Hyundai Veloster 2012 debuts at 2011 Detroit Auto Show

Hyundai Veloster 2012 debuts at 2011 Detroit Auto Show


The 2011 North American International Auto Show held in Detroit saw the official reveal of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster, the oddball-yet-cool hatchback with three doors, not counting the tailgate.

On the exterior, the front is an aggressive form of Hyundai’s signature hexagonal front grille, hood scoop detailing, and unique Hyundai-signature LED position lights. Optional packages add a chrome grille surround, piano black highlights, fog lights, and a massive panoramic sunroof.

Veloster combines the style of a coupe and the functionality of a hatchback, while also incorporating an additional passenger-side door. The passenger-side rear door handle is hidden to maintain the coupe design.

In profile the Veloster features “Fluidic Sculpture” character lines, muscular wheel arches, bodycolor door handles and mirrors, and wraparound headlights and taillights. Veloster comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels and offers two types of 18-inch wheels. The rear design has a distinctive glass hatch, dual centered chrome exhaust tips and black lower fascia. The Veloster weighs in at about 1172 kg.

Inside, the centre stack and controls resemble a sport bike fuel tank and incorporate an available push-button starter. The air vents are inspired by motorcycle tailpipes, while the floor console mirrors the seat of a bike. Metallic accents abound throughout the interior. Alloy pedals and a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob are also available.

The Gamma 1.6-litre four-cylinder helps deliver estimated highway fuel economy of up to 40 mpg. To help achieve those numbers a standard six-speed manual transmission or an all-new, 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) is used. The engine produces about 138 hp and 167 Nm of torque.

The Veloster is fitted with a McPherson strut front suspension, coil springs, gas shock absorbers and a 24 mm diameter front stabiliser. Standard are 215/45HR17 tyres on 17-inch alloy wheels. There are also optional 18-inch alloy wheels with lower profile 215/40VR18 tyres.

The Veloster has standard safety features which include a Stability Management system which optimally manages Electronic Stability Control and the Motor-Driven electric Power Steering.

With video games being an important element of entertainment, Hyundai integrated a USB jack, RCA jack and 115-volt power outlet in Veloster to support gaming consoles.

The Veloster is available with two audio systems. Standard is a 196-watt AM/FM/Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system with six-speakers and iPod/USB/auxiliary input jacks. A 450-watt Dimension Premium Audio system with eight speakers including an eight-inch subwoofer and external amplifier is available. A Bluetooth hands-free phone system with voice recognition, address book download and audio streaming is standard. Touch-screen navigation is optional. The system also integrates a rear-view camera.

While a Dubai-registered Hyundai Veloster was spotted testing in Abu Dhabi, it has not yet been confirmed whether it will reach Saudi, UAE and other GCC markets anytime soon.

Keep track of updates in the Hyundai buyer guide.

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Comments

  1. Nice exterior design. Wish they have made it larger – longer and wider.

    And I also wish they stop making interiors with dashboards that look like home stereo and Hi-Fi Systems!!! —> Ah by the way, it already has a 450 watts premium sound system!!! LoL

    That’s powerful sound! “NOT ENGINE SOUND THO”

  2. I read, the Veloster, with a 1.6L engine, consumes less fuel than the 1.5L petrol-electric Hybrid Honda CRZ and makes more horse power at the same time (122 vs 136 hp). And if that wasn’t enough, it is around 500 kg lighter!
    Of course, it is beaten by the Scirocco’s Turbo 2.0L (207 hp) or the turbo 1.4 (158 hp) but then again, Scirocco is a bit expensive and Veloster’s engines are not turbo-charged (but do use direct injection delivery)
    So anyway, Great work by Hyundai’s engineers!

  3. hyundai has already confirmed the turbo version of veloster…it might be 2.0ltr turbo found in genesis coupe or the 2.0ltr turbo from the sonata…also there is rumor the european veloster would get all standard 4 doors instead of the american 3 door coupe…wait and watch veloster is gonna be the new benchmark in entry level coupes…

  4. Impressive…but seems tacky..

  5. This is a peice of art, it is really a nice car, I guess the pricing will be very competetive too. Good job Hyundai

  6. Skimming thru this review im kind of disappointed.. It seems like a funky playstation on wheels more than a proper sport compact car that i was expecting.. Im still waiting for it to reach the market as a own a hyundai coupe and would look forward to see if its replacement is worthwhile.. But the 1.6 engine is impressive quite economic and gives the same output of the current 2.0 unit.. Lets hope it is also reasonably priced just like the current coupe..

  7. This is the ugliest car I have ever seen. What a design. Who would buy this thing and for what?!

    Imagine yourself stepping out of one of these! How funny are you gonna look?!

