HYUNDAI Coupe / Tiburon 1996-1999 Photos, engines & full specs

Hyundai unveiled in 1993 a concept-car named HCD-II, and the customers were pleasantly surprised, and that led to the carmaker's decision to give a green-light for the Tiburon/Coupe.

While still a new name on the market, Hyundai relentlessly tried to get more attention. It changed its car's models often, then other carmakers introduced facelifts and found a niche in the sport-coupe segment where it introduced the Tiburon/Coupe lineup. It was a tremendous success.

It was launched at the peak of the bio-design era, the sporty vehicle aimed at the Honda Civic coupe customers. Unlike its main rival, the Tiburon was designed as a coupe right from the start and didn't share any body panels with other sedan versions. Its sculptured lines on the fenders and slimmer mid-size section made it look faster than it actually was. At the front, the angled, ellipsoid headlights and slim grille formed an aerodynamic styling.

Inside, Hyundai said the car could accommodate four people, but there was hardly room for anyone in the back. At the front, it offered adequate room for average-sized adults. For the dashboard, Hyundai introduced a driver-oriented center stack and elliptic dials in the instrument cluster.

The Korean carmaker offered the Tiburon/Coupe with a two-engine choice paired as standard to a five-speed manual gearbox. A four-speed automatic was available for the 2.0-liter version.