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.