THE COUPE THAT CHEERS (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY JONATHAN CROUCH

Introductionword count: 125

The fun starts here. You've had it with boring hatchbacks, even the spiced-up stripes and spoilers variety. You've had it with high insurance premiums for performance you never really used. You've had it with practicality that you never really wanted. So you want a second-hand sports coupe that makes sense without costing a fortune. It must have reasonably rapid performance, an acceptably responsive chassis and look purposeful and exciting. Better still, total reliability and impressive build quality need to come as standard. Hyundai's S Coupe seems to fit the bill, with all the hallmarks of the classically styled sports two-door you always promised yourself. In fact, the only thing missing is the kind of price tag that the coupe market has led you to expect.

Modelsword count: 16

Models Covered: First Generation - 1990-1992 (1.5 [LSi, GSi]Second Generation - 1992-1996 (1.5i [MVi, MVTi Turbo]

Historyword count: 210

The car was originally previewed at the 1989 Motor Show as the Hyundai SLC Coupe. When questioned, the South Korean company's executives said that `SLC` stood for Sporty Little Car - they couldn't think of anything else... When the car was finally launched on the UK marked in the summer of 1990, it arrived as the S Coupe and we didn't ask... There were two models available - the LSi and the plusher GSi - and both were powered by the same rather coarse 1.5-litre 1468cc engine. They weren't very fast, but they were cheap. At a time when the cheapest Vauxhall Calibra was nearly £15,000, an S Coupe would set you back as little as £8,500. The second generation version arrived in the Autumn of 1992, featuring sleeker front end styling, smoked rear tail lights, a higher specification and a slightly revised catalysed 1495cc 1.5-litre engine. This time, there was also a turbocharged MVTi version - much faster than the new entry-level MVi but also much more expensive. A completely new Coupe replacement (drop the `S`) was launched in autumn 1996, followed by a cheaper 1.6-litre version in early 1997 and a facelifted range for 2000. This car has certainly put Hyundai on the map with new car buyers.

What You Getword count: 57

Well, it isn't stunning to look at, but it is a refreshing change from the kind of run of the mill saloon or hatch you'd buy for the same money. Speaking of which, there isn't a hatch; just a rather small boot. The interior is a bit plasticky as you might expect, but the controls are light.

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