The Hyundai Tiburon has been subtly restyled for 2005. Taking a cue from aftermarket suppliers of aero trim packages, the front bumper on the Tiburon now has a modish speed-racer look, with a single large grille opening filled by a black mesh flanked by complementary openings for the fog lamps. Sculpted edges molded into the bumper, picking up the existing feature lines on the doors and rear fenders, are echoed by similar lines in the new side mirrors. The smaller opening above the grille between the headlights now looks more like a hood scoop, suggesting a feeling of power. In the metal, the car is sleek and compact.

The Tiburon's profile looks even better when counter-pointed by the new front-end styling. A heavily raked windshield and a fastback coupe roofline that sweeps all the way to a high, abbreviated tail, is heir to classic GT coupes of the past. Hyundai's designers have accented the front fenders with vertical louvers that look like shark gills, borrowing from GT cars of the past. However, the Hyundai's distinctive sheetmetal crease sweeping upward and rearward from the front louvers gives these traditional features a new look. In the rear the fenders curve smoothly into the large, almost ovoid one-piece taillight clusters.

The rear styling on the GS and GT models is accented by a body-colored rear spoiler so neatly integrated into the rear deck lines that it's almost unobtrusive. The SE has a larger rear spoiler to differentiate it, but it too sits low on the rear deck, supported by sleek fins sprouting from the fenders and ending just where the taillights start.

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