Hyundai Veloster 2013 News

Hyundai is poised to reveal a new version of its sporty Veloster at the Chicago motor show next week.Described simply as the "newest addition to the Veloster line-up" for now, the new model is expected to be another limited edition model, building on the 2000-unit Veloster RE:MIX unveiled at SEMA last year.Such models appear to be part of a global effort to keep the now three-year old Veloster fresh, with Hyundai Australia releasing the similar Veloster Street in 2013.The Korean brand also revealed the Veloster Turbo Spec-R at the LA show in November, with a stiffened chassis, performance shifter, and minor visual upgrades.Hyundai is yet to offer any further details on the new model, but if the RE:MIX and Street are anything to go by, we expect it to sport unique wheels, decals and badging, and possibly an exciting new paint colour.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Similar to Mercedes-Benz's AMG and Nissan's Nismo arms, the N department is named for Hyundai's Namyang R&D centre near Seoul, but could also draw on the connection with their newly-opened Nurburgring testing facility in Germany. The N plan was revealed in tandem with the announcement of Hyundai's World Rally Championship team for next year -- which includes Aussie driver Chris Atkinson -- and the unveiling of N logos on their i20 WRC car. However there's no indication that the i20 will be the first car -- or even among the cars -- to get the N treatment. The rear-wheel drive Genesis coupe with the 3.3-litre twin turbo engine in development and the Veloster are both logical targets. But there's also potential in the i30, which is the big seller in Europe. Any N versions launched overseas would be popular if they hit the market here, Hyundai Australia spokesman Bill Thomas says.  "Australia is a big performance car market with coupes and especially hot hatches," he says. Thomas says there's no word yet on which models will bear the N badge, but says the local brand will be keeping a keen eye on the possibilities for right-hand drive versions. "With both Australia and the UK being keen on performance cars (and also both right-hand drive), we hope we'll see the cars in right-hand drive. We'll have to see what happens." Performance fans will also be keeping an eye on the N division, with particular focus on determining if it will produce true sports cars or -- as some other brands have -- slightly warmed versions with dress-up cosmetic touches. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Hyundai has taken the covers off a new R-Spec version of its Veloster Turbo in LA, with a few extra go-fast goodies to boost its performance cred beyond the already-quick Veloster SR Turbo.Building on the existing R-Spec versions of the Genesis Coupe and Sedan available in the US, the Veloster Turbo R-Spec is the most performance-focused Veloster yet.Those wishing for more grunt from the 150kW/265Nm 1.6 litre turbo might be disappointed though, with the R-Spec’s tuning limited to peripheral upgrades to make better use of what’s already there.Key among the changes are increased spring rates and fettled steering settings to improve handling, while a more rigid transmission mount and a B&M shifter has been added to improve shift feel for the six-speed manual sole transmission choice.Like all 2014-spec US Veloster Turbo models, the R-Spec will add a new torque vectoring function to its stability control system, which will better distribute power between the front wheels for improved cornering and reduced wheelspin.The R-Spec will also include a new Active Sound Design system due for all 2014 US Veloster Turbo models, which pipes induction noise throughout the cabin in a similar fashion to the Ford Fiesta ST and Mazda MX-5.On the outside, the R-Spec is set apart from regular Turbo models by red accents to the front splitter and sideskirts, with R-Spec badging on the rear.The red highlights continue on the inside, with red and black cloth and leatherette seats, and R-Spec embroidered floor mats.Significantly, the R-Spec does without the proximity keys, premium gauges and heated leather seats found on other Veloster Turbo models, which will make the R-Spec the cheapest boosted Veloster variant when it arrives in US showrooms from February next year.It’s too soon to say whether we’ll see the R-Spec on our shores, but you can bet on the torque vectoring and active sound systems making their way onto local models before long.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn  

