Piano is one of the wonderful instruments to keep in your home. This instrument cannot be simply picked up and moved. Since it can incur severe damage, much care has to be taken while moving a piano. Even a slight damage can be too costly in having the piano fixed. In some cases, severe damage might lead to replacement of the piano. The only solution for this would be by hiring a professional piano mover who knows the difficulties in moving a piano. Lets have a look at the various things which are to be considered while moving a piano.
How to choose a professional piano mover?
Lot of people might have the doubt of why to choose a professional piano mover for moving a piano when lot of home movers are available. The main reason is that most of the home movers wouldn't have sufficient knowledge and experience in moving a piano properly. Piano's are available in different sizes and their value depends mainly on their model, make, condition and age. Most of the times, the piano need to be moved through a small space and in few other cases, it has to be disassembled and moved. Its always better to choose a mover near your location to minimize the charges you incur. Hence for moving your belongings in Chicago, its always good to hire a Chicago Mover to reduce your costs.
How should pianos be moved?
When hiring a professional Chicago mover, you can expect atleast 2-3 people arriving at your home with all the necessary equipments in order to move your prized piano safely. Special techniques has to be employed to move your instrument and once the piano is moved to the truck, it will be fastened inside to avoid damage during its transit. When you choose someone who is not a professional piano mover, the necessary safety guards might not be applied. Preferring a professional piano mover might not completely stop your piano from getting damaged but it will reduce the chance of getting damaged.
Just remember to choose the best piano mover and ensure that they have all the information to offer 100% satisfaction .
Monday, November 28, 2011
Finding the Best Piano Moving Company
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
2012 Hyundai Accent Hatchback and Sedan
We’re nothing if not thorough. In assessing the 2012 Hyundai Accent, we chose to test not one, not two, but three different variants: a hatchback with the manual transmission, a sedan with the automatic, and to get the full picture, a hatch with the auto. Yes, we could have tested that fourth body-and-transmission permutation, but that would’ve been silly.
Before the results are laid out, here’s a rundown of the players. For 2012, the Accent hatchback goes from three to five doors. The sedan is now the lineup’s value leader, with a base price of $13,205 for a manual. That base car wears the GLS badge (as do all sedans) and goes without air conditioning, power windows or mirrors, or even a radio—it has four speakers, but nothing to feed them music. No one’s buying that showroom-traffic model. Adding in those missing pieces runs $1750 (it’s called the Comfort package; we’d call it the “Bare Minimum” package), but the car still rides on 14-inch steel wheels. For $2750, you get that equipment plus an automatic transmission. Our automatic test vehicle was fully loaded, including the $1300 Premium package: keyless entry, body-color door handles on the outside and chrome pulls on the inside, piano-black interior trim, nicer cloth seats, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, Bluetooth, cruise control, fog lights, and 16-inch aluminum wheels. See? Thorough.
Hatchback models come in two grades: GS and SE. The GS—$15,355 for a manual and $16,555 for the automatic—is equipped to a level similar to the GLS sedan with the Comfort package. We tested a pair of SE models, which include everything from the sedan with the Premium package, plus a rear spoiler, leather for the steering wheel and shift knob, and “sport tuned” steering. The SE starts at $16,555, and a grand more gets you the automatic. All three test Accents were decadently optioned with an iPod cable ($35) and carpeted floor mats ($95).
The Strongest Accent
The 2012 Accent is powered by a direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. The manual and automatic transmissions both have six speeds. The stick has longish throws and is accompanied by a lifeless, long-travel clutch pedal; it’ll be easy for anyone to move but doesn’t so much as hint at the location of its friction point. Despite those demerits, the manual is much more fun to interact with, allowing the driver to get the most out of the little engine. The automatic car feels as if it were missing a few of its 138 horses.
That feeling was backed up at the test track, where the manual hatch hit 60 mph in 8.0 seconds, 1.9 quicker than the auto-equipped hatch and 1.6 better than the automatic sedan. The manual dominated in every acceleration test but top-gear, since our procedure leaves a manual in its highest gear whereas automatics are allowed to downshift as they see fit. And to seal the deal, the manual got drastically better observed fuel mileage: 33 mpg versus 26 for both automatic cars. All 2012 Accents have EPA ratings of 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway.
It can easily be extrapolated that a sedan with the manual would be about as quick and efficient. But it wouldn’t look anywhere as nice or be able to fit as much cargo. Anyway, that covers our vote for transmission.
The Game Where No One Wins
Not that this is a competition, but scoring the steering systems was a challenge all its own. The sport-tuned steering in the SE hatchback? We’re pretty sure it was playing Hide the Feedback. It’s well weighted off-center, but keep turning the wheel, and the weight disappears and then comes back. The nonsporty steering we sampled in the sedan has an acceptable heft with a more linear build. The system is hardly stellar, but it beats the confused steering in many other Hyundais, like the aforementioned SE and the Sonata.
The suspension could also use some work. The Accent’s springs are soft, which, along with the 2012 car’s 2.8-inch-longer wheelbase, provides a comfy ride on the highway, but the softness contributes to body roll in corners. And there’s a lack of wheel control over rough pavement that can lead to some harshness. For the kind of driving Accent buyers are likely to do, the compromised ride and handling should be acceptable, but there are better dynamic players in this class, like the Honda Fit and the new Chevy Sonic.
Interior refinement was a mixed bag. All three cars have quiet cabins, with the engine hardly audible at idle. The décor has been livened up from last year’s; design trickle-down from the Elantra and Sonata is evident and welcome. But the economy goals of the Accent show themselves with a lot of hard plastic, including a sharp ledge where the driver’s left elbow would want to rest, and the sedan’s plastic steering wheel felt particularly low-rent. The layout is cohesive—if a bit busy with its many shades of plastic—but we wish for some soft-touch points somewhere.
The Other Obvious Comparison
There is yet another small Korean option that does offer a more upscale feel, though. It’s called the Rio, and Kia makes it. It happens to ride on the same platform as the Accent and share the Hyundai’s powertrain. The Rio offers features that are unavailable on the Accent, like leather seats and navigation. But the Accent holds two advantages over the Rio: wider availability of the manual transmission and more room in the cargo area. The Rio hatch sacrifices about a third of the Accent’s stuff space in the name of style.
