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Detroit 2011: World premiere of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster

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Marc-André Hallé
Hyundai finally turned on the lights over its 2012 Veloster after tickling us for a while with pictures that slowly revealed what the car would look like.

Photo: Hyundai

With one driver-side door and two passenger-side doors, the Veloster boats the style of a coupe and the practicality of a hatchback. The third door is opened with a handle concealed in the C-pillar, and the driver never needs to leave his seat for rear-seat passengers to climb in.

The Veloster will be equipped with a direct-injected, 1.6-litre 4-cylinder that develops 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque at 4,850 rpm. According to Hyundai, it will offer a fuel economy of 5.88 L/100 (40 US mpg) and will consume less fuel on the highway than the Honda CR-Z hybrid.

For transmitting power to the wheels and motivate its 2,584-lb mass, the Veloster is equipped with a standard 6-speed manual transmission, while a 6-speed, double-clutch gearbox is optional, allowing a mix between a conventional automatic and a manual.

The car sticks to the road via a sport suspension, 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels, stability control, electric-assist power steering and an Eco Coach function that helps improving driving techniques in order to obtain the best possible fuel economy.

The Veloster will come standard with a 6-speaker, 196-watt AM/FM/satellite radio/CD/MP3 stereo, while a 450-watt system with 8 speakers and a subwoofer will be on the options list. All models will also include an auxiliary input jack, a USB port and Bluetooth connectivity.

This car will be the second model in Hyundai’s line-up, after the Sonata, to benefit from the Blue Link system, accessible via a 7-inch touch-screen.

Photo: Hyundai

Marc-André Hallé
Marc-André Hallé
Automotive expert
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