#NAIAS The Hyundai stand was packed 30 minutes before the press conference began. We had to put up a living, breathing intern as collateral just to get a seat. This gathering was easily one of the biggest deals of the whole 2011 Detroit auto show. And everybody was there to see the 2012 Hyundai Veloster.
Four of them motored onto the stage, one them with matte gray paint that Hyundai does indeed plan to offer as a production color.
The Veloster goes on sale this summer with a starting price in the $17,000 range. The standard power source is a 138-hp, direct-injected, 1.6-liter inline-4 (123 lb-ft of torque), but Hyundai officials have told Inside Line that a turbo version, using either a detuned version of the 274-hp 2.0-liter from the Sonata SE 2.0T or an entirely new turbocharged application of the D.I. 1.6-liter, is definitely in the works.
Full Story: 2012 Hyundai Veloster
Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik says the Veloster weighs an almost feathery 2,584 pounds -- about 50 pounds lighter than the Honda CR-Z and 260 pounds lighter than the last Cooper S Clubman we tested.
Hyundai will offer both a conventional six-speed manual and a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission on the Veloster at launch. In a refreshing moment of press-conference forthrightness, Krafcik noted, "The Veloster isn't about 0-60 times. Honestly, there are a lot of cars that will outrun it in the quarter-mile -- but we've got the Genesis coupe for that.
In addition to the arsenal of technology (BlueLink) in the car that targets Generation Y, the Veloster will hopefully embody the "more fun to drive a slow(ish) car fast" philosophy. "You can drive this car at 9/10ths and not worry about losing your license," Krafcik told the crowd.
We should note that Hyundai is using electric-assisted power steering on this car. The ratio is 15.6:1 and the company says it's tuned for a "crisp feel on turn-in." We hope that means it's light years ahead of the Sonata's steering rack in terms of precision and feel.
Suspension is a mundane independent front strut/semi-indie rear twist-beam arrangement, but no need to pooh-pooh the twist beam before you've tried it. Both GM and VW have tuned their twist-beam suspensions to impressive results in recent months.
93aero says:
02:36 PM, 01/10/11
Its impossible to be excited about a car thats trying so hard to be relevant. The tiburon it replaces was never on par with any of its competitors, and i doubt this will do much to change that....after bits of this thing being force fed to us for what seems like an eternity, im already tired of it. The mini clubman style doors are really weird and from many angles its not that good-looking.
captainvw says:
02:40 PM, 01/10/11
First off, might i suggest doing something about the dismal sound quality in y'alls videos, I'm sure the music they played for the introduction of the car sounded ALOTTTT better in person, a difference which shouldnt be as drastic as it was...
That being said, I LIKE THIS CAR. I dig the styling, even if its not a true coupe, it looks enough like one to make me happy (and I'm totally dig the panoramic sunroof). But I have to say I think I will wait for the 2.0T engine to make into the Veloster before I really truly want one in my driveway. I will be very interested to see what kind of numbers this car posts...even if its not really for speed, if it can scoot faster than 8 seconds to 60 I'll be contempt.
Hyundai +3, one for each of the 3 they unveiled (except for that one with the awful paint job, even if it is just for show, yuckk)
bodyblue says:
03:44 PM, 01/10/11
"y'alls"
Really?
flwind says:
02:35 PM, 01/11/11
"Its impossible to be excited about a car thats trying so hard to be relevant"
Is anybody else tired of the cliche internet drivel? Does everything need to be "relevant" these days? and please explain what it should be "relevant" to? I bet you don't even know.