The Accent is a good, efficient midpack entry in the growing little-car segment. And like other new Hyundais, it’s a lot better than the car it replaces. The case is pretty clear for the manual, and as long as you’re not looking for a stripped version, the hatch and the sedan cost about the same with normal equipment. Our choice in the lineup is therefore the manual-transmission hatch, a car that recently finished fourth in a six-car comparison test. It’s a thorough improvement, but the rest of the segment has stepped up its game, too.
Before the results are laid out, here’s a rundown of the players. For 2012, the Accent hatchback goes from three to five doors. The sedan is now the lineup’s value leader, with a base price of $13,205 for a manual. That base car wears the GLS badge (as do all sedans) and goes without air conditioning, power windows or mirrors, or even a radio—it has four speakers, but nothing to feed them music. No one’s buying that showroom-traffic model. Adding in those missing pieces runs $1750 (it’s called the Comfort package; we’d call it the “Bare Minimum” package), but the car still rides on 14-inch steel wheels. For $2750, you get that equipment plus an automatic transmission. Our automatic test vehicle was fully loaded, including the $1300 Premium package: keyless entry, body-color door handles on the outside and chrome pulls on the inside, piano-black interior trim, nicer cloth seats, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, Bluetooth, cruise control, fog lights, and 16-inch aluminum wheels. See? Thorough.
Hatchback models come in two grades: GS and SE. The GS—$15,355 for a manual and $16,555 for the automatic—is equipped to a level similar to the GLS sedan with the Comfort package. We tested a pair of SE models, which include everything from the sedan with the Premium package, plus a rear spoiler, leather for the steering wheel and shift knob, and “sport tuned” steering. The SE starts at $16,555, and a grand more gets you the automatic. All three test Accents were decadently optioned with an iPod cable ($35) and carpeted floor mats ($95).
 |
The 2012 Accent is powered by a direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. The manual and automatic transmissions both have six speeds. The stick has longish throws and is accompanied by a lifeless, long-travel clutch pedal; it’ll be easy for anyone to move but doesn’t so much as hint at the location of its friction point. Despite those demerits, the manual is much more fun to interact with, allowing the driver to get the most out of the little engine. The automatic car feels as if it were missing a few of its 138 horses.
That feeling was backed up at the test track, where the manual hatch hit 60 mph in 8.0 seconds, 1.9 quicker than the auto-equipped hatch and 1.6 better than the automatic sedan. The manual dominated in every acceleration test but top-gear, since our procedure leaves a manual in its highest gear whereas automatics are allowed to downshift as they see fit. And to seal the deal, the manual got drastically better observed fuel mileage: 33 mpg versus 26 for both automatic cars. All 2012 Accents have EPA ratings of 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway.
It can easily be extrapolated that a sedan with the manual would be about as quick and efficient. But it wouldn’t look anywhere as nice or be able to fit as much cargo. Anyway, that covers our vote for transmission.
The Game Where No One Wins
Not that this is a competition, but scoring the steering systems was a challenge all its own. The sport-tuned steering in the SE hatchback? We’re pretty sure it was playing Hide the Feedback. It’s well weighted off-center, but keep turning the wheel, and the weight disappears and then comes back. The nonsporty steering we sampled in the sedan has an acceptable heft with a more linear build. The system is hardly stellar, but it beats the confused steering in many other Hyundais, like the aforementioned SE and the Sonata.
The suspension could also use some work. The Accent’s springs are soft, which, along with the 2012 car’s 2.8-inch-longer wheelbase, provides a comfy ride on the highway, but the softness contributes to body roll in corners. And there’s a lack of wheel control over rough pavement that can lead to some harshness. For the kind of driving Accent buyers are likely to do, the compromised ride and handling should be acceptable, but there are better dynamic players in this class, like the Honda Fit and the new Chevy Sonic.
 |
The Other Obvious Comparison
There is yet another small Korean option that does offer a more upscale feel, though. It’s called the Rio, and Kia makes it. It happens to ride on the same platform as the Accent and share the Hyundai’s powertrain. The Rio offers features that are unavailable on the Accent, like leather seats and navigation. But the Accent holds two advantages over the Rio: wider availability of the manual transmission and more room in the cargo area. The Rio hatch sacrifices about a third of the Accent’s stuff space in the name of style.
The Accent is a good, efficient midpack entry in the growing little-car segment. And like other new Hyundais, it’s a lot better than the car it replaces. The case is pretty clear for the manual, and as long as you’re not looking for a stripped version, the hatch and the sedan cost about the same with normal equipment. Our choice in the lineup is therefore the manual-transmission hatch, a car that recently finished fourth in a six-car comparison test. It’s a thorough improvement, but the rest of the segment has stepped up its game, too.
2012 Hyundai Veloster
Expectations are a bitch. If it weren’t for people’s pesky hopes, the 2012 Hyundai Veloster could totter onto the new-car market as a simple and oddly endearing little nugget of a dressed-up economy car.
But, no. On the back of this little three-door (four-door, if you count the hatch) meatball ride the hopes of enthusiasts who loved the old Honda CRX Si, who still love the Honda CRX Si, or who at least think they remember loving the CRX Si. And since Honda resolutely refuses to re-create one of its great ideas, the opportunity has fallen to the only car company that appears to have any interest in a similar concept: Hyundai.
Now, let’s get one thing straight: Hyundai never explicitly said that its four-seat Veloster was the spiritual replacement for the two-seat CRX Si. But given its size and shape, people have been drawing the comparison ever since the Veloster concept first appeared, and the company sure didn’t discourage the impression. Now that we’ve driven the production version over hill and dale, we can say, in our snappiest Lloyd Bentsen impersonation, that we worked with the CRX Si, we knew the CRX Si, the CRX Si was a friend of ours. Veloster, you’re no CRX Si.
Is This Progress?
The 1985 CRX Si, pumping 91 hp from its 1.5-liter engine, could only get to 60 mph in 9.1 seconds. The Veloster’s 1.6-liter four-cylinder makes 138 hp, giving it a 0-to-60 run of, well, about half a second less slow than the CRX. And forget the CRX for a moment; the Veloster is taller and wider than Honda’s Accord of that era. The Veloster also rides on a longer wheelbase and weighs something like 300 more pounds than an ’85 Accord. It’s nearly 1000 pounds weightier than the CRX.
