Hyundai Coupe SIII : WEEKEND FLAIR

By Vanessa Hinkley

A coupe is just as much of a lifestyle statement as it is a means of transport, so it's a breath of fresh air to find one that doesn't have the usual stark, overtly masculine lines. While many of the latest crop of fashionable coupe models are rather macho looking - take for example larger machines such as Peugeot's 407 coupe - the Hyundai Coupe's classy look makes it stand out from the crowd without appearing too angular and aggressive. This makes it far more appealing to modern women who want to turn heads, and the latest styling tweaks will certainly do that. In terms of size, this stylish Korean sits somewhere between a compact coupe and a fully-fledged one. On the latest models there's a restyled front end to consider with longer, meaner headlamps, a thin `letterbox' grille and a wide air-intake below that hides revised fog lights in its corners. The trademark side gills now also have integrated side repeater lights.

If you're considering buying a coupe of course, practicalities are not necessarily a prime consideration. That said, the Hyundai Coupe, if not quite a four-seater, is a 2+2 offering reasonable comfort for two compact passengers in the back. Less practical is the slightly restricted visibility out of the rear screen that's caused by the car's curvy styling. You feel cosseted in the cockpit which affords plenty of legroom in the front. The controls are well placed, as easy to operate as in a family car, but laid out around the needs of the performance driver. Similarly, the instrument cluster is clear and easy to read, but has a purposeful look and trendy blue illumination at night. The short-throw gearlever shifts through the ratios very adroitly and there's a nice amount of feel to the steering and the brakes.

Just one petrol engine is on offer. The 2.0-litre unit isn't the most advanced but offers reasonable power and is a nice package all round. The engine's quite sweet and reasonably torquey, all factors that encourage you to make the most of the car's agile handling. The sprint is accomplished in 9.3 seconds and has a top speed of 129mph using the manual gearbox. To be fair, this isn't the quietest engine of its kind. Still, the gruff, purposeful sounds aren't really objectionable at cruising speeds and on point-and-squirt roads, you could argue that the noise actually adds to the excitement. Did I say excitement? I wasn't expecting that. Surely Hyundai's have anaesthetised power steering and wallowy rides? Not these days, and not these Coupes. Admittedly, we're not talking about the handling prowess of a Porsche. But the Coupe can be placed through corners with rare accuracy and, unlike the Porsche, it won't snap back at you if you make a mistake.

Sportscars that look this good are in extremely short supply at the £18,000 price point and there's an automatic gearbox costs around £1,000 extra. The equipment levels are surprisingly good. For example, the car comes with part-leather trim, air conditioning, a six-speaker CD stereo with built-in iPod connector and central locking.

If you enjoy driving and want to get noticed, the Coupe is worth considering, especially if you also care about value for money motoring.