Hyundai Unveils 500-HP Veloster Rallycross Racer in Chicago

To help promote the new Veloster to the Gen-Y and under crowd, Hyundai has decided to bolster the coupe’s credentials by taking it racing. And in keeping with the car’s demographic, it won’t be racing in the more mainstream World Challenge or Grand Am series, but in an arena where the Red Bull-drinking youth of today will actually pay attention – Rallycross.

Presented today at the Chicago Auto Show, the new Veloster rally car has been built by Hyundai motorsports partner Rhys Millen Racing and will be piloted by rally racer and Drift champ Rhys Millen himself in the 2011 U.S. Rallycross Championship and in the increasingly popular X Games.

Build by RMR, the Veloster race car makes 500-hp and 600 lb-ft of torque from a seriously reworked 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. A true rally car in every way, it includes expected items like a full roll cage and custom off-road suspension, plus all the body panels are made of light weight carbon-Kevlar.

Rhys Millen himself will race the car in the 2011 Rallycross series, while a second vehicle will be piloted by both rally champ Marcus Dodd and freestyle motorbike racer Robbie Maddison. A third car will then be built to complete in a 2WD class, more closely representing the car’s factory capabilities.

Prepped and ready to go, Rhys Millen and the Veloster Rallycross car will make their debut March 26 at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, Calif.

[Source: Hyundai]

2012 Hyundai Veloster Officially Bows in Detroit

After a few rounds of preshow teasing, Hyundai has announced and unveiled the production version of the 2012 Veloster.

The first thing you'll notice about the Veloster (or second, depending on which side of the car you're standing) is the third door on the coupe's passenger side. Hyundai claims that by using two shorter doors on this side of the vehicle, it is able to both ease entrance into the Veloster's rear seat and ease parking by shortening what would be one longer door. It makes sense, but is a little odd. Fortunately, we like odd.

Under the Veloster's hood is a 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine that makes 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through either a six-speed manual gearbox or Hyundai's new six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Fuel economy is estimated at up to 40 highway mpg.

Hyundai's clearly proud of its little whatever-the-Veloster-is. The automaker took potshots at competing models, citing a lower curb weight than Mini's Cooper and better fuel efficiency than the Honda CR-Z (although to be fair, the CR-Z is a bit of an easy target). In the same breath, Hyundai admitted that the Veloster isn't an all out speed machine, stating that the hatchback is the sort of car you can "drive at 9/10th and not lose your license." If we can get at least a the Mazda Mazda2's level of handling and performance, we'd be pretty happy with the little Hyundai.

Settled behind the wheel, one notices that the Veloster is also equipped with the newest generation of Hyundai's infotainment and telematics technology. The vehicle features the standard array of Bluetooth (hands-free and audio streaming), USB, and iPod connectivity, but also features Pandora Internet Radio controls when paired to an iPhone, Android, or Blackberry device running the app. There's also Gracenote automatic playlisting, which can be used to verbally access media on a connected device and create similar music playlists with a spoken command. The unit also features a small amount of space for audio ripping (we're guessing it's only a gigabyte or two of flash memory, since Hyundai claims only 10 CDs will fit). Two audio systems are available, a standard 196-watt six-speaker rig and an eight-speaker (including a subwoofer and amplifier) Dimension Premium Audio system with 450-watts of power. Navigation is optional.

Also available is Hyundai's new Blue Link system, which connects the navigation, safety, and other systems to the outside world with a combination of voice recognition and operator assistance. You can learn more about Blue Link here.

Hyundai plans to sell the Veloster starting at about $17,000. We're looking forward to taking our turn behind the wheel when it hits showroom floors later this year.

Hyundai Debuts Its OnStar and SYNC Competitor: Blue Link

A couple of days ago Hyundai posted a teaser video of its highly awaited Veloster hatchback, mentioning several of its noteworthy features like direct-injection, dual-clutch transmission, and "Blue Link connectivity." The last one got many of our readers and enthusiasts across the web guessing at what it might be, from "a better version of Bluetooth?" to "Hyundai's answer to Ford's SYNC." Well today, Hyundai answered with the official introduction of the Blue Link system at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. And take our word, this is not your typical in-car gizmo.

With the Blue Link system, Hyundai is killing two birds with one stone, combining the many benefits of GM's OnStar system (soon to be compatible with non-GM cars) and seamless voice-activation capabilities of Ford's SYNC system into one platform. Much like GM’s OnStar, BlueLink can provide directions, schedule servicing, remotely lock or unlock the car doors, notify emergency services in case of a crash and remotely start the car, with the ability to pre-heat or cool the vehicle based on your preferences.

Other cool features include an automatic slowdown feature in case your vehicle is reported stolen and being pursued by the police, and a feature known as “geofencing” that sends the driver a text message of the vehicle strays outside of a demarcated area. Looks like breaking curfew will be a thing of the past for children of Hyundai owners.

The Blue Link system will first roll out in the Sonata and a "youth focused model" (anyone NOT thinking Veloster?) this summer, and will permeate through the entire Hyundai line-up by 2013.

Only four days remain until the Detroit Auto Show commences and the wraps come off the Veloster. Until then, can you guess what car's interior is featured in the press image above? Stay tuned for more information as they become available.

[Source: Hyundai]

Hyundai Launches Official Veloster Countdown Page [w/Video]

Hyundai has launched the official countdown page for the upcoming Veloster today. The countdown will continue running until the car's official debut at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on the 11th of next January. As of now, you can only sign up for future updates on the webpage (since when has an automaker sent out updates that blogs haven't revealed days before?). But the site does confirm the Veloster nameplate for Hyundai's highly anticipated car.


The automaker also posted a short teaser of the Veloster on its YouTube channel today. Features like direct-injection, dual-clutched transmission are mentioned, as well as a claim of an estimated 40 MPG rating and Blue-Link connectivity. The teaser ends off with a frontal silhouette of the vehicle which previews an aggressive LED design for its headlights.



[Source: Hyundai USA]

Hyundai Confirms Veloster for Detroit, Accent for New York

During a media briefing this week, Hyundai officials confirmed that the upcoming 2012 Veloster will make its world debut at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The company also announced that the North American version of the redesigned Accent will make its debut at the Big Apple next April.

While Hyundai has yet to make it official, it is almost certain that the Veloster (name subject to change, though rumors suggest it is here to stay) will be powered by a direct-injected version of the company's new 1.6-liter Gamma four-cylinder engine. Output is estimated at 138 horsepower and 123 lb.ft of torque. The big news is the new six-speed dual-clutch transmission that will be mated to the powertrain. The Veloster is expected to return at least 40 mpg on the highway.

Stay tuned for more information on the Veloster in the coming days.

[Source: Autoblog]

2012 Hyundai Veloster Spied in Sizzling Red For The First Time

What's a better way to start off the Thursday morning than feasting your eyes upon the first spy shots of a red 2012 Hyundai Veloster prototype? Caught at a service station lot in South Korea, this particular prototype gives us our first look at other colors that will be available in the palette besides the white that we've seen for too long now. Other than the new color, we can't see anything we haven't seen before.

Leave us your thoughts on the red Veloster in the comments section below!

Read more to view more spy shots of the red Veloster.

Is This Even Legal?: 2012 Hyundai Veloster Interior Spied Inside the Cabin

The term "friends with benefits" has been taken to an entire new level with the latest release of spy shots of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster. A member over at a Chinese automotive forum today posted cell-phone shots of the interior of the upcoming Hyundai coupe taken sitting inside the test mule.

From what we can tell, the photographer of these images was probably allowed to take these images with the permission of a friend driving the prototype seen in one of the images. We don't need the help of Horatio Caine and his team to figure out that the driver likely works at Hyundai. And if what we observe is correct, a well deserved pink slip may be in order for that guy, if that whole fiasco between the clumsy Apple engineer who left an iPhone 4 prototype in a bar and Gizmodo is of any indication.

All the legal issues aside, we, as esteemed bystanders, now get a good glimpse of what to expect inside the cabin of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster. The shot of the car's cockpit shows the driver-oriented design of the car's interior. The gauges look a tad too plain-Jane, but hopefully Hyundai is already aware of this for the production-ready model.

READ MORE to view these spy shots yourself.

[Source: club.autohome.com.cn]

Leave us your thoughts on this story in the comments after the jump!

Hyundai Delays Unveiling of Veloster to Early 2011

Fresh from the South Korean presses, we bring you the unfortunate news that the upcoming production version of the Hyundai Veloster 2-door compact hatchback will be delayed in unveiling to early 2011.

The Veloster, code-named "FS", was scheduled to be launched in its home market in November. However, with the coinciding launches of the all-new Accent and Azera/Grandeur planned for November and December respectively, Hyundai did not wish for the Veloster to steal the spotlight alone. Hyundai intended to produce 2000 units of the Veloster before the year's end.

According to the news source, Hyundai is also considering keeping the Veloster moniker for the front-wheel drive sport hatchback, as the automaker has not been able to coin a suitable name for it yet.

The production "FS" measures 4285mm in length and 1790mm in width, which is nearly the same as the dimensions of one of its rivals, the Volkswagen Scirocco. It will be powered by a turbocharged version of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with GDI (direct injection). Output is estimated at around 140 horsepower and it will be mated to a standard dual-clutch gearbox.

Hyundai will commence production of the Veloster in December and start sales in the South Korean market in January of next year. The automaker will subsequently launch the Veloster in North American and European markets by the first half of 2011.

2012 Hyundai Veloster: New Spy Shots!

Things are still hush about the upcoming 2012 Hyundai Veloster (not the official name) sport compact hatchback. What we do know about is the following:

The production Veloster compact sport coupe will make its global debut at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The front-wheel drive coupe will be powered by a direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with an output in the 140-horsepower range. The Veloster is expected to go on sale by the end of 2011.

So there you go! We will keep you on the tab once more info starts to pour out, but until then, leave us your thoughts on the Veloster in the comments below!

READ MORE for more spy shots of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster!

Hyundai Announces Details on Next Accent, Elantra, and Veloster for North America

Hyundai has released auto show information and on-sale dates of three upcoming small cars today.

First of all, Hyundai confirmed our hunch that the RB Concept, recently unveiled at the Moscow International Auto Show, will indeed reach North American markets as the Accent. Hyundai said that the next Accent will go on sale in the U.S. in mid-2011. The automaker also said the production RB will offer a choice of two four-cylinder engines: a 122 horsepower 1.6-liter and a 105 horsepower 1.4-liter. This might be the case for North American models as well.

The redesigned Elantra sedan for North America is coming to this year's Los Angeles International Auto Show held in November. According to Inside Line, the new Elantra, already on sale in South Korea as the Avante, will be powered by Hyundai's Theta-II 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The Korean-market Avante is propelled by a direct-injected version of Hyundai's 1.6-liter engine that produces 140 horsepower.

The production Veloster compact sport coupe will make its global debut at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The front-wheel drive coupe will be powered by a direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with an output in the 140-horsepower range. The Veloster is expected to go on sale by the end of 2011.

[Source: Inside Line]

Hyundai Denies L.A. Debut Claim for Production Veloster

Earlier this week, several automobile magazines reported that Hyundai will officially launch its long-awaited Tiburon replacement at this year’s L.A. Auto Show. But Hyundai recently denied those rumors by using its Twitter account and announcing that the production version of its Veloster coupe won’t be put on display at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show.

This isn’t surprising at all, since we all know that Hyundai will make an official worldwide premiere of its all-new Elantra sedan in the L.A. this year. The production-ready Veloster coupe will likely be displayed for the first time at next month’s Paris Auto Show, where the automaker will also debut the refreshed i10 minicar.

[Source: Hyundai/Twitter]

Hyundai Veloster to Hit 40 MPG, Topping Honda CR-Z Figures Without Hybrid Set-up

Hyundai is aiming to achieve an EPA rating of more than 40-mpg with its new Veloster model. The stubby hatchback has already been likened to the Honda CRX of old by Hyundai Motor America president John Krafcik, and now it seems Hyundai is planning to really steal Honda’s thunder, by besting the Japanese automaker’s reborn CRX, the CR-Z. That model, despite using a hybrid drivetrain, gets 36/39-mpg city/highway with a CVT, or a slightly lower 31/37-mpg with a 6-speed manual.

Better yet, Hyundai’s non-hybrid system, (believed to be a 140-hp, direct-injection 1.6-liter 4-cylinder), will keep both weight and cost to a minimum by keeping a heavy and expensive hybrid system out of the picture.

Krafcik has also let slip more details about the Veloster, including the fact that all models will come with a large in-dash screen – likely to show trip info and to manage things like iPods, etc.

[Source: AutoGuide.com]

Hyundai to Mimic MINI Clubman's 3-Door System for Veloster?

It definitely seems so. Autocar recently reported that the upcoming three-door Hyundai Veloster hatchback (official name yet to be announced) would carry three physical hinged doors, similar to the MINI Clubman's mechanism.

If you examine the latest spy shots of the radical three-door hatchback closely, you will notice that the front doors are different lengths - the driver's side being longer, for easier entry and exit, and the passenger side having a shorter door and a rearward-opening 'suicide' door.

But unlike the Clubman, the Veloster is expected to have the third door on the kerbside for both left-hand- and right-hand-drive markets. Mini was heavily criticised for leaving the Clubman's rear passenger door on the wrong side when it re-engineered the car for right-hand-drive. Hyundai is expected to incur heavy retooling costs for its laudable attempt to appease both significant markets.

[Source: AutoExpress (Images)]

Spied: Hyundai's new Veloster Coupe

AutoExpress has obtained the first close-up spy shots of the upcoming Hyundai Veloster, a radical three-door coupe that will replace the Hyundai Tiburon (Coupe). While the "Veloster" name is not official, the upcoming coupe has already been previewed in concept guise at the 2007 Seoul Motor Show, and little is expected to change for the production model.

Taking on a small but growing (e.g. Honda CR-Z) segment, the Veloster is Hyundai’s answer to the VW Scirocco. It is a similar size to the Scirocco, measuring 4285mm long and 1790mm wide, and will share much of its platform with the front-wheel drive Hyundai i30. The Veloster can also be regarded as a modern incarnation of the famed Honda CR-X/Ballade that took the compact front-wheel drive 3-door hatchback segment by storm when it was on sale in the 80's.

"The production car will have quite dramatic styling - even more so than the concept car," said a source. "Hyundai wants it to be a car that's bought for its looks, and it has been built with the Scirocco firmly in its sights."

The 2+2 Hyundai Veloster will come standard with a 1.6-liter four cylinder with direct injection making 140 hp. It has been confirmed to achieve over 40 mpg. Reports also indicate that the Veloster will be available with a turbocharged version of the normally-aspirated 1.6L engine, producing 175 horsepower, that first appeared in the Hyundai ix-onic concept in Geneva last year.

The Veloster has been tentatively scheduled for release by the end of 2011.

Click the source link below to view more spy shots of the Veloster.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Spied: 2012 Hyundai Veloster (First Shots)

The first photos of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster Coupe have surfaced. Apparently snapped during cold weather testing in South Korea, the photos show a car which has begun to evolve from the two-door Veloster concept shown at the 2007 Seoul Auto Show.

n the view of the car's full length the Veloster's exaggerated wheel arch is shown. Unlike the concept, it appears to taper off into the sidesill. The car still maintains a steeply-raked windshield, cresting at the intersection with the roof, which then slants downwards in less dramatic fashion than the concept.

The shape of the rear is not terribly clear, but taillight placement looks to be similar to the concept. The cutout in the cover also implies that the car has kept triangular-shaped headlights. We do like the interesting center-placement of dual-exhaust pipes, something carried over and modified from the concept.

Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik has indicated that the production version of the Veloster will retain at least 70% of the concept's styling. it will use a 140-horsepower 1.6-liter direct-injection engine capable of 40mpg. A turbocharged, 175-hp engine is also expected. One transmission option will likely be a dual-clutch automatic box.

The 2012 Hyundai Veloster will likely hit showrooms by the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011. In the U.S. it may be used to replace the Tiburon coupe.

Continue reading to view one more image.