But it’s not door count or horsepower or weight that disqualifies the Veloster from second-coming-of-CRX status. It’s that the Veloster just isn’t that much fun to drive. It feels heavier than its roughly 2700-pound curb weight suggests. And its feel-free steering, although accurate, brings no joy. The steering happens to have the least amount of self-centering that we’ve felt in some time. After a turn, the wheel is apparently content to lie on its side, lifeless, instead of preparing for its next assignment.
That’s a shame, because the chassis it commands is competent. Maybe not spritely, but at least the MacPherson-strut-front and torsion-beam-rear suspension does an admirable job of snubbing roll without beating the driver senseless. The Veloster circled our skidpad at a mediocre 0.82 g. The Scion tC, which Hyundai lists as a Veloster competitor, returns 0.86 g of grip. It’s a nice middle-ground tuning that should satisfy those looking for an economy car wearing a snazzy outfit.
Smooth Out That Shar Pei
And snazzy it is. The front and the flanks mimic other recent Hyundais, most notably the Elantra. Its face is pulled back tightly, similar to what we imagine a dog would look like with an aggressive face lift. The Veloster’s sides are deeply sculpted. That’s all pretty much standard-issue new-Hyundai oddness, though. The real weirdness is the doors, or rather the asymmetry of the doors. We watched as a couple stopped dead in their tracks on seeing the Veloster sitting in a parking lot. The man approached it first from the driver’s side, cocked his head, shuffled closer, and peeked inside; then, without taking his eyes off the thing, he skirted around the Veloster’s chunky rear until he got to the passenger side. He stood staring for a moment and then squinted, thrust his head forward, and raised his eyebrows. He scooted back to the driver’s side, as if he believed that if he moved quickly enough he might surprise the driver’s side and catch it having two doors. No dice.
In its three-door-ness, the Veloster is like the Saturn coupe (SC) with the three-door option. Or the Mini Clubman, which also has a rear-hinged, door-opening extender added aft of a conventional door. But instead of a silly half-door, the Hyundai has a proper front-hinged rear door that is at least three-quarters as useful as a proper port. And not only can it be opened independently of the front door, but the Veloster’s rear door is also mounted to the passenger side instead of the driver’s.
This is useful for two reasons—one obvious and one we hadn’t anticipated. First, the passenger side is the curbside. So it is the safer of the two from which to disgorge rear passengers, which, given the Veloster’s tight rear quarters, are likely to be children or people you don’t like all that much. The other critical benefit of fitting the rear door to the passenger side is that it allows the driver’s door to be longer, keeping the B-pillar from impeding peripheral vision.
Gamma for Your Gramma
We only drove the Veloster with a six-speed manual, but it’s available with a new-for-Hyundai six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The shifter is perfectly pleasant to use, and the clutch takeup is smooth. But it’s not your left leg you’ll be worrying about. It’s your right leg that will be tired at the end of a drive, what with you trying to cram the accelerator through the floorboards. The so-called Gamma 1.6-liter direct-injection engine is a kindly enough motor, but it’s small and has low peak torque—123 lb-ft—at a high 4850 rpm. You have to work it over to make decent progress, and in our testing, the car needed 8.5 seconds to get to 60 mph. That’s more than 1.5 seconds slower to 60 mph than the Scion. The Veloster trundled through the quarter-mile in 16.7 seconds at 84 mph. A turbo is on the way within a year’s time.
On the upside, when you’re not beating on the Veloster, the EPA reckons it will return 28 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway when equipped with the manual. With the dual-clutch tranny, the Veloster is predicted to return 29/38 mpg. In an attempt to keep things fun, our foot-to-the-floor driving style yielded a not-very-impressive 25 mpg average.
How To: Make Your Veloster Look Like the Concept
Perhaps we’ve been a bit tough on the Veloster. It starts at $18,060 for a manual version. The dual-clutch adds $1250. The example we drove came with both of the major option packages. The $2000 Style package mostly keeps the Veloster from looking like a cheap car. It brings 18-inch wheels, chrome trim, piano-black interior and exterior trim, front fog lights, an eight-speaker stereo, “leatherette” seats and door inserts, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum pedals, and an auto-up driver’s window. But it’s the panoramic sunroof that comes with the Style package that gives the Veloster its signature look, with glass panels butted up against each other for an almost continuous sweep of glass from the base of the windshield all the way over the top of the roof and down to the rear bumper. It certainly makes the interior airy and is one of the more distinct similarities to the concept Veloster. But having one of the highest glass-to-metal ratios of any car on the market doesn’t do much for structural integrity.
The other available option grouping is the Tech package. It requires the Style package and then adds another $2000 of goodies like wheels with painted inserts intended to make them look like the Veloster concept’s. It also ropes in parking-distance sensors in the back, a rearview camera, a navigation system, automatic headlamps, and pushbutton start. Throw in floor mats ($95), and a loaded manual Veloster lists for $22,155.
Hyundai gives this youth-oriented model standard Bluetooth with voice recognition, auxiliary and USB inputs, and the capability for video (or video-game) playback via an RCA cable. Furthermore, the car comes standard with Pandora internet-radio capability via iPhone. Not enough for you? How about a built-in video game that scores you on your eco-driving prowess? The CRX never had that, did it?
But, no. On the back of this little three-door (four-door, if you count the hatch) meatball ride the hopes of enthusiasts who loved the old Honda CRX Si, who still love the Honda CRX Si, or who at least think they remember loving the CRX Si. And since Honda resolutely refuses to re-create one of its great ideas, the opportunity has fallen to the only car company that appears to have any interest in a similar concept: Hyundai.
Now, let’s get one thing straight: Hyundai never explicitly said that its four-seat Veloster was the spiritual replacement for the two-seat CRX Si. But given its size and shape, people have been drawing the comparison ever since the Veloster concept first appeared, and the company sure didn’t discourage the impression. Now that we’ve driven the production version over hill and dale, we can say, in our snappiest Lloyd Bentsen impersonation, that we worked with the CRX Si, we knew the CRX Si, the CRX Si was a friend of ours. Veloster, you’re no CRX Si.
 |
The 1985 CRX Si, pumping 91 hp from its 1.5-liter engine, could only get to 60 mph in 9.1 seconds. The Veloster’s 1.6-liter four-cylinder makes 138 hp, giving it a 0-to-60 run of, well, about half a second less slow than the CRX. And forget the CRX for a moment; the Veloster is taller and wider than Honda’s Accord of that era. The Veloster also rides on a longer wheelbase and weighs something like 300 more pounds than an ’85 Accord. It’s nearly 1000 pounds weightier than the CRX.
