Hyundai · 1990–1995

Hyundai Scoupe

The Hyundai Scoupe, also called the Hyundai S-Coupe, is a 2-door coupé produced by South Korean manufacturer Hyundai from 1990 to 1995, and based on the contemporaneous Hyundai Excel. The name, a portmanteau of "sporty" and "coupe," was pronounced "scoop".

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Hyundai Tiburon

All Hyundai Scoupe data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

Development of what would become the Scoupe started in 1985. At the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, Hyundai exhibited a prototype which was named the "Sports-looking Car" (SLC) concept. Regular production began in February 1990; the Scoupe cost ₩521 billion to develop. The drivetrain and underpinnings were largely identical to those of the contemporary Excel/Pony, albeit with marginally shorter gearing to improve acceleration and to give the car a somewhat sportier image. The Scoupe was introduced to the United States market for the 1991 model year at a base price of US$8,495 (equivalent to $20,100 in 2025), thousands less than comparable sporty coupes. The badging used an enlarged, stylized "S" followed by all-caps "COUPE". The naturally-aspirated, in-house developed Alpha engine series replaced the original Mitsubishi design in April 1991, followed by a turbocharged Alpha in October of that same year. The Base and LS models were equipped with the new 1.5-litre, 12-valve, direct-port fuel-injected engine. In the United States, additional changes came with the 1993 model year (July 1992), when Scoupes got a facelift, including the current Hyundai stylized-"H" logo, new flush headlamps plus body-colored side moldings and redesigned front sheetmetal, taillights, and rear bumper. The car was replaced by the Tiburon in 1996. When it was discontinued in 1995, the Scoupe was one of the last cars sold in the United States with motorized seat belts instead of airbags. In total, 242,441 Scoupes were produced: 63,998 sold domestically in Korea and 178,443 produced for export. Scoupe Turbo. The Scoupe GT (LS Turbo in the USA) was Hyundai's first attempt at a sports car and featured South Korea's first domestically designed engine with a cast-iron block and crankshaft. The engine contains

Design and specifications

As initially launched, the Scoupe was powered by an 81 hp (60 kW), 1.5L Mitsubishi-sourced 4G15 I4 engine (internally referred to as the Hyundai Sirius G4DJ engine), driving the front wheels via a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The 4G15 was replaced in May 1991 by the 1,495 cc Alpha, with a 75.5 mm (2.97 in) bore and an 83.5 mm (3.29 in) stroke. It was available both as a naturally aspirated engine and a turbocharged engine. The naturally aspirated version produced 92 hp (69 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 97 lb⋅ft (132 N⋅m) of torque at 4,000 rpm, with a 10:1 compression ratio, and the turbocharged version produced 115 hp (86 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 123 lb⋅ft (167 N⋅m) of torque at 4,500 rpm, with a 7.5:1 compression ratio. The naturally aspirated Alpha has a 14 percent increase in power over its 1.5-litre, Mitsubishi-designed predecessor, and the turbo produces 42 percent more power. Turbos came only with 5-speed manual shift, while Base and LS models could have an optional 4-speed automatic. Hyundai says the Scoupe was the first production application for Garrett Automotive Products' T15 turbocharger, which was new for the early 1990s. The turbo unit includes water-cooled bearings and housings and an integral wastegate. Performance. MotorWeek tested a base, Orion-engined Scoupe in 1992 and timed the acceleration to 60 mph (97 km/h) at 11.9 seconds. The Australian spec S-Coupe GT Turbo has been road tested by several Australian magazines, returning times of 9.2-9.3 seconds for the 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) acceleration and 16.8 seconds for 0–400 m (0–1⁄4 mi). Comparable times for the non-turbo version were approximately 12.5 seconds 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) with a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). The 1988–92 "Base" models with the 4G15/G4DJ achieved 26 / 34 mpg‑US (9.0 /

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