Latest Hyundai GK Coupe Now in Malaysia
The latest Hyundai Coupe – completely restyled and re-engineered – has finally arrived. Hyumal, the sole importer of Hyundai vehicles, has brought in a small batch and expects to sell 50 units a month.
The new Coupe, coded ‘GK’, is the product of a 4-year development program which had the objective of creating a full-fledged sportscar to replace the RD generation. In size, it is a bigger car with a wheelbase of 2530 mm (+55 mm), overall width of 1760 mm (+30 mm) and overall length of 4395 mm (+50 mm).
Like before, the styling of this Hyundai sportscar seems to be a blend of other sportscars. From certain angles, people tend to say “it looks a bit like… “ although the overall looks are still fairly unique and certainly eye-catching. The sleek body has a Cd of 0.342 and incorporates the usual sporty details: rear spoiler, twin exhaust pipes, racing-style fuel filler cap, ‘shark gill side panel” and sculpted door mirrors.
Two engine options are available – the 2.0-litre Beta engine also found in the Sonata) and the 2.7-litre Delta engine (used in the Santa Fe SUV). Both are all-aluminium DOHC engines with four valves per cylinder but the Delta engine is a V6. A 6-counterweight system production method reduces crankshaft weight, eliminate reliability problems and noise levels.
The 2.0 litre unit produces 101.5 kW/138 ps of power at 6000 rpm while the 2.7-litre produces 122.8 kW/167 ps at 6000 rpm. For the smaller engine, maximum torque of 181.4 Nm comes at 4500 rpm while the bigger engine’s peak torque of 245.2 Nm occurs at 4000 rpm. For those who are interested, the Coupe V6 is claimed to have a maximum speed of 220 km/h with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 8.2 seconds.
The Coupe 2.0 has a Hyundai Shiftronix 4-speed adaptive automatic
transmission (with fuzzy logic) as standard while, in recognition of its high performance character, the Coupe V6 has a 6-speed manual transmission. This 6-speeder gives a good spread of ratios and 3rd gear is said to be good for up to 100 km/h. The top two gears are overdrive ratios while the final drive ratio is 4.428:1.
Independent suspension is used all round, the front having MacPherson struts while the rear has a simple but effective dual link layout. Sturdy stabilizers at front and rear keep the Coupe flat during cornering for optimum stability.
A Full-Time Traction Control System is used and is integrated with the ABS-moderated 4-disc brake system. It is a sophisticated system which is linked using the Control Area Network (CAN) concept for superior communications between 40 electronic modules and can utilise engine braking to enhance normal braking. Larger brake servo units have been fitted and the rear disc brake pads are said to be improved for better stopping power.
High-performance cars need huge doses of safety because they can go very fast and also crash very hard. The new Coupe offers fairly high levels of protection for the occupants and has tailored Welded Blank System panels which are said to improve impact absorption in critical areas. Impact energy is efficiently dissipated around the cabin and to resist deformation during side impacts, there are strong members in the doors as well as a large cross-member in the dashboard.
Impact-absorbing ribbing and cushioning on all pillars ensures that the occupants’ heads don’t get severely injured during an accident. Of course, there are also front airbags with a dual threshold deployment that takes into consideration the nature of the impact.
Standard features on the Hyundai Coupes presently imported by Hyumal (no one else can get import permits for Hyundais, claims a senior executive of the company) include a sunroof, stiffer sports suspension, 16-inch alloy rims and 205/55R15 tyres.
This highly desirable sportscar doesn’t come cheap, though, and the Coupe V6 requires as much as RM227,217.20 (with 100% insurance and roadtax). Part of the reason for the high price is the import duty which gets higher with bigger engines, plus the higher roadtax. The Coupe 2.0 is priced at RM174,992.20 which sounds okay for this type of car.
The new Hyundai Coupe is presently on display at Bukit Bintang Plaza.