But it’s not door count or horsepower or weight that disqualifies the Veloster from second-coming-of-CRX status. It’s that the Veloster just isn’t that much fun to drive. It feels heavier than its roughly 2700-pound curb weight suggests. And its feel-free steering, although accurate, brings no joy. The steering happens to have the least amount of self-centering that we’ve felt in some time. After a turn, the wheel is apparently content to lie on its side, lifeless, instead of preparing for its next assignment.
That’s a shame, because the chassis it commands is competent. Maybe not spritely, but at least the MacPherson-strut-front and torsion-beam-rear suspension does an admirable job of snubbing roll without beating the driver senseless. The Veloster circled our skidpad at a mediocre 0.82 g. The Scion tC, which Hyundai lists as a Veloster competitor, returns 0.86 g of grip. It’s a nice middle-ground tuning that should satisfy those looking for an economy car wearing a snazzy outfit.
Smooth Out That Shar Pei
And snazzy it is. The front and the flanks mimic other recent Hyundais, most notably the Elantra. Its face is pulled back tightly, similar to what we imagine a dog would look like with an aggressive face lift. The Veloster’s sides are deeply sculpted. That’s all pretty much standard-issue new-Hyundai oddness, though. The real weirdness is the doors, or rather the asymmetry of the doors. We watched as a couple stopped dead in their tracks on seeing the Veloster sitting in a parking lot. The man approached it first from the driver’s side, cocked his head, shuffled closer, and peeked inside; then, without taking his eyes off the thing, he skirted around the Veloster’s chunky rear until he got to the passenger side. He stood staring for a moment and then squinted, thrust his head forward, and raised his eyebrows. He scooted back to the driver’s side, as if he believed that if he moved quickly enough he might surprise the driver’s side and catch it having two doors. No dice.
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This is useful for two reasons—one obvious and one we hadn’t anticipated. First, the passenger side is the curbside. So it is the safer of the two from which to disgorge rear passengers, which, given the Veloster’s tight rear quarters, are likely to be children or people you don’t like all that much. The other critical benefit of fitting the rear door to the passenger side is that it allows the driver’s door to be longer, keeping the B-pillar from impeding peripheral vision.
Gamma for Your Gramma
We only drove the Veloster with a six-speed manual, but it’s available with a new-for-Hyundai six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The shifter is perfectly pleasant to use, and the clutch takeup is smooth. But it’s not your left leg you’ll be worrying about. It’s your right leg that will be tired at the end of a drive, what with you trying to cram the accelerator through the floorboards. The so-called Gamma 1.6-liter direct-injection engine is a kindly enough motor, but it’s small and has low peak torque—123 lb-ft—at a high 4850 rpm. You have to work it over to make decent progress, and in our testing, the car needed 8.5 seconds to get to 60 mph. That’s more than 1.5 seconds slower to 60 mph than the Scion. The Veloster trundled through the quarter-mile in 16.7 seconds at 84 mph. A turbo is on the way within a year’s time.
 |
How To: Make Your Veloster Look Like the Concept
Perhaps we’ve been a bit tough on the Veloster. It starts at $18,060 for a manual version. The dual-clutch adds $1250. The example we drove came with both of the major option packages. The $2000 Style package mostly keeps the Veloster from looking like a cheap car. It brings 18-inch wheels, chrome trim, piano-black interior and exterior trim, front fog lights, an eight-speaker stereo, “leatherette” seats and door inserts, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum pedals, and an auto-up driver’s window. But it’s the panoramic sunroof that comes with the Style package that gives the Veloster its signature look, with glass panels butted up against each other for an almost continuous sweep of glass from the base of the windshield all the way over the top of the roof and down to the rear bumper. It certainly makes the interior airy and is one of the more distinct similarities to the concept Veloster. But having one of the highest glass-to-metal ratios of any car on the market doesn’t do much for structural integrity.
The other available option grouping is the Tech package. It requires the Style package and then adds another $2000 of goodies like wheels with painted inserts intended to make them look like the Veloster concept’s. It also ropes in parking-distance sensors in the back, a rearview camera, a navigation system, automatic headlamps, and pushbutton start. Throw in floor mats ($95), and a loaded manual Veloster lists for $22,155.
Hyundai gives this youth-oriented model standard Bluetooth with voice recognition, auxiliary and USB inputs, and the capability for video (or video-game) playback via an RCA cable. Furthermore, the car comes standard with Pandora internet-radio capability via iPhone. Not enough for you? How about a built-in video game that scores you on your eco-driving prowess? The CRX never had that, did it?
New Cars for 2012: Hyundai Full Lineup Info
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Accent: see drive.
| Azera: An all-new sedan based on the Korean-market Grandeur (pictured) arrives in 2012 and wedges itself into the microscopic fissure between the loaded Sonata and the base Genesis V-6. The stretched and widened front-drive Sonata platform is topped by another opus from Hyundai’s “fluidic styling” playbook, combining elements from the Sonata and Equus. Extra legroom, upscale trim, and a direct-injection 3.0-liter V-6 making 266 horses will be the major differentiators between the Avalon-fighting Azera and the four-cylinder-only Sonata. |  |
| Elantra: Though just one year old, the “new” Elantra gets an “Active ECO” button on automatic-equipped cars. The go-slow mode changes the transmission and throttle settings to smooth everything out for less fuel consumption and is worth a seven-percent mileage gain, says the company. Also, the steering has been recalibrated for better on-center feel. |  |
| Equus: In another quick change for a practically new car, the one-year-old Equus dumps its 385-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 for the new direct-injected Tau 5.0-liter V-8 making 429 horses [see Tech Tidbit] and pairs it with a new Hyundai-developed eight-speed that replaces a ZF six-speed. This is the same power team as in the forthcoming Genesis R-Spec. Though the Equus’s equus-power climbs, the new engine and extra gears preserve fuel economy at 16 mpg city and 24 highway. |  |
| Genesis sedan: A major midcycle refresh puts direct fuel injection on the base 3.8-liter V-6, bumping output 15 percent, to 333 horsepower, and fuel economy to 19 mpg city and 29 highway. The headlights, grille, fascia, rocker panels, taillights, and interior trim are updated, and, as noted above, a sporty R-Spec model with the new 5.0-liter V-8 and eight-speed automatic has been added. The R-Spec comes with a firmer suspension tune, larger anti-roll bars, 19-inch wheels, Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position summer tires, larger brakes, and revised steering. |  |
| Santa Fe: Hyundai’s mid-size crossover gets a new grille for ’12 |  |
| Tucson: The size-small crossover goes on a fuel-economy tear, getting the Elantra’s Active ECO button (with automatics), low-rolling-resistance tires, and a revised climate system aided by solar-control glass. EPA highway mileage for 2.4-liter front-drive autos rises from 31 mpg to 32. |  |
2012 Hyundai Accent Official Photos and Info
Hyundai started selling cars here in America in 1985. Its first U.S. product, a $4995 hatchback paradoxically named the Excel, was most noteworthy for being the cheapest new car on the market. Of course, it was an absolute turd of a car, and its price wasn’t the only cheap thing about it. A quarter-century later, Hyundai still sells America’s cheapest set of wheels, although at $10,735, the 2011 Accent is a little more than twice the price of the Excel—and at least twice as nice. Come summer, Hyundai will replace its smallest model with the considerably improved 2012 Accent that’s making its debut at the 2011 New York auto show. And from what we’ve seen so far, this Accent might actually excel at something beyond affordability.
