Hyundai has come a long way in three decades. In 1992, when the second-generation Scoupe went on sale in the UK, the Hyundai badge appealed to those who had no interest in cars. Cheap and reliable transport, but not in the least bit exciting.
The original Hyundai Scoupe hinted at something special. It looked good, undercut most other coupés by a comfortable margin and promised to be as reliable as a Golden Retriever. Unfortunately, it drove like a dog, while the Mitsubishi-sourced 1.5-litre engine made it a bit of a mongrel. That’s a little unfair, because while it wasn’t exciting, it did at least look the part, and the chassis prioritised comfort over joy. As the New York Times put it in 1990: ‘Hyundai is also proud of the Scoupe’s suspension, which is tuned by Lotus, but you don’t want to make the mistake of hurling the car into a corner, thinking you are driving one of the great British marques. And you don’t have to. You can be perfectly happy just knowing that the Scoupe makes more than a dollop of sense.’
Sense, but too much sensibility, perhaps? Things changed with the new Scoupe of 1992. Thanks to redesigned front wings, bumpers and bonnet, headlights with integrated indicators, and front fog lights, it certainly looked the part. Styling that was more purposeful than the original, with a subtle hint of the Scoupe turning Japanese. Paradoxically, a change beneath the bonnet was a sign that Hyundai was shifting away from a reliance on Japan for its powerplants. In 1984, the company saw the need to develop its own engine, investing hundreds of millions of won in research and development. The result was the 1.5-litre four-cylinder ‘Alpha’ unit, Hyundai’s first proprietary petrol engine. It made its debut in the Scoupe in both the naturally aspirated MVi (multi-valve injection) and turbocharged MVTi models. The 12-valve engine developed 87bhp at 5600rpm as standard, or 114bhp at 5500rpm with the addition of a Garrett T15 compact turbocharger. Both cars benefitted from revised suspension, but the Scoupe Turbo had another ace up its sleeve in the form of variable rate springs. It meant that, while Hyundai was unlikely to tempt many people out of their hot hatches, the Scoupe Turbo could at least be a giggle on a British B-road. Hyundai quoted a top speed of 121mph and a 0-60mph time of 9.2-seconds for the Turbo, while the standard Scoupe lost 10mph at the top end and a couple of seconds to 60mph. You’d have to question why you’d spend a pound short of £10k on the MVi when the MVTi was available for an extra grand. There’s probably some truth in the fact that Hyundai’s UK customers weren’t ready for the excitement; sales of the MVi far outnumbered those of the MVTi. It speaks volumes that many buyers opted for an automatic transmission. Having driven the Hyundai Scoupe Turbo at the end of 1992, Colin Goodwin said: ‘If your priority is to chase hot hatches, forget the Scoupe: it’s just not fast or sharp enough. But as something stylish and different that’s well built but also cheap, the Scoupe MVTi has barely a rival.’
If you’re not convinced, it’s worth remembering that the Hyundai Scoupe Turbo has a little motor sport pedigree to its name. In 1992, the New Zealander Rod Millen contested the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in an Scoupe, taking honours in the Showroom Stock class and setting a new class record. The American ad team asked: ‘If it can win Pikes Peak, how can it lose on Route 66?’ In the UK, most Hyundai customers were left wondering if Pikes Peak was a new daytime television programme, slotting in between Neighbours and Going for Gold.
You’d deserve a medal if you find an Scoupe for sale in 2024, because the car is close to extinction in the UK. Rarity alone isn’t enough to elevate it to greatness, but for the questionable distinction of boasting Hyundai’s first petrol engine, a class victory at Pikes Peak and ‘of its time’ styling, the Scoupe makes more than a dollop of sense as a future classic.
This article first appeared in issue 10 of Classic.Retro.Modern. magazine.
