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?

New Cars for 2012: Hyundai Full Lineup Info

[ MARKET SHARE 2012 EST., CHANGE FROM 2011: 5.78%, +1.13% ]
�Veloster: The best new-car name in a while is attached to a weirdly practical three-door (plus glass hatchback) sports coupe. The Veloster has front doors of differing lengths (shorter on the passenger side to accommodate a front-hinged third door behind it, unlike other three-doors whose rear-hinged suicide doors can�t be used without opening the front door). The car is spacious, with a 16-cubic-foot cargo hold and 35 cubes for the rear seats. Drive comes from Hyundai�s new Gamma direct-injected 1.6-liter four, which puts 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque to a six-speed manual or �EcoShift DCT� six-speed dual-clutch automatic�Hyundai�s first. Suspension is struts up front with a twist-beam rear. Four-wheel disc brakes pull the stops inside 17- or 18-inch aluminum wheels. Curb weights are below 2700 pounds, says Hyundai, and prices should start at about $18,000, which includes a standard touch-screen display. We�re told a 210-hp turbo version likely will appear sometime in 2012.
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 F�te. 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 d�cor 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.