Has Ford Seen This Yet?
If you see a little—okay, more than a little—of the Ford Fiesta's “Kinetic” form vocabulary in the Hyundai Accent’s “Fluidic Sculpture” styling, you’re not alone. The Accent’s large headlamps, sweeping body-side ridge, and high-set taillamps do look good, imparting a more exciting look than that of the current car. And it would probably look darn futuristic if Ford hadn’t put such similar elements on its Fiesta two years ago; call this the Hyundai Fête. Also like the Fiesta, the 2012 Accent looks somewhat better as a hatchback than a sedan. To be fair, the Accent resembles other Hyundais as much as it does the Fiesta, including the sleek Sonata, the new 2011 Elantra, and the Tucson.
Inside, the 2012 Accent’s interior furnishings now align with those in most other new Hyundais, with modern décor offered in black, gray, and beige. Hyundai characterizes the Accent as having “class above” interior space because it’s EPA-classified as a compact while having a subcompact footprint, and further claims class-leading cargo space for the five-door models.
Between the Accent’s two body styles (a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback; the entry-level, three-door Accent is discontinued for 2012) are three unique trim levels: GS and sport-flavored SE trims are hatchback-only, while Accent sedans come only in GLS guise. The GS hatch serves as Hyundai’s low-baller, and is decently equipped with a six-speed manual, air conditioning, keyless entry, power windows and mirrors, and six speakers for the stereo. The SE hatch adds niceties like cruise control, Bluetooth, upgraded cloth upholstery, 16-inch alloys, fog lamps, and a rear spoiler. The GLS sedan rolls on puny 14s like the GS hatch and comes with a six-speed manual as standard, power door locks, and a four-speaker sound system. The Comfort package adds air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, and an upgraded audio system. Regardless of trim level, all Accents are loaded up with safety equipment, including front, front-side, and front and rear side-curtain airbags; four-wheel disc brakes; and stability control.
Gamma Arrives
Making its debut under the Accent’s hood is Hyundai’s new direct-injection, 1.6-liter “Gamma” four-cylinder engine, which makes 138 hp at 6300 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque at 4850 rpm—up a huge 28 hp and 17 lb-ft compared with the current 1.6-liter Accent mill. Electric power steering conspires with low-rolling-resistance tires and six-speed manual (standard across the range) or automatic transmissions (optional) to help the 2012 Accent hit the magic 40-mpg mark in highway fuel economy, according to Hyundai; it should get 30 mpg in the city. It also helps that Hyundai kept the Accent’s claimed curb weight to around 2400 pounds regardless of body style.
Still the Cheapest, but Don’t Call it Cheap
Hyundai says that it will hold 2012 Accent prices to 2011 levels—a feat aided by the use of a carry-over platform—which means that the Accent could remain America’s cheapest car at under $11K. That is, if none of the Korean maker’s competitors undercut that price before the Accent arrives this summer. Still, even if something does “out-cheap” the littlest Hyundai in price, it’s not likely to match the Accent’s impressive power, feathery weight, and available features. In the new 2012 Accent, Hyundai should have an inexpensive car it can be proud to sell—for cheap.
Has Ford Seen This Yet?
If you see a little—okay, more than a little—of the Ford Fiesta's “Kinetic” form vocabulary in the Hyundai Accent’s “Fluidic Sculpture” styling, you’re not alone. The Accent’s large headlamps, sweeping body-side ridge, and high-set taillamps do look good, imparting a more exciting look than that of the current car. And it would probably look darn futuristic if Ford hadn’t put such similar elements on its Fiesta two years ago; call this the Hyundai Fête. Also like the Fiesta, the 2012 Accent looks somewhat better as a hatchback than a sedan. To be fair, the Accent resembles other Hyundais as much as it does the Fiesta, including the sleek Sonata, the new 2011 Elantra, and the Tucson.
Inside, the 2012 Accent’s interior furnishings now align with those in most other new Hyundais, with modern décor offered in black, gray, and beige. Hyundai characterizes the Accent as having “class above” interior space because it’s EPA-classified as a compact while having a subcompact footprint, and further claims class-leading cargo space for the five-door models.
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Gamma Arrives
Making its debut under the Accent’s hood is Hyundai’s new direct-injection, 1.6-liter “Gamma” four-cylinder engine, which makes 138 hp at 6300 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque at 4850 rpm—up a huge 28 hp and 17 lb-ft compared with the current 1.6-liter Accent mill. Electric power steering conspires with low-rolling-resistance tires and six-speed manual (standard across the range) or automatic transmissions (optional) to help the 2012 Accent hit the magic 40-mpg mark in highway fuel economy, according to Hyundai; it should get 30 mpg in the city. It also helps that Hyundai kept the Accent’s claimed curb weight to around 2400 pounds regardless of body style.
