov. Next - even more fun. The car rolled down from the border, and I gave the gas pedal to the floor. The first, the second - under the evil accompaniment of the Coupe engine, swinging the tires, rolled ripped back, increasing acceleration with each additional hundred turnover on the tachometer. When the arrow has already come close to the mark of 4000, I logichically find that the motor with such a burden on the bottoms, in theory, should be no on high speed, it has already been stretched to the gear lever, but the engine is like the second breathing opened - the most powerful Jerk, and literally through the thousandth share of a second, the motor has already rested into the revolt limiter, which, by the way, is triggered by about 6500 rpm. Honestly, it was so unexpected that a couple of seconds I just stupidly thought, why the acceleration stopped. I repeat the procedure on the third gear, and everything is repeated with an accuracy to the smallest detail - dynamic acceleration and good jerk at the end, that's just a speedometer this time shows almost one and a half hundred. The last three thousand turns of the tachometer arrow flies so sharply, as if a non-existent turbocharger turned into operation. It turns out like two cars - one rather dynamic, but calm (in the zone of low and medium revolutions), which has a relatively slow movement and does not constantly work with a lever of the PPC, the second is a real bevered, configured to an uncompromising race, whether in the city or for Its limits. It is very similar to how the gas distribution phase change system works, but in the fact and the focus, which is not here. Yes, of course, 138 horses and a little more than a ton of the curb mass is a good ratio, but we must pay tribute to engineers, they did a really good motor. And it is not worth stopping on it - it seems to me if the extremal version of Coupe like Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or Subaru Impreza WRX was released, across up to about 200-220 horses, and sold at the Korean price, then such a model could well find buyers, Yes, and in terms of the image she would serve good service. However, we will not teach people who have achieved so much, but we will deal with a better study of their product.
At the time of his debut, in 1996, the Coupe model looked less aggressively, as, however, and all the other Hyundai at that time. Not to say that it is bad, but now in fashion more sharp forms, which clearly demonstrate the latest innovations of almost all global manufacturers. Therefore, last year Coupe was subjected to serious upgrades that touched in the main appearance. The brightest, in the literal and figurative sense of the word, the element of the new design is the four-headed lighting, which has done, in general, the soft appearance of Coupe is more aggressive. True, it is not turning his tongue to call it a tongue at least because in front of coupe has ten optical elements of various purposes, and the total number of on-board lights reaches thirteen. In any case, even if you do not pay attention to the lighting, the design of the Coupe model can be called successful, especially because it turned out to be very unusual and memorable. It is beautiful or not - you can argue to hoarseness about this, but one can say exactly - to confuse Coupe with any other sports model, only a person is very far from the world of cars. A characteristic detail is like Rolls-Royce, the car's color directly depends on the version. We have on the test, for example, was a silver metallic, and if I understood correctly, it suggests that the car is equipped with a 2.0-liter engine and a manual transmission. This is the most cool version, if you do not take into account the cost of modification with a machine gun, so there are almost everything in the car, ranging from cast drives and ending with air conditioning.
Interior, in particular, the instrument panel and the central console are made in full accordance with the external design, that is, they look very original. After you look at the aggressive muzzle Coupe, in the salon you expect to see something like that in this way, and any European in Europe would be the right and boring interior would see here just like a hack of designers. You can, of course, to say that such a frozen salon will quickly come out of fashion, but this is still a controversial question, but the fact that he is original and pretty original, it is already a fact. Can you remember how some European or Japanese coupe looks inside? And if you sit at least once in Coupe, then you can always easily identify it. I, at least, has not yet been able to see such simultaneously convenient and original buttons on the head of the headlight or tagging ventilation control. It pleases and the fact that in pursuit of originality, designers left no attention to landed things like ergonomics and ease of control. The steering column is adjustable in height, and in both extreme positions it does not interfere with reading instrument readings. The driver's seat is not adjustable, but in addition to all familiar adjustments, you can change the angle of inclination of its pillow. In itself, the chair can be considered a compromise option between a pure sports bucket and a comfortable sofa. In turns, it fixes the body quite well, although some homegrown Schumachers would prefer closer hugs, but at the same time you can ride in a jacket, without fear to grab it completely.
In the back seat, it is comfortable to settle down, and even more so to go to the long trip, only either a person of small growth (option is a child), or a finished masochist. It is clear that the space of the salon at sports models is strongly limited, but here with free space is just fine. In width, the salon is quite sufficient for three passengers, the same can be said about the place for the legs, including in the area of \u200b\u200bthe knees. Moreover, despite the low, only 130 centimeters, the growth of the car, sit down and get out of it is quite comfortable, even in the back seat. The long base and wide doorway relief from the need to engage in rhythmic gymnastics when landing for the back seat, but the sports gutters have caused the appearance of one drawback - the rear passengers are resting their heads into the lowered rear window. Not in the ceiling, but in the glass, and it is known to soften the blows a little worse than the soft upholstery of the ceiling. The rear passengers are sitting down a little bit, for a strong negative tilt of the pillow does not give a break through it, in order to sit normally. Not deadly, of course, especially since the big percentage of these inconveniences can be written off to the fact that we were in winter clothes, but if the seat cushion was slightly fantasy, and it was installed more horizontally, it would give some additional centimeters of stock. And on the other hand - if you often drive around with such a team, then buy yourself trajet. In addition, some elements of the Coupe design also unobtrusively hint at its nonpassazhire direction: after the front armor, no matter, the driver's or passenger, moves forward, it does not remember its settings, so after such a procedure it will have to regulate it every time.
