More Show Than Go
by David Finlay (11 Aug 08)

You might agree with me on this one, and then again you might not, but the thing that struck me about the Hyundai Coupé TSIII when I first saw it was that it's a particularly handsome-looking car. The Coupé is quite attractive even in standard form, in a not entirely un-Ferrari-ish sort of way, but the TSIII's 17" anthracite alloy wheels, large rear spoiler and quad exhaust tailpipes make it look really rather racey.

I know I'm not the only one who thinks this. There's a bloke with a Ford Focus ST who is of a similar mind - the one who came charging up behind me within the first five minutes of this test, sniffed around for a bit as if fearing that his manhood might have come into question, and then roared past, presumably in an attempt to show me who was boss.

Even if I'd wanted to give chase, it wouldn't have been possible. The TSIII may look fast, but it uses the same 141bhp two-litre engine found in lesser Coupés, and frankly I wouldn't have had a hope. Still, I thought to myself, at least he's paid more for that car than I would have done for this one.

And then, as the ST rapidly turned into a distant orange blob, I thought, well, no, maybe he hasn't. The TSIII costs £19,595, and it's quite possible to buy a new ST for substantially less than that even without haggling down below list price. Okay, the Focus would be more expensive to run, and it's seven insurance groups higher, but at least it actually provides the performance which the Hyundai merely pretends to have (and of course the same applies to any number of hot hatches on the market).

You're not just paying for the looks, though. The TSIII also comes with leather-covered sports seats, and these are absolutely brilliant, offering excellent support to counteract side forces far greater than the car could possibly generate.

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