Still the Cheapest, but Don’t Call it Cheap
Hyundai says that it will hold 2012 Accent prices to 2011 levels—a feat aided by the use of a carry-over platform—which means that the Accent could remain America’s cheapest car at under $11K. That is, if none of the Korean maker’s competitors undercut that price before the Accent arrives this summer. Still, even if something does “out-cheap” the littlest Hyundai in price, it’s not likely to match the Accent’s impressive power, feathery weight, and available features. In the new 2012 Accent, Hyundai should have an inexpensive car it can be proud to sell—for cheap.
2012 Hyundai Genesis / Genesis 5.0 R-Spec Official Photos and Info
Hyundai used the 2011 Chicago auto show to drop a thoroughly revised Genesis sedan, but has the car really been on the market long enough for a refresh? Well, maybe not—it first landed at dealerships in the summer of 2008—but in light of the powertrain upgrades and cosmetic tweaks for the 2012 Genesis, we’re sure nobody will complain about the early face lift.
5.0 Isn’t Just for Mustangs Anymore
A more powerful member of Hyundai’s Tau V-8 family had been a foregone conclusion for some time. Now it’s here, in the engine bay of the new Genesis 5.0 R-Spec. The R-Spec badge was introduced on harder-core, lighter-optioned Genesis coupes, but the Genesis sedan version is more about adding performance than stripping out luxuries. First, the engine.
Rather than replace the existing 4.6-liter V-8 with the new 5.0, Hyundai will keep both in the Genesis line, with the big-boy V-8 being an R-Spec exclusive. We obtained preliminary specs for the 5.0-liter on a trip to Korea last June, and now those specs have been confirmed. The engine will produce a meaty 429 hp at 6400 rpm and 376 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm. (To read more about how Hyundai cranked up the heat in its V-8, check out our rundown.) The power will be routed through Hyundai’s new, in-house-developed eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Genesis 5.0 R-Spec also gets what Hyundai is calling “more aggressive chassis tuning,” although, based on our experience with the overly flinty ride in our long-term Genesis 4.6 sedan, this initially strikes us as a little like Old Country Buffet promising to have more food in the future. Luckily, it sounds like firmer suspenders aren’t part of the menu—in fact, the lower models are receiving recalibrated suspensions to fix the ride problem. Instead, the Genesis 5.0 R-Spec promises to up the 4.6’s sportiness quotient by packing larger front and rear stabilizer bars and 13.6-inch front brake rotors, larger than those on any model last year. It also gets unique 19-inch wheels.
Finally, the exterior and interior are tweaked to complete the R-Spec transformation. The Genesis 5.0 R-Spec will be available only in Black Noir, Platinum Metallic, and Titanium Gray—paint-speak for black, light silver, and dark silver—and will feature dark chrome inserts in the headlight housings and R-Spec badging on the rear deck. All interiors will be black, and the steering wheel is fully wrapped in black leather, as opposed to the wood-and-leather tiller in the Genesis 4.6.
V-6 Gets Direct Injection, New Gearbox for All
Even with all this attention lavished upon the new 429-hp Genesis, Hyundai hasn’t forgotten about the rest of the range. To begin, both the 3.8-liter V-6 and 4.6-liter V-8 models receive the new eight-speed automatic as standard equipment for 2012, in place of their six-speed autoboxes.
Bigger news lies under the cars’ hoods. The popular 3.8-liter V-6 model gets a zinger of an upgrade with the addition of direct injection, which helps pump up power from last year’s respectable 290 hp to an impressive 333. Torque increases, too, from 264 lb-ft to 291. Hyundai expects the Genesis 3.8 to now score 29 mpg on the highway cycle when the EPA rates it, an improvement from the port-injected 3.8’s 27 mpg, although the company isn’t releasing any estimates about changes to the outgoing model’s 18-mpg city rating. Thanks to the eight-speed box, the 4.6-liter V-8’s highway fuel-economy figure adds 1 mpg, with the Genesis 4.6 now rated at 17/26.
As mentioned, Hyundai says it has tweaked the suspension damping with an eye toward improving the ride on both 3.8- and 4.6-liter models. As part of its suspension work, the V-6–powered Genesis gets a larger rear stabilizer bar to better mitigate body roll. Also, the 3.8 upgrades to the 13.0-inch front rotors of the 2011 4.6, while the 2012 4.6 adopts the same 13.6-inch front platters as the R-Spec.
Look, Ma, New Looks! And Features, Too
R-Spec badging should be enough to tip off passersby that that model is the latest Genesis, but just in case, all 2012 Genesis sedans have noticeably modified exteriors. The front fascia is now more aggressive, with a wide lower air intake, while the headlight assemblies have been overhauled for a fresh look and to add de rigueur LED accents and daytime running lights. The profile incorporates a new rocker-panel design akin to what you’d find on a tuner-shop shelf, as well as new 17-inch wheels on the V-6 model. In the back, the taillights are restyled and the exhaust tips extend through the rear bumper rather than from underneath it.
Inside, the non-R-Spec models offer new “woodgrain” colors, which we hope include one called “Resembles Real Wood.” The options sheet also will grow to include a new lane-departure warning system, power-folding mirrors, and heated rear seats. All thrilling stuff, huh? Hyundai probably thinks—and rightly so—that the 5.0-liter V-8, chassis updates, new transmission, and R-spec trim will be enough to generate excitement about this refresh. Hyundai tells us that the R-Spec should run between $45K and $50K—likely toward the high end of that spectrum—when it goes on sale late this spring or early this summer. No mention was made of pricing or on-sale dates for the other 2012 Genesis models, but we figure they'll hit around the same time wearing stickers similar to the $33,850 (3.8) and $43,850 (4.6) tags worn by the 2011 versions.
Everything sounds good, but what really interests us is how these Genesis sedans will perform once we have the chance to test them. At that point, we’ll know if this early overhaul was actually right on time. View Photo Gallery
5.0 Isn’t Just for Mustangs Anymore
A more powerful member of Hyundai’s Tau V-8 family had been a foregone conclusion for some time. Now it’s here, in the engine bay of the new Genesis 5.0 R-Spec. The R-Spec badge was introduced on harder-core, lighter-optioned Genesis coupes, but the Genesis sedan version is more about adding performance than stripping out luxuries. First, the engine.
