Hyundai built a sports coupe known as the Hyundai Tiburon (Hyeondae Tibyuron in Korean), also known as the Hyundai Coupe (Hyeondae Kupe) in Europe, from 1996 until 2008.
The name “Tiburon” was given to the car’s manufacturing in North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Austria. “Tiburon” is a tiny modification of the Spanish word “tiburon,” which means “shark.” In several European regions and Indonesia, it was referred to as the Hyundai Coupe. In the domestic South Korean market, it had been marketed as the Tuscani (tuseukani) and Turbulence (teobyulreonseu).
Over the course of the model’s existence, it was issued in two generations (RC), and during that time, these generations had sporadic facelifts. These facelifts have made an effort to keep the automobile current with a variety of safety enhancements and adjustments to both the exterior and interior appearance. From 1996 to 2001, the RD Tiburon was in production for 5 years. The Hyundai Veloster succeeded the GK Tiburon after it reached the end of manufacture in 2008 (as a 2003 model).
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The Veloster concept is Quite Similar to the Hyundai Tiburon Replacement
Hyundai has disclosed that its replacement for the Tiburon will be extremely similar to the compact Veloster concept that made its debut at the 2007 Seoul Motor Show – and significantly different from the previous Tiburon. Hyundai insists that the Genesis Coupe has nothing to do with the Tiburon.
According to John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, the replacement will be “positioned underneath the existing Tiburon.” “It will be more affordable and take on an eco-sport orientation, meaning that performance won’t be the only factor. It will be extremely fuel-efficient. It will be highly fashionable and a great addition to the Genesis coupe.”
It will share the fwd platform that supports the Accent and Elantra, according to Krafcik. He said that styling will be very similar to the Veloster idea. The name Tiburon can be changed to anything else.
After the 2008 model year, Hyundai stopped making the Tiburon, and the Genesis coupe has been referred to as the “spiritual successor.” The Genesis coupe can’t exactly compete in the same market as the 2008 Tiburon due to its starting price of $22,000, which is $5000 higher than the Tiburon. It didn’t make much sense to keep the Tiburon and the Genesis coupe together because they would likely compete for the same customers. However, replacing the Tiburon with two distinctive coupes would not be a bad idea for the South Korean automaker.
The Hyundai Tiburon’s History
One of this South Korean automaker’s first ventures into the sport coupe market was the Hyundai Tiburon. It was manufactured from 1997 to 2008, taking the place of the older Scoupe before the Hyundai Veloster and then the Genesis Coupe replaced it.
The tuner crowd, or people who prefer to modify their cars with aftermarket parts and engine swaps, favors the Hyundai Tiburon. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced, front-wheel-drive automobile, the Tiburon can potentially be a great used car deal.
New RWD Coupe to replace Hyundai Tiburon
According to Hyundai, new RWD versions will take the place of the fast Tiburon coupe by the end of 2008 or the middle of 2009. This will be the automaker’s second vehicle built on its new rwd platform. The Genesis sedan, which goes on sale in summer 2008, will be the first.
According to the Hyundai source, the Genesis will have a coupe. “It will follow Genesis by six months to a year. The Tiburon will be replaced by it.”
Genesis Coupe, Tiburon, and Veloster from Hyundai
Hyundai won’t provide a sports coupe for the 2009 model year, but the Genesis coupe and a Tiburon replacement will be available in front- and rear-drive configurations in 2010.
The 2008 model year marks the conclusion of production for the current Tiburon. The Veloster fixed-roof two-plus-two concept car that made its debut at the 2007 Seoul auto show will serve as its replacement.
Krafcik will not speak in detail about the platform supporting the Veloster other than to state that it will not be supported by the present Tiburon architecture. He asserts that he is unable to speak with sister business Kia about potential shared platforms since executives from both Hyundai and Kia have signed agreements in North America that forbid the sharing of information and mandate that all decisions be made in Korea. All in all, Krafcik remained silent regarding Kia’s own front-drive coupe, known as the Kia Koup and evolved from the Kia Spectra, which was introduced earlier this year at the 2008 New York auto show.
The new Hyundai two-moniker door’s is still being chosen. According to Krafcik, the term Veloster, a combination of “velocity” and “roadster,” will not be used in production. The most contentious issue is whether to give the compact coupe a new name or stick with Tiburon. Internal surveys reveal little familiarity with the name Tiburon. However, the word-of-mouth from the 150,000 purchasers who have owned one throughout the years and their favorable experiences has remained consistent. If we do preserve the name, Krafcik claims, “it’s not an awful name.” We have time to investigate and see whether the Tiburon name has any value.
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Lowly Hyundai Tiburon Becomes A BMW Coupe
The Hyundai Tiburon is a stylish, inexpensive two-door coupe from Korea, but what if you prefer something that looks more upscale? The answer was discovered by a Korean owner who converted his Hyundai into a fake BMW.
On the Korean forum Bobaedream, a user going by the handle Dimdi shared a narrative along with a few images of the “BMW” Tiburon. A black-painted automobile with BMW logos, badass headlights, a modified front bumper containing the grille from the previous generation 4-Series, door handles from the 5-Series, as well as the M and xDrive badges at the back, can be seen in the first post from September 2021.
