Autoblog posted spy shots of the 2008 Hyundai Tiburon a couple weeks ago, but I decided not to post about it since…well, it didn’t really matter. The spy shots weren’t really very exciting.
Now though, we have updated shots from Hyundai of the new 2008 Hyundai Coupe (Tiburon in the US.) There seems to be a lot of debate as to whether the car is better looking or not, so I’ve created some side-by-side shots to make your decision that much easier 🙂
On all of these pictures, the silver one is the 2006 model, and the blue one is the 2008 (or 2007) model.
First up are the side shots; have a gander:
What do you think? These aren’t exactly to scale, but pretty close. As you can see from the side, the new model is a little less “aggressive” and quite a bit sleeker. The factory wheels are a bit sportier, and they did away with the vents on the fenders. The headlights from the side blend in a bit smoother with the body as well.
The biggest difference is in the front:
The new headlamps look a bit more aggressive, a little less bland. The new model sports a large, wide lower grille and a long slit above the license plate, moving down from right below the hood. The fog lamps are now part of the grille as opposed to having their own housing.
Here’s the rear:
The first major difference here is the tail lights. The new model has more of a modern, modified look which looks great, especially on this blue. It keeps the dual-exhaust and has the tips flowing with the body more than the previous model. The basic idea of the rear is the same, but the lines flow more smoothly and make it but more exciting. The same spoiler is kept, and I assume the badging will remain similar, if not the same.
The new Tiburon is more than likely to keep the same powertrain options, meaning that the same 138HP 2.0-Liter Inline-4 and 172HP 2.7-Liter V6 will be available. If you look very closely, you might be able to see that the trim on this specific model is called the “FX,” a trim not available on previous models. I’m not sure if this will make it to North America or not, but this is most likely what the next Hyundai Tiburon will look like.
It remains a great choice for an “around $20K” sports coupe, but if the powertrain options stay the same, it might not be enough improvement. I think the car looks a lot sharper, but not everybody shares my opinion. My fiancee was looking into buying a blue 2003 Tiburon GT but was turned off a bit by the lack of power it offered.
Perhaps if they upped the weak 172HP 2.7L V6 to something a bit more up-to-date like a 3.3L offering closer to 300HP, that would spice it up a bit and keep it modern and competitive. But for now, we have to live with 172HP. Weak.