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The Genesis 5.0 R-Spec also gets what Hyundai is calling “more aggressive chassis tuning,” although, based on our experience with the overly flinty ride in our long-term Genesis 4.6 sedan, this initially strikes us as a little like Old Country Buffet promising to have more food in the future. Luckily, it sounds like firmer suspenders aren’t part of the menu—in fact, the lower models are receiving recalibrated suspensions to fix the ride problem. Instead, the Genesis 5.0 R-Spec promises to up the 4.6’s sportiness quotient by packing larger front and rear stabilizer bars and 13.6-inch front brake rotors, larger than those on any model last year. It also gets unique 19-inch wheels.
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V-6 Gets Direct Injection, New Gearbox for All
Even with all this attention lavished upon the new 429-hp Genesis, Hyundai hasn’t forgotten about the rest of the range. To begin, both the 3.8-liter V-6 and 4.6-liter V-8 models receive the new eight-speed automatic as standard equipment for 2012, in place of their six-speed autoboxes.
Bigger news lies under the cars’ hoods. The popular 3.8-liter V-6 model gets a zinger of an upgrade with the addition of direct injection, which helps pump up power from last year’s respectable 290 hp to an impressive 333. Torque increases, too, from 264 lb-ft to 291. Hyundai expects the Genesis 3.8 to now score 29 mpg on the highway cycle when the EPA rates it, an improvement from the port-injected 3.8’s 27 mpg, although the company isn’t releasing any estimates about changes to the outgoing model’s 18-mpg city rating. Thanks to the eight-speed box, the 4.6-liter V-8’s highway fuel-economy figure adds 1 mpg, with the Genesis 4.6 now rated at 17/26.
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Look, Ma, New Looks! And Features, Too
R-Spec badging should be enough to tip off passersby that that model is the latest Genesis, but just in case, all 2012 Genesis sedans have noticeably modified exteriors. The front fascia is now more aggressive, with a wide lower air intake, while the headlight assemblies have been overhauled for a fresh look and to add de rigueur LED accents and daytime running lights. The profile incorporates a new rocker-panel design akin to what you’d find on a tuner-shop shelf, as well as new 17-inch wheels on the V-6 model. In the back, the taillights are restyled and the exhaust tips extend through the rear bumper rather than from underneath it.
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Everything sounds good, but what really interests us is how these Genesis sedans will perform once we have the chance to test them. At that point, we’ll know if this early overhaul was actually right on time. View Photo Gallery
2011 Hyundai Elantra Official Photos and Info
In a flooded segment handily conquered by cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, the current Hyundai Elantra is a forgettable-looking also-ran. But the 2011 model changes that. This new car, debuting at the L.A. auto show, boasts slick and attractive styling, boatloads of features, and an EPA rating of 29 mpg city/40 highway no matter which trim level or options you select.
Baby Sonata, Inside and Out
Hyundai hit its stride with the 2011 Sonata, which offers not only first-rate ride and handling but delivers very distinctive styling in a price bracket sheltering some of the blandest cars on the road. In similar fashion, the Elantra is, dare we say, a striking sedan for the budget-minded. Obviously modeled after its bigger sibling, with sharp creases and swoopy lines, the Elantra—together with the Sonata and Tucson—finally brings a consistent design language to Hyundai. With the Sonata on track to sell about 200,000 units in the U.S. this year, we don’t see why a smaller and cheaper version won’t be a similar sales success.
Beneath the surface, the Elantra rides on a wheelbase two inches longer than that of the outgoing car. Overall length increases by less than an inch. Width stays the same, but height is down 1.8 inches. Headroom takes a slight hit and the total interior volume is down by a little more than two cubic feet, but the Elantra still lords its EPA classification as a mid-size car over the Civic and Corolla, both of which qualify as compact.
Updated Chassis and Nu Engine
Disc brakes reside at all corners. The front rotors grow 0.2 inch, to 11 overall, but the rears stay the same size. While the last Elantra was never a stellar handler, we’re interested to see how the 2011 behaves in comparison, as the rear suspension moves from a more costly multilink setup to a cheaper torsion-beam axle.
Perhaps the most significant upgrade is the new 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Dubbed Nu, it puts out 10 hp more than the old 2.0-liter, totaling 148 at 6500 rpm. Torque output is down 5 lb-ft, to 131, but its all-aluminum construction saves about 74 pounds. The Nu will hook to more ratios than its predecessor, with an available six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual. Combine this updated powertrain with the Elantra’s new electric power steering, low-rolling-resistance tires, and decreases in both curb weight and coefficient of drag—0.28 compared to 0.32—and you’ve got that 29/40-mpg EPA rating.
Laundry List of Standard Features
When the 2011 Elantra goes on sale—which will happen yet before the end of the year—buyers will have their choice of two trims, GLS and Limited, with a total of just seven available configurations. While that isn’t a lot of choice, the Elantra is loaded with standard equipment. Safety gear on each Elantra includes six airbags, electronic stability and traction control, and anti-lock brakes. Base GLS models will come equipped with the six-speed manual transmission, body-colored mirrors and door handles, 15-inch steel wheels, a cabin-air filter, power windows and locks, keyless entry, and a six-speaker audio system with auxiliary and USB inputs. Optional equipment on the GLS includes the automatic transmission, two different 16-inch wheel options, auto headlights, air conditioning, a telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth, and a seven-inch touch-screen navigation unit that has Bluetooth streaming audio capability, eight gigs of memory, XM satellite radio with XM data services, and a rearview camera.
Those with a little more dough might want to step up to the Limited trim that rolls many of the GLS’s options into the standard-equipment list and adds treats like 17-inch wheels, heated mirrors, a sunroof, and heated leather seats both front and rear. Additionally, the nav system is available, as is push-button starting.
Hyundai is withholding pricing info until later this week, but when the redesigned Sonata surfaced, Hyundai kept costs right around the level of the outgoing car. We expect similar discipline with the Elantra, which means the company should be positioned to make a significant mark on the economy class, too. View Photo Gallery
Baby Sonata, Inside and Out
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Beneath the surface, the Elantra rides on a wheelbase two inches longer than that of the outgoing car. Overall length increases by less than an inch. Width stays the same, but height is down 1.8 inches. Headroom takes a slight hit and the total interior volume is down by a little more than two cubic feet, but the Elantra still lords its EPA classification as a mid-size car over the Civic and Corolla, both of which qualify as compact.
Updated Chassis and Nu Engine
Disc brakes reside at all corners. The front rotors grow 0.2 inch, to 11 overall, but the rears stay the same size. While the last Elantra was never a stellar handler, we’re interested to see how the 2011 behaves in comparison, as the rear suspension moves from a more costly multilink setup to a cheaper torsion-beam axle.