A new update on Dimdi’s concept with what appeared to be a different Tiburon was posted in February 2022. This one is white and features a redesigned front bumper that more closely resembles the current design aesthetic of BMW. The Tiburon vaguely resembles a 2-Series Gran Coupe from some angles due to the raised grille and the redesigned bumper’s M-Package-style air vents.
It’s interesting to note that the transformation continues inside as well. A genuine BMW steering wheel with buttons and a M emblem, as well as a BMW key fob for the Hyundai key, were fitted by the owner inside. Although he won’t get the fit and finish of a genuine BMW because the rest of the cabin is Tiburon, he can still use the hashtag #BMW on social media.
Dimdi acknowledged that the entire build took six to seven months and that it was quite difficult to transplant the components that weren’t compatible with the Tiburon. However, he claimed that the do-it-yourself effort was enjoyable and that he appreciates the attention because every time he goes to the car wash, customers enquire about the make and model of his vehicle.
Two models of the Tiburon, marketed as the Coupe in Europe and Tuscani in Korea, were available between 1996 and 2008. The vehicle in the illustration is a later model from 2008, making it the second facelift of the second generation. In this instance, a four-speed automatic transmission is used to transmit power from the original 2.0 liter engine’s 141 horsepower (105 kW / 143 PS) and 186 Nm (137 lb-ft) of torque to the front axle.
If you’re curious about performance, Hyundai previously stated that it could reach a top speed of 200 km/h and could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 10.4 seconds (124 mph). Those numbers may not merit a M label, but they are undoubtedly respectable for a Hyundai from the late 2000s. Unfortunately, Albert Biermann’s effect on Hyundai vehicles at the time was little, thus their driving dynamics lagged well behind those of BMW. The Tiburon was indirectly superseded by the Veloster because Hyundai never produced a direct replacement.
Hyundai ceased production of the Tiburon when?
The current Hyundai coupe, the Tiburon, will be discontinued in favor of the brand-new Hyundai Genesis coupe, which will go on sale in 2009 as a 2010 model. Since there isn’t enough room in the lineup for two coupes, this isn’t exactly a surprise. According to Automotive News, the Tiburon’s final model year will be 2008, and manufacture will end once the Genesis goes on sale in the spring of 2009.
Executives from the firm aren’t referring to the Genesis coupe as a Tiburon successor, though. A smaller two-door coupe with front-wheel drive might be offered alongside the larger Genesis coupe with rear-wheel drive.
The Tiburon has served its purpose, so we can’t say that we’ll miss it. Its sales decreased by 28.7% in the first quarter of 2008.
How do you feel? Should Hyundai build a compact coupe similar to the Veloster concept car that we saw in Los Angeles last year? The one the corporation is alluding to is that one. Or should it continue to only offer the Genesis coupe as its sporty vehicle?
Does Hyundai still produce the Tiburon?
The Tiburon is still produced by Hyundai? The Hyundai Tiburon was discontinued in 2009, and the Hyundai Veloster, another two-door sports coupe, took its place in the market in 2011. The Hyundai Tiburon was discontinued in 2009, and the Hyundai Veloster, another two-door sports coupe, took its place in the market in 2011.
Did the Tiburon get replaced by the Veloster?
At the Detroit Auto Show in 2011, Hyundai unveiled the Veloster to the globe. Hyundai’s Premium Youth Lab team created it, and it was specifically aimed towards the youth market. The Hyundai Tiburon’s production ended in 2008, thus the Veloster was created to take its place.
Hyundai’s marketing division produced a ton of concept cars in the beginning of the Veloster with the goal of assessing demand for various parts and aesthetic elements. We will look at a handful of the most intriguing early concept cars with the aid of CMA’s Hyundai of Winchester.
Hyundai Tiburons: Are they trustworthy?
It’s actually not surprising that your Hyundai Tiburon is so dependable given how reliable Hyundais are generally.
RepairPal conducted research utilizing actual repair bills from real garages around the US after its last model year in 2008 to ascertain how dependable Tiburons continue to be long after they were discontinued. Overall, the Tiburon receives an above-average reliability rating of 3.6/5 stars.
RepairPal takes into account the following metrics when doing their research:
- Repair costs
- periodicity of repairs
- extent of the repairs
Although your Tiburon has undoubtedly been a reliable vehicle for you over the years, you should think about include towing and labor coverage in your auto insurance plan. While your Tiburon will likely continue to run well as long as you keep it well-maintained, this coverage can ensure that you have assistance with even something as straightforward as changing a flat. Jerry may examine your current policy to ensure that you are fully protected.
A Tiburon—is it a sports car?
Since making its initial entrance into the American market in the middle of the 1980s, Hyundai has come a long way. The South Korean automaker may currently offer an excellent selection of high-tech SUVs and sedans, but its first ten years were marked by a number of inexperienced errors.
Take the Hyundai Tiburon as an example. The fledgling company’s second sports car attempt made its debut in 1996, although it was more about style than performance. It wasn’t as fast as competitors like the Toyota Celica or Honda Prelude, and, to be honest, it didn’t look as attractive. A