The most delicious dish in this menu is, of course, piloting, and absolutely anyway, you just go around the city, in a dense urban stream, or on an empty area in the boron. And it doesn't matter how aggressive or, on the contrary, the calm driving style you prefer. Somehow it turns out that on Coupe all the time you go a little faster than the main stream, and regardless of its density. I even remembered one of the recent mini-races - then we also tested a sports model, and with us a certain dash guy on Ford Probe. In terms of power, our car won almost twice, but as we tried, literally a couple of kilometers our rival broke so far that we lost him out of sight. There, where he passed with a whistle, we had to enter the literally to the artist, forcing passing cars in different directions. If it were on the track, the advantage was undoubtedly, it would be on our side, but we are not so rich yet to buy two cars for the city and for the track. This is me to the fact that if you like to ride quickly, and regardless of the situation, then the car needs to choose the appropriate. For example, Hyundai Coupe - the car is relatively small, and besides, the dimensions are very well felt that in combination with a hot engine and an excellent suspension turns Coupe in a wonderful urban region. It is unnoticeable for himself, you begin to actively rebuild from a number of in a row, diving into such cracks in the stream, which in the usual car and not pay attention, leaving them on the deposit of motorcyclists. Moreover, all this maneuvering will not even make your pulse become more likely - everything happens somehow everyday, smoothly, and at this point you can control with one hand, and the other sort out the radio waves in the receiver. And you know that in the case of anything, you will always have time to stop: disc brakes on all wheels (in front - ventilated) and excellent low-profile tires will be forced to strouse that guy that at this moment I was driving for you, it is short-sighted that a safe distance is not for His. True, a low tire profile makes it take a little more careful, carefully tracking all the readiness of the road services, for any small defect, how to call the above-mentioned services, will make it shudder not only the car, but also with a characteristic sound, unobtrusively leaving the idea of \u200b\u200bthe perspective of the repair wheel disk. In principle, the 55% 205-millimeter Michelin profile is not the worst option for our roads, but on the autumn-winter period, when the roads become terrible at all, it is better not to risk and put another rubber.
But as well, you can even say, just wonderful on these tires Coupe holds the road, in which we were able to make sure the site in Borovoi. In any turn, the machine enters almost without rolls and, most importantly, immediately reacts to the slightest motion of the beam. The steering wheel is pretty sharp, a little more than two revolutions, and in the okoloneous zone, its action is a bit intensified, which has a positive effect on the convenience of controlling the car at high speeds. Typically, cars such a weight category behave several nervously at high speed, but this car did not cause questions on this part. Since we started talking about speed, I would like to note the pleasant sound of the engine, in particular the bass river of the exhaust system. On acceleration, its sound becomes dominant, but if you lose the gas, then you will not hear anything at the magnetol turned on. What did not like - the gear lever, or rather, the clarity of its work. No, no, it is impossible to be mistaken when the transmission is turned on, but the clarity of its work is more likely to be suitable for the family hatch-beck, so on the background of the beautiful work of the rest of the controls, sharpened under the sporty ride, its normality is simply striking.
Coupe is managed simply excellently, especially on the devices. True, it is advisable to avoid getting into different pits and cracks, which is replete with a road surface, but the rest is just fine. If you really want to disrupt the car into a slip, you need to either find a sprinkled sandpaper, or, if there is no such available, have a rider's qualifications. Any other method leads to the same result - the car, desperately squeaver with tires, smoothly shifts the outward turn, and if you lose the gas, it immediately goes to a smaller radius, without leaving hot guys a chance to sweep your pride. In order to really check the coupe (see photo) when the snake is passed, the need to increase the already high speed of several tens of kilometers, although you need to admit that and then the car behaved just fine.
I am glad and the fact that on the dynamics of overclocking, and from the spot until hundreds of Coupe accelerates in 8.6 seconds, it practically does not affect the degree of car load. One you go or fisty - the difference is minimal, except that at high speeds the loaded car becomes somewhat more phlegmatic and no longer reacts to gas. But if the passengers fall out, then Coupe without any voltage accelerates to speed close to the maximum speed. However, it is thorough to load coupe will be very problematic - in the trunk, except for a couple of bags and canister can be put. Unwittingly asked the question, where the free space is - the trunk is small, the rear seat is close. It seems that the designers left the place to drive to the rear axle. By the way, the most attentive will probably notice that the back door opens access to the salon, that is, Coupe is a hatchback, although the company itself in the catalog indicates it as a sports coupe with the back door. That's so, the age of living - a century learn.
If I ask me if the car liked, the answer will be unequivocal: yes! If only because yes, that, according to all the canons of the genre, the car is very unlike his classmates. And let the sports models will still develop our roads for a long time, such a car will always find their buyer, especially since in accordance with the tradition of the company the Coupe model is offered for a very interesting price.
Pavel Kozlovsky