    The Korean car manufacturers, and sorry for their fans, are blind. And their engines are awfully engineered. I am telling this based on stories from my friends who owned Kias and Hyundais.

    God luck if you wanna get one!!

    Just my opinion…

    • I got a hyundai coupe 2002.. It served me well for the past 2 years and it never let me down, except once cuz the radiator was leaking.. They are fine.. The only reason some people dont buy them is because of their brainless ego.. You should see how they sell in other markets now, where hondas and toyotas are almost invisible.. Oh, and i know people who own hyundais and kias aswell, never had single bad story from their side and they owned their cars for years now…

  8. ^^^ Would you please not use useless words here. Do not make this site a battle field.

    In my comment I said “Just my opinion” so do not be rude. Please…

    Your Hyundai was made in 2002, and back then all cars in the market were well built. Even now Mercedes lost its reputation for quality. But Koreans lost it very badly. Go to the garages and see what brands are filling them for “MECHANICAL” issues. We are talking mechanical here not software or electrical.

    It does not mean if you have a car, and it served you well for the past whatever years, that its still good and reliable in its new generations. The friends I am talking about have those useless modern Korean cars, and say they are a waste of money. Resale value here in the middle east for Korean cars is also bad….

    AGAIN, JUST MY OPINION, so that you don’t “SHOOT” back. You are welcome to comment, not shoot. Cheerz

    • & that’s my opinion.. & the new ones, they are much much much better and refined than the older generation Hyundais that had barbie plastic interior and thin sheet metal and rubbish paint job.. Hence a massive improvement.. aside from their Japanese like reliability…

      Oh, and go visit every country in the middle east you will be blinded with Hyundais and Kias everywhere.. Hyundai got a weak resale value here because people aren’t used to buy them like they buy Toyotas.. & the Ego smug issue that people have aswell..

      If you want to voice an opinion back it up properly otherwise face the criticism.. That’s how it works; Im not insulting anyone or trying to be rude..

  9. Dude, chill out. Enjoy your Hyundai that you do not want anyone to criticize. Here everyone is posting a comment. Do not jump every time you see a Hyundai and a KIA hater and attack.

    Those who buy Korean cars just can’t afford the better competitors. Do not be fooled by the low prices, you get what you pay for.

    Tell me where in the middle east have you Hyundais filling the roads. As if you are talking to someone who is not middle eastern. I am talking, by the way, from a middle eastern point of view. Go out now and count them, you will find them in garages sleeping more than they are on the roads.

    And do not think for a minute that posting such criticizing comments will change the way people think about Korean cars, they’ve gotta prove it on the middle eastern roads, not the Asian soft roads. Got me? Here, a Korean car can’t survive, its too tiny and weak.

    • My point is not jumping on Hyundai haters, suit yourself with your opinion, im not getting paid by Hyundai to protect their brand or something.. The only thing i’m actually against is the fact that your arguments are not valid and are not based on any facts whatsoever.. Hence criticize Hyundai as much as you want as long as it makes sense.. Im sorry if you find my comments ‘useless’ but i hope this one sheds the light better based on your last post..

      1st of all not everybody that buys a Hyundai cannot afford another brand. Whats the price difference?? AED 5-8K?? might aswell buy a toyota, right?? Oh plus some 5 year warranty and servicing contract, sounds like a good deal to me?
      Regarding People who own them:
      I got a friend who is notorious for buying Mercs for the past 7 years and currently has a range rover; now they got a brand new Sonata along with a couple of Mercs they bought years ago from the dealer and hate for having endless costy issues. He even compares the Sonata to a CLS even though he is a hardcore mercedes buyer. I got another friend they own a Tucson, they praise it for its tough performance as they are quite abusive with the car; they own it aside from a Range Rover aswell, an FJ and a lexus saloon.. I know a person that drives to RAK daily in his 1.6 elantra and is really pleased with it..

      Hell, ill give you bad news as well, I know someone whos an idiot, revs the living shit out of his Elantra and barely changes his oil and now is replacing his busted engine as we speak.. Yeah, cuz he’s careless and doesnt take care of his car and for the least change his oil, obviously…

      Based on my experience and that of others, Hyundais are as reliable as Japanese cars and I’ve seen that in models for the past 5-8 years with several people I know..

      Go to Syria, cuz its a big market for those cars there. they sell like hot cakes and the resale value there tops that of Hondas.. I’ll go to Oman, KSA, Egypt and other places and count Hyundais for you.. Under one condition you count how many Chevys, VWs and BMWs are sleeping in garages..

      “How can you tell if a new car is not reliable, you gotta own it on a long run to know.”

      Finally, people are free to think what they want about Korean cars.. I personally would buy another Hyundai again after 2 years of extreme reliability driving all the way from SHJ to Barsha 6 days a week with my current one and traveling to Oman twice with it.. For me thats a good enough proof along with seeing how they are faring well for other people..

      Im not saying there wouldnt be manufacturing defects; maybe Hyundai doesn’t maintain a quality standard like the Japanese (pre-2000 hyundais were complete rubbish and had plenty of issues but times change).
      Maybe you had a bad experience, got unlucky and bought with knowing a Kia/Hyundai that had a recall or a manufacturing fault it happens in any car from Toyotas to BMWs and Even Bentleys.. There is always a car or two out of a dealer batch that might experience minor or major problems..

      And again if you dont give the car the maintenance it deserves it will give you a headache whatsoever.. There’s a Kia in a garage i know with a blown head gasket.. It happened cuz its owner drove it while it was overheating for a long distance.. so now cuz his ignorance, Kias are crap? Im against specifically this way of judging things..

      Bottom line is I dont like being judgmental about a whole brand cuz of a couple of experiences and assumptions..

  10. K dude, buy your new Hyundai. Me I will never get one even if they were the only ones selling beside camels. The camel can live longer!

    I do not want to convince you that Hyundai is not good, as you already have one. If my comment was painful to you, leave it. We are not changing the world here. Just got sick of this conversation that is based on criticism. Referring to my 1st comment, its ugly and the engine is badly engineered and can never compare to those German and Japanese units.

    If you only have experience with this brand, you still have not gotten a taste of others. Try then and compare for yourself. If you are buying the car just for its reliability, and these so called “nice designs”, then how do you call yourself a driver ha?

    • Listen, apparently you either didnt read my last post properly or just keep on repeating the same stuff over and over again.. Im not defending Hyundai but nevermind… Suit yourself and have a nice day. Buy yourself a Honda, a BMW or a camel or whatsoever.. Im not arguing with you anymore as were not getting anywhere..

    • Hey Fahad have you checked the winners of the 2011 middle east motor awards? You might want to eat your words. Your comments sound very foolish and uninformed now. Its the 19-judge(real car experts) panel versus your blind insanity! Seriously who are we gonna believe?

  11. This car looks amazing from the front…

    but the rear is ummm…(not my taste) but still is arguable … let’s see it on roads first then decide.

    And You 2 guys… ?? as a reader… I see both of you are prejudiced to his ideas!!.. now come one.. calm down and just give thumbs up or thumbs down.. if you don’t like a comment.. it’s as easy as that!!

    (I mean, you don’t have to reply back to defend your comment if someone else dislike it!!!) so what if he doesn’t like your opinion, leave him!!

    and the winner is…. the company that made you guys argue like that lol!

  12. Hyundai are Smart, you don’t need huge powerful engines to get decent speed,or hybrid to be fuel efficient they worked on weight,probably only company working on cutting weight, less weight= can drop a small engine and get good mileage and performance, this is what Honda use to do in the 90’s with their type r machines!

  13. @ROJ: your right dude. i’m not a fan of Kia, but Hyundai is producing amazing cars, I am a diehard german car fan, but the times that you would willingly pay more for quality and class are over, coz now hyundai gives you the same quality and value for less, not cheap stuff like 10 years ago. I dont completely judge a car with its brand coz the 2 children from the same family are not necessarily the same. Try out a car see how it is and drives, and then add the brand attributes to your choice.And sadly the Japs seem to be too overconfident, and are starting to lose the game. They are brilliant, but a tad overpriced now. Just my 2 cents.

    • The catch comes as follows.. The Japanese and other well recognized carmakers like Renault also profit from selling components, engines, etc and supervising on the production of other carmakers.. Such as proton, mahindra and various chinese carmakers.. Which makes me ‘assume’ they dont care cuz they are actually somehow silent players in the auto industry aswell.. Mitsubishi worked side by side with Hyundai and Proton for more than a decade now keeping an eye on how they should build cars to a standard and provide them with components when needed..
      Its disappointing cuz now brands are starting to be barely nothing more than a marketing tool while all the mainstream cars are actually the almost the same 1 car with a different look and badge..

  14. i think its a very good car and has a nice design but i have read some topics on the internet that says that it wont have the gdi system when its released in the middle east

    • I am disappointed with this car.. I expected a modern reincarnation of a crx… But its merely a family car with stiff suspension..

      Hyundai should start r&d performance division or re-consult porsche like they did in the 1st generation of the coupe..

  15. my faverat car

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