Perhaps the most significant upgrade is the new 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Dubbed Nu, it puts out 10 hp more than the old 2.0-liter, totaling 148 at 6500 rpm. Torque output is down 5 lb-ft, to 131, but its all-aluminum construction saves about 74 pounds. The Nu will hook to more ratios than its predecessor, with an available six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual. Combine this updated powertrain with the Elantra’s new electric power steering, low-rolling-resistance tires, and decreases in both curb weight and coefficient of drag—0.28 compared to 0.32—and you’ve got that 29/40-mpg EPA rating.
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When the 2011 Elantra goes on sale—which will happen yet before the end of the year—buyers will have their choice of two trims, GLS and Limited, with a total of just seven available configurations. While that isn’t a lot of choice, the Elantra is loaded with standard equipment. Safety gear on each Elantra includes six airbags, electronic stability and traction control, and anti-lock brakes. Base GLS models will come equipped with the six-speed manual transmission, body-colored mirrors and door handles, 15-inch steel wheels, a cabin-air filter, power windows and locks, keyless entry, and a six-speaker audio system with auxiliary and USB inputs. Optional equipment on the GLS includes the automatic transmission, two different 16-inch wheel options, auto headlights, air conditioning, a telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth, and a seven-inch touch-screen navigation unit that has Bluetooth streaming audio capability, eight gigs of memory, XM satellite radio with XM data services, and a rearview camera.
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Hyundai is withholding pricing info until later this week, but when the redesigned Sonata surfaced, Hyundai kept costs right around the level of the outgoing car. We expect similar discipline with the Elantra, which means the company should be positioned to make a significant mark on the economy class, too. View Photo Gallery
2012 Hyundai Veloster Official Photos and Info
The 2012 Veloster Hyundai is showing at the Detroit auto show is the result of the company asking itself the question, “Why can’t we have two coupes?” The rear-wheel-drive Genesis coupe does leave room in the lineup for a playful front-drive model targeting the likes of the Mini Cooper and Scion tC. That slot in the lineup is now filled by a compact five-seat hatchback that looks like a Honda CR-Z with a glandular problem.
The cause of the Veloster’s oddness is an asymmetrical body that makes the car appear slightly disfigured. On the driver’s side, the little car has a single normal door, while on the passenger side there are two, which really makes it a coupe in idea only. Form following function usually results in less-strange solutions, but the rear door is practical and it opens to a surprisingly large rear seat. If you’re worried about how that will affect the British—and who isn’t?—don’t. Right-hand-drive markets will get a four-door Veloster. (Add in the hatchback and they’ll technically get a five-door to our, uh, four-door hatch.) Around back, the Veloster has a Honda CR-Z–style two-piece glass hatch that is intended to aid rear visibility, although the crossbar dividing the panes in such arrangements usually hinders the view instead.
Like Many Mutants, Familiar Underneath
Under the skin, the Veloster is largely conventional, with the exception of its optional dual-clutch automatic transmission, Hyundai’s first such gearbox. A strut front suspension and a twist-beam rear hold standard 17-inch wheels or optional 18s on a 104.3-inch wheelbase (the new Elantra’s wheelbase is two inches longer). Powering the Veloster is a direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. Our sources have confirmed a 210-hp turbocharged version of the same engine will make it to European models late this year, and we figure that we’ll get it, too. Transferring the go to the front wheels (despite the crossover-ish profile, all-wheel drive will not be available) will be a six-speed manual and the aforementioned six-speed dual-clutch automatic; manual models are said to weigh in at a surprisingly light 2600 pounds, with the dual-clutch version tipping the scales at 2650. Hyundai claims that the Veloster will achieve up to 40 mpg on the EPA highway cycle.
While the mechanicals may be conservative, the electronics in the Veloster take a small step into the future of in-car telematics. A seven-inch touch-screen is standard even if you don’t opt for navigation. In addition to storage for music, pictures, and video—all easily uploaded through a USB input—it comes equipped with Pandora internet radio fed through a connection with the driver’s smartphone. Other possibilities include an RCA jack and a 115-volt outlet that allow for gaming consoles to be plugged in and played while the Veloster is in park—because Gran Turismo 5 is the new campfire, you know. Blue Link, Hyundai’s version of GM’s OnStar crash, safety, vehicle diagnostics, and turn-by-turn navigation service, will be standard and will come with a temporary free subscription.
Pricing has not been announced, but considering the vehicles that Hyundai lists as the Veloster’s competition, base versions likely will start around $16,000, with a loaded-up Veloster rising toward $21,000. While the $2000 buffer that will leave between the Veloster and the Genesis coupe is slim, we can’t imagine too many people will cross-shop the two.
The cause of the Veloster’s oddness is an asymmetrical body that makes the car appear slightly disfigured. On the driver’s side, the little car has a single normal door, while on the passenger side there are two, which really makes it a coupe in idea only. Form following function usually results in less-strange solutions, but the rear door is practical and it opens to a surprisingly large rear seat. If you’re worried about how that will affect the British—and who isn’t?—don’t. Right-hand-drive markets will get a four-door Veloster. (Add in the hatchback and they’ll technically get a five-door to our, uh, four-door hatch.) Around back, the Veloster has a Honda CR-Z–style two-piece glass hatch that is intended to aid rear visibility, although the crossbar dividing the panes in such arrangements usually hinders the view instead.
Like Many Mutants, Familiar Underneath
Under the skin, the Veloster is largely conventional, with the exception of its optional dual-clutch automatic transmission, Hyundai’s first such gearbox. A strut front suspension and a twist-beam rear hold standard 17-inch wheels or optional 18s on a 104.3-inch wheelbase (the new Elantra’s wheelbase is two inches longer). Powering the Veloster is a direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. Our sources have confirmed a 210-hp turbocharged version of the same engine will make it to European models late this year, and we figure that we’ll get it, too. Transferring the go to the front wheels (despite the crossover-ish profile, all-wheel drive will not be available) will be a six-speed manual and the aforementioned six-speed dual-clutch automatic; manual models are said to weigh in at a surprisingly light 2600 pounds, with the dual-clutch version tipping the scales at 2650. Hyundai claims that the Veloster will achieve up to 40 mpg on the EPA highway cycle.
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