Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2012 Fun Funky Solid Quality 40 MPG Boldness DNA Affordable

Hyundai Veloster Stomps!

Tuesday, November 6, 2011

Jack Fox

Ever since the anticipated release of the Veloster from Hyundai, many had speculated what this vehicle could be, would be. Some had even guesstimated that the 2012 Veloster was to be the Tiburon’s successor.

2012 Hyundai Veloster

Veloster is No Tiburon

Know this, Veloster is no Tiburon. Heck no!  Hyundai has delivered much more than that in the Veloster. This is a hipster of a car, with driving dynamics that match. Incarnate in Veloster's DNA, is a fun to drive, uniquely styled, out-of-the box, compact, roomy, 2+2 coupe, packaged in an affordable wrapper.

It takes several double takes and walk arounds to take in the sculpted, snarly looks from the front, to the aggressively styled wheel arches, and the squared off shouldered looks of the rear hatch. The dual mounted, center exhaust really finishes off the rear with good balance though, drawing nicely on its sporty potential.

Although, you won’t confuse Veloster with a high powered sports coupe, it certainly is one coupe that definitely exudes the kind of attention getting pheromones that’s sure to make it stand out and please its owner.  Who says your car’s DNA shouldn’t mirror its owner’s personality?

Ballsy Move

The Veloster, a funky, front wheel drive coupe, is no ordinary 2+2. In fact, it's a 2+2 with a third door on the passenger side. For Hyundai, Veloster represents a bold, out of the norm, ballsy move from an automaker who once upon a time, make that a long, long, time ago-was known for bland like, if what could have been described at times as uninspired styling. But that was then, back in the cob webs of history.

Not even Hyundai’s harshest critics can dare reconcile those memories with today’s crop of vehicles from Accent, Elantra, Tucson, to Sonata. The model lineup scales up to the well received entry lux Genesis and elegantly appointed, luxury, Equus.  Hyundai as an automaker, has been on a fast track for the last several years, churning out one winning design after another. And they have the powertrains, engines, technology and strong sales to back that up.

Their successful fluidic sculpture design language has spread throughout their entire line up, a defining turning point for the automaker. But engineering a car like Veloster, steps them outside the fluidic sculpture trademark, because it’s a car that stands out, but it stands out for all the right reasons, and will make even diehard Nippon fanboys jealous with envy because frankly nothing out there cannot even come close to matching Veloster.

Veloster is Solid and Confident

If anything the competitive benchmark was close to the Honda CR-X, a car that was iconic in its heyday for offering a fun, tossable, if not inspired daily driver, that was not just reliable, but affordable.

But the Veloster goes beyond what the CR-X was because it is all that and then some. The Veloster’s only available engine at the moment is a 1.6 liter, directed injected, EPA rated 40 MPG, 138 horsepower powerplant, producing 123 pound feet of torque at max velocity. Curb weight has also been kept to a proportional 2500-2600 pounds and this really works to Veloster’s advantage especially when engaging in twists and turns.

While it may not zoom to 60 in pocket rocket style, (you’ll need to wait for the upcoming estimated 210 horsepower turbo next year to experience that), what it will do is let you push the car without feeling as if you’re ever going to lose control or go over or beyond its limits. The car is that good. No wonder competitors like Honda and Toyota have been worrying and losing sleep about Hyundai’s growing market share in the U.S.

The feel and handling of the Veloster is solid and confident and the switch gear is first rate. It literally feels like it should cost thousands more than its amazing base price of $17,300.

The standard equipment list is quite hefty, even for the base manual 6 speed. For example, the base model comes nicely equipped with an in dash 7-inch multimedia touch screen and surprisingly, an automatic Dual Clutch transmission can be optioned with paddle shifters. You can also option out your Veloster to include a rear back-up camera with sensors, panoramic moon roof, leatherette, nav system with satellite radio, and an awesome 8 speaker, 450 Watt, 8 inch powered sub woofer sound system.  

                                                                                                 

Nothing Like Veloster

Hyundai has left nothing on the table as far as the Veloster is concerned. They’ve truly built a competitor to rival anything in the segment. In fact, it resembles nothing currently offered by their Japanese competitors. Veloster is a car that definitely stands out, is fun to drive, roomy, affordable and will have heads turning and will make the competition red with envy and leave a grin on your face every time you get behind the wheel.