Hyundai Tiburon

The Hyundai Tiburon first hit the dealer lot in 1996.

In Espanol the name means “Shark“. Since it’s inception the car has become popular for its sporty looks, environmental friendly powertrain, and lower price than some of its competitors.

The car has drastically changed from generation to generation.

The new Tiburon was intended to be marketed to a “fast and furious” younger audience.

Here is a little bit of Tiburon History.

First generation Hyundai Tiburon (1996-1999)

First produced in 1996 (almost 1997) the car’s futuristic appearance was one of the first to be widely marketed. A risky maneuver by Hyundai.

1996 1.8L/1.6L

The first Tiburon was only able to be purchased in select markets. The options were fairly limited with the selection of either a 1.8L or the smaller 1.6L. Neither engine was all that different on a spec sheet, and the car was seemingly underpowered with only 130 horsepower in the larger engine. In the later years of the first generation horspower increased slightly to 140hp and a larger 2.0L engine was made available.

Second generation (2000-2001)

Starting in 1999 the 2000 and 2001 Tiburons changed quite a bit. The front fascia was drastically modified, but the tiny 140hp engine carried forward. No performance increase, but the car was made lighter at just over 2500 pounds. Some more modern features were also made available like an optional moon roof/sun roof, audio enhancements and standard ABS. The inspiration for the 2nd generations was the highly popular Elantra. It was quickly decided that a V6 engine was necessary and so came the 181 hp Tiburon V6.

2000 Hyundai Tiburon

Starting with the 2000 Hyundai Tiburon, the car received improved 15 inch alloy rims, and came with all of the luxorious options like power seats, windows, mirrors, and locks. No more hand crank windows. The futuristic projector beam headlights were a large hit with the younger crowd as intended. As well as the rear end “euro” tailights. Mostly the 2000 was just a cosmetic and interior upgrade as the powertrain was not significantly upgraded. The 2001 Hyundai Tiburon was not changed other than a few more color options for the exterior/interior.

Third generation Hyundai Tiburon (2002-present)

The Tiburon had not been the hit Hyundai thought it would be so the 3rd generation was not released full scale. In fact the cars branding got mixed up from market to market known as the Tiburon, the Hyundai Coupe, or as simply “Tuscani“.

2002 Hyundai Tiburon

Finally Hyundai decided to boost the performance of the Tiburon significantly. Starting in 02 they released a much more impressive v6 engine with DOHC 2.7L. It pumped out 170 horsepower which is much higher than the previous 130/140hp available. Also a sports fan friendly 6 speed manual tranny was made available.

2007 Hyundai Tiburon

In 2007, another body change was given to the Hyundai Tiburon. The cars rear style had changed from the 02-03 model starting in 2005, and again in 2007. The other major addition was the SE models electronic stability system and much bigger anti-lock brake system.

2010 Hyundai Tiburon

2010 Hyundai Tiburon design has a choice of V8 and V6 power engine. It has rear and front multilink suspension body style. The V6 is a 3.8-liter engine that produces 240-260 horsepower. The V8 is a 4.6-L engine that churns out 300-hp. 2010 Hyundai Tiburon engine is mated to 6-speed manual transmission system.