Review
While I was at the company's impressive Namyang research and development centre an hour's drive from Seoul, I saw a sleek coupe pounding around the high speed bowl as it was being tested for an impending launch.
Along with other journalists on the trip, I was looking forward to trying out this new car, which, even from a distance, looked a lot better than the 'bug-eyed' model it was due to replace.
Fast forward 17 months and Fleet News has just taken delivery of a long-term Hyundai Coupe - and it looks every bit as good as it did when I saw it in South Korea.
It's been said many times before but in profile it does slightly resemble a Ferrari 456 thanks to its sloping nose and high back end.
But unfortunately there is no burbling 5.4-litre V12 engine under the bonnet - instead our Hyundai has a 2.0-litre four cylinder unit offering 136bhp.
And in this respect the Hyundai fails to live up to its looks. The Coupe looks like a 150mph car but its 136 horses are not enough to make this a sports car.
However, a 165bhp 2.7-litre V6 model is also available which should redress the performance imbalance somewhat.
But in the real world a 2.0-litre engine makes more sense from a fleet perspective with lower fuel and benefit-in-kind tax bills.
For £16,495 on-the-road, you get a sleek coupe with bags of equipment as standard. including a compact disc player, leather seats and air conditioning. The only options available are for metallic finish colours and we have opted to have our Coupe painted in metallic silver for an additional £225.
In the two weeks the Hyundai has been with us it has covered about 400 miles in my hands and, while outright performance has been a little disappointing, the rest of the car has been a revelation.
Hyundai is working hard to build its image in the UK, through sponsoring the World Cup and funding a World Rally Championship programme.
Cars such as the Coupe also have a halo effect on the range.
So far, I have been impressed with the car's looks, level of standard equipment and build quality.
The only real gripe is the indicator stalk - not because it is positioned on the wrong side of the steering column but because it seems to have a mind of its own.
When, for instance, you are on a roundabout and you want the indicator to keep flashing it turns itself off and vice-versa.
It's the only real glitch in what has otherwise been a stylish motoring companion.
At £16,495 on-the-road, the Hyundai faces some stiff competition from Toyota's Celica which costs the same in 1.8 VVTi guise and Vauxhall's Astra Coupe 2.2i Bertone at £200 more.
And while you may expect the Hyundai to be hammered on residuals, you would be wrong. CAP predicts the Coupe will retain 35% of its cost new after three years and 60,000 miles, compared to 42% for the Celica and a disappointingly low 29% for the Astra.
Company car tax bill 2002(22% taxpayer): £65.80 per month