...something that stands out from the boring automotive crowd will just love the new Hyundai Veloster Street special edition. Sold only on the Australian market, the Veloster Street was displayed at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney and its outrageous lines and Sonic Silver metallic paint and red leather upholstery gathered plenty of favourable comments. So much so that the decision was made to put it into limited production for we people down under. PRICE AND FIT-OUT Priced from a recommended $24,990 ($27,390 automatic) the Hyundai Veloster has a larger rear spoiler and 18-inch alloys, with stand-out red inserts to match the paintwork. Wisely the Veloster Street has borrowed the sports suspension from the hot Veloster SR Turbo. Teamed with the red leather trim, plush pile floor mats with embroidered ‘Street’ logos make the cabin a special place in which to travel. ‘Street’ badges on the front guards let others know you’re in the driving seat of something out of the ordinary. ENGINE Hyundai Street has a 1.6-litre GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) petrol engine and is offered with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. One of the big selling feature of the Hyundai Veloster is that it has a single coupe-style door on one side and front and rear doors on the other side to provide easy access to the back seats. INTERIOR This really is a four-seat car, not a two-plus-two. Those with long legs and short bodies will be comfortable back there, provided the sun isn’t too strong - because sun can really stream through the glass directly over their heads. The extra doors are on the left side of the Veloster so passengers can get in from the safety of the kerb. Adults in the back are likely to suffer from the usual coupe complaint of lack of headroom. Kids will be comfortable as far as space is concerned but won’t be able to see much to the side of the car due to the small, high-set rear-side windows. Veloster has already been a big success in Australian since its early 2012 launch and this new Street edition will do its reputation no harm at all.  

Hyundai will unveil the results of its collaboration Karim Rashid -- one of the world's greatest designers -- at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show. Karim Rashid is known for his creative and unprecedented vision, from product design to interior design, from furniture design to art. He has won the Red Dot award and over 300 other design achievements, catapulting him to international fame. "Karim Rashid's creative design philosophy and the unique individuality of Hyundai PYL (Premium Younique Lifestyle) brand represent a perfect match. Hyundai will showcase the i40 Art Car and a special design collection to offer visitors of the Hyundai booth at the Seoul Motor Show a variety of entertainment," said Won Hong Cho, Hyundai Motor's Chief Marketing Officer. Hyundai has included the i30, i40 and Veloster under the PYL brand umbrella in the domestic market. The concept behind the European mid-sized i40 Art Car styled by Rashid is best defined as ‘the joint between design and technology,’ and the exterior characterized by triangular and rainbow shapes intends to capture the speed and movements of the automobile. The i40 Art Car will work to effectively promote the strategic styling of the PYL segment, highlighting the highly unique qualities of the i40. Hyundai Motor also plans to showcase ‘Karim Rashid's Special Collection of PYL' consisting of four pieces - a wristwatch, a backpack, a carrier bag and a tumbler which will display Rashid's signature simple, unique design while maintaining the traditional function of these everyday items.  

The Kia Track'ster may show a future path, but a renewed attack on the mini peoplemover segment and a new small car will lead the Kia charge next year. The new Rondo seven-seater - including a diesel model - will follow a phased release of the new Cerato range in the first half of 2013, including a diesel variant of the mini peoplemover. Kia national sales manager Alan Crouch believes the Rondo seven-seater is headed for an untapped market segment. "We think it has a huge, a latent market because it looks more like a hatchback." "We like the set-up of the seven-seater, they haven't caught the imagination here because they haven't looked like a good hatch," Crouch says. Kia Australia chief operating officer Tony Barlow says the Korean brand is also looking at models from the sport coupe end of the spectrum - although there's nothing from the Veloster family with a Kia badge in the immediate future. The Track'ster that will star for Kia at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney later this month is set to show a possible future path, Barlow says. "The Track'ster will be out here at the motor show - and that will catch people's eye, that's a concept car that could come to reality as well.". Barlow says the pro-cee'd is also being further examined by the brand for Australia but had a few hurdles to clear yet. "It is something we'd like to have a bit of a closer look at, it went on sale in Europe in May - we had a look at it in Paris and it's something we'll follow up on, but at this point in time it's nothing firmer than a thought," he says. The brand's last few years have been the most exciting for the Kia badge in Australia. "We've been here for about 15 years, the last third has seen the most exciting changes have occurred." "Since Sportage it has been a humbling experience to see how well-received Kia has been with customers, voting with their purchases," Barlow says.  "We have launched the 5dr Cerato, the Optima, the Rio and now Sorento - all of that activity has supported our domestic sales and brand strength - we're experiencing 23 per cent growth over 2011, the market is at 9.5 per cent growth," he says. Kia sold 2744 vehicles in September (up by 500 units over September 2011) and is up 4431 sales in 2012 in year-to-date terms.  

Hyundai is letting the public decide in an action video that sees her foil some jewel thieves and make off with the loot. Should she take it to the police, a charity -- or the airport. The slick video ends with her asking you to decide.  

