Skip advert
Advertisement
Long term tests

Hyundai Coupe V6

Hyundai isn't a name that often crops up in the pages of this magazine, but we're no badge snobs and the Coupe shouldn't be overlooked. We gave it four stars way back in issue 041 but we haven't really driven it since. Well, that's all about to change, now that a gleaming black V6 version has arrived on our long-term test fleet.

Hyundai isn't a name that often crops up in the pages of this magazine, but we're no badge snobs and the Coupe shouldn't be overlooked. We gave it four stars way back in issue 041 but we haven't really driven it since. Well, that's all about to change, now that a gleaming black V6 version has arrived on our long-term test fleet.

We have big plans for the humble Coupe, too. We'll be doing much more than simply driving it daily and reporting on the dull but worthy stuff like the five-year warranty and the fact that if you hunt around you can buy one for little more than £17K. No, we're going to work with Hyundai to turn it into something a little sharper, the kind of car you'd want to take on a trackday.

Of course we're not talking about stripping out the interior and doing a 'Jethro', but more subtle changes to brakes, tyres, suspension, etc. If all goes to plan, Hyundai will look at the possibility of selling the result as a limited-edition 'evoactive special'. We'd better get it right, then.

To be honest the Coupe makes a great starting point; most of the ingredients are there already. It looks handsome enough and, as I soon found, it rides and handles neatly too. No sooner had it arrived than it was pressed into service ferrying me and all my race kit up to Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, where I was racing a Radical SR8.

The excellent local roads provide a decent test of vehicle dynamics and, despite going easy on the 200-mile-old engine, the Coupe felt great. It turns in neatly, grips strongly and has a wholesome amount of feel; even some of the other Radical drivers - who usually swan around in M5s and the like - were impressed. I think we're going to get along famously.

Running Costs

Date acquiredAugust 2005
Total mileage469
Costs this month£0
Mileage this month260
MPG this month28mpg
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

2025 VED car tax: what you'll be paying
VED car tax 2025
Advice

2025 VED car tax: what you'll be paying

The latest car tax changes explained, including new pricing for EVs and hybrids and increased prices for higher-emission vehicles
3 Jan 2025
BMW M2 Fast Fleet test – five months in the cut-price 'M4 Lite'
evo Fast Fleet BMW M2 G87
Long term tests

BMW M2 Fast Fleet test – five months in the cut-price 'M4 Lite'

It was divisive in its concept and its delivery, but our M2 played a strong long-term game
6 Jan 2025
The new Porsche 911 Carrera S accelerates faster than a GT3
Porsche 911 Carrera S (992.2) – front
News

The new Porsche 911 Carrera S accelerates faster than a GT3

Porsche has pulled the covers off the new 992.2-generation Carrera S, packing GT3-beating acceleration and a £119,800 price tag
8 Jan 2025