Hyundai Tiburon

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Hyundai Tiburon

Manufacturer	Hyundai Motor Company
Also called	Hyundai Coupé (Europe) Tuscani (Korea)
Production	1996–present
Predecessor	Hyundai Scoupe
Class	compact car
Body style	2-door coupe
Similar	Honda Civic Si Scion tC

The Hyundai Tiburon is a compact coupe produced by Hyundai since 1996. The name itself means shark in Spanish. Tiburon is the name given to the current North American, Australian, New Zealand, South African, and Austrian production of the vehicle, though it is called the Hyundai Coupe in world markets. It has also been known by the moniker Turbulence and Tuscani in the South Korean market. Enthusiasts sometimes refer to it using the nickname 'Tib' or 'Tibby' in the markets in which it is called the Tiburon.^{[citation needed]}

1 First generation
2 Second generation
3 Third generation
4 Safety concerns
5 Media
6 External links
- 6.1 Official & encyclopedic Links

[edit] First generation

First generation

Production	1996–1998
Assembly	Asan, South Korea
Engine	1.6 L (114 hp), 1.8 L, or 2.0 L I4 Beta I DOHC (140 hp)
Transmission	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	97.4 in.
Length	170.9 in.
Width	68.1 in.
Height	51.7 in.
Related	Hyundai Elantra

Tiburon first began production in late 1996. It was available in a few foreign markets with engine choices of either 1.6L or 1.8L. In the United States, The Tiburon was first offered in 1997 with an engine choice of 1.8L. Then Hyundai upgraded the Tiburon to an available 2.0L Engine choice, marked the FX in 1998. The Tiburon was offered in 1998 with both the FX (2.0L) model and the base 1.8L model. All versions of the Tiburon manufactured from 1996-2001 are known as "RD" Tiburons. There were various models, with or without ABS, 2 airbags and sunroof.

[edit] Second generation

Second generation

Production	1999–2001
Assembly	Asan, South Korea
Engine	1.6 L (114 hp), 1.8 L, or 2.0 L I4 Beta I DOHC (140 hp)
Transmission	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	97.4 in.
Length	170.9 in.
Width	68.1 in.
Height	51.7 in.
Related	Hyundai Elantra

The 2000 and 2001 Tiburons manufactured from 1999 to 2001 are referred to as 2nd generation RD Tiburons (RD2's) received a 'curious' facelift. The 2.0L was rated at 140 hp at the crankshaft (the car's manual specifies 102 kW at the flywheel). The 1.6L was not offered in America. The 2.0L produces a 0-60 time of 7.8s, with a 1/4 mile time of 16.1s. Base weight was around 2,556lbs (1,159kg), giving the RD Tiburon a higher power to weight ratio than the newer GK 2.0L. ABS and sunroof were available in a package.

[edit] Third generation

Third generation

Production	2002–present
Assembly	Ulsan, South Korea
Engine	2.0 Beta II CVVT I4 (145 hp) 2.7 L V6 (172 hp)
Transmission	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual 6-speed manual
Wheelbase	99.6 in.
Length	173.0 in.
Width	69.3 in.
Height	52.4 in.
Related	Hyundai Elantra Hyundai Matrix Hyundai Tucson Kia Spectra Kia Sportage

The third generation was introduced to some markets in 2002. Depending on the specific market, these were badged as Tiburon, Coupe or as a Tuscani without reference to Hyundai.

[edit] Branding

In several markets the model is sold and branded as a Tuscani. The Tuscani wears a circular badge containing a smaller circle of black and grey horizontal bars which is overlayed with a letter 'T' painted gold on the left and silver on the right. Even in markets where the car is sold as a Hyundai Tiburon or Hyundai Coupe, the name Tuscani has become quite popular. Many cars have been modified aftermarket to be rebadged as with Tuscani emblems. In Canada, a special edition of the tiburon is sold as a "Tuscani edition". A rumour has started to circulate that Hyundai is considering a plan to branch off the Tuscani name as a complete sub brand for more exclusive, sporty, and upmarket models. The existence of the name is most likely come into existence to achieve greater sales where the Hyundai name has cloying associations with more budget products.

In some markets secondary badging may denote engine size and variations such as trim, wheel and other options. These badges include S, SE and FX, although some use FX across the entire range available. In certain markets, certain exterior colours are not available and identification may require noticing subtle local differences such as alloy wheels, spoilers or dealer fit options such as in car entertainment systems. These can all change from year to year and from market to market, so the variation is quite significant. One notable difference across all markets is that the 1.6 engine (where sold) always comes with a single exhaust (right hand side) whereas the higher engine sized models have twin exhausts.

[edit] Engineering

Three engine choices are offered, although not in all markets.

1.6 L inline-4 cylinder Alpha

105 hp @ 5,800 rpm and 143 N·m @ 4,500 rpm.

2.0 inline 4 cylinder Beta II featuring variable valve timing on the inlet valves (CVVT)

145 hp at 6000 rpm and 184 N·m (138 ft·lbf) of torque at 4500 rpm.

2.7 L V6 Delta

172 hp @ 6000 rpm and 245 N·m (181 ft·lbf) @ 3800 rpm.

[edit] Performance

These are manufacturers quoted figures:

1.6 litre

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 11.6 seconds Top speed: 121 mph

2.0 litre

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 9.2 seconds Top speed: 129 mph

2.7 Litre

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 7.2 seconds Top speed: 142 mph

The car is available with a five or six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic.

[edit] Equipment and safety

The exact specification depends on model and the market where it is sold but these are some of the features available:

Anti-lock brakes, Dual Circuit with brake force distribution
Front (variable rate) airbags and side airbags
Side impact protection bars
ESP Stability Control
Traction Control
Electric windows, sunroof
Heated front seats
Trip Computer
Air Conditioning / Climate Control
Leather / Half-leather / Cloth interior
Sports seats
Alloy wheels (normally 16" or 17")
Infinity Sound system
Additional gauges featuring torque, fuel burn rate and voltage

[edit] Design

It has been rumoured that the third generation model was quite heavily influenced by the Ferrari 456 design by Pininfarina.

[edit] Face Lift(s)

2007 Hyundai Tiburon

Hyundai conducted minor tweaks to the 'GK' model in 2005, for the outgoing named 2006. The vehicle incorporated reworked sleeker blackened headlights, redesigned rear tail lights, a different range of alloy wheel designs, colored stitching on leather seats (half leather seats available for the 1.6 range). A popular modification, as promoted on www.newtiburon.com, saw owners of the 2003 vehicle removing the air-filter resonator box. The resonator box was located directly in front of the front left hand side wheel, behind the fender. This allowed for a greater airflow to the air filter, gaining a minimal increase of brake horse power (BHP). Hyundai, seeking cost cuts, adopted this modification for 2004+ models.

The 2007 model has seen minor changes in interior & exterior design. Most notably the previously amber gauge and button lighting has been changed to blue and white, similar to what can be found in the Hyundai Tucson line. Exterior changes include muted side scalloping, new headlights and grille design and revised tail lights.

It has been rumored that the 2008 Model may share the same 3.3L V-6 Platform as the Hyundai Sonata.

[edit] Safety concerns

In Australia, the 1996–2000 Hyundai Coupe was assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings 2006 as providing "significantly worse than average" protection for its occupants in the event of a crash.[1] By contrast, on the 2004–2007 models they received a 4/5 star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the USA.[2][3][4][5]

[edit] Media

On an episode of Top Gear, co-host Richard Hammond praised the third-generation Coupe for its remarkable design, performance and reasonable price, considering it to be an overall better ride than the Lexus SC430.