...of their three-door Veloster.

... rival the prices on the BMW options' list for things like salad and spuds.So it's no surprise that the top end of town calls the shots at the Palexpo alongside Geneva Airport as Europe's carmakers go head-to-head for the first time in 2012. Ferrari and Lamborghini battle for go-faster bragging rights as Rolls-Royce and Bentley get serious about family motoring for the ultra-rich, while Infiniti pitches an new exotic coupe and even Ssangyong of Korea goes upmarket with a new concept. There are also dozens of one-off dream machines and hotrod tuner cars in Geneva, a show that is traditionally dominated by European design stars including Pininfarina and Giugiaro. But there is plenty, too, for ordinary car buyers as the Fiesta ST brakes cover, Hyundai updates the i20 and teases with the Veloster Turbo, Jaguar confirms an XF station wagon, Audi and Mercedes-Benz previews their A3 and A-Class, and Ford even updates its box-boring Transit workhorse. Picking the best of the best is tough with so much gorgeous stuff on the stands, but Alfa Romeo is the winner for 2012 and edges out the Infiniti Emerge-E with its Disco Volante.The pretty little red coupe is dreamy without being stupid and is already confirmed for production, although the slightly-retro body will be draped over Alfa's existing 8C Competizione chassis - 4.7-litre V8, 335kW, 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds - which means it's no chance for Australia with only left-hand drive.The Ferrari F12 is exactly what you expect from the fastest car to wear the badge - 340km/h and 0-100km/h in 3.1 seconds - including a swoopy body that taps the past as well as the influences that created the California convertible, but Lamborghini goes even better with an Aventador J preview car that is snapped up for a rumoured $2.8 million ahead of genuine production of an open-topped Aventador supercar.Rolls-Royce updates the Phantom with a new nose that still demands respect, as well as tweaking its colour choices with a two-tone approach that triggers memories of cheap seventies vinyl roofs, and Jaguar gets serious for families with an XF Sportbrake that will still struggle in a world of SUVs.Further down the food chain, the Audi A3 looks good but not as edgy as an A-Class that must break away from the bus pass generation into something closer to the Y-Gen futurists, and Volkswagen previews a more car-like Tiguan crossover with its Cross Coupe.Hyundai has a preview of a new flagship coupe called the i-oniq - did it mean ironic? - Kia shows a Track'ster that will become the new Soul, Honda shows the CR-V design that's coming to Australia, and the pocket rocket Ford Fiesta ST breaks cover with a confirmation for Australia.The action and excitement at Geneva goes on and on, and that is - really - the best thing about the show. Detroit in January hinted that the word's carmakers are finally emerging from the austerity and fear of the global financial crisis and the big-spending effort in Geneva confirms it, with good news for almost everyone from Euro billionaires to ordinary Aussie families.PG PICKS:1. Bentley EXP 9 F.Only one word fits - Ugly. With a big capital U. The hulking British bulldog might tick the boxes for cashed-up families, but this SUV makes a LandCruiser look elegant, and subtle.2. Giugiaro Brivido.Exactly what you expect to see in Geneva, as designers go all-out to impress the crowds - and each other. Not for production but a great looker with huge gullwing doors.3. Range Rover Evoque Convertible. A certainty for production as Land Rover milks its most successful design - ever. This one will never go bush but is being fast tracked for Double Bay and Toorak.4. Ssangyong XIV-2. Who knew the South Koreans could trump the Euros with a design that combines SUV practicality with a coupe-convertible body? A big surprise.5. Toyota FT-Bh: Just when you thought the uglies were done, Toyota lobbed with this. If it's the future for hybrid cars then sales will be slow. Very slow.

But Hyundai has been recently getting the lion's share of attention there with what could be the world's largest video game screen. Visitors to Times Square were able to use their smartphones to play the racing game on the huge electronic billboard, with everybody in the vicinity able to see the action. Hyundai Race featured the all new three-door Veloster, scheduled to be launched in Australia within weeks. Budding racers used the free wi-fi network in Times Square to download the game app, and then - tilting their phone like a steering wheel - 'steered' the Veloster through the race course. Scores and rankings were published on the leaderboard at the end of each game. Hyundai says it plans to deliver other innovative interactive fun on the Times Square screen. The real Veloster, with its two doors on one side and a single door on the other, will be launched here early in February, and Carsguide will be publishing drive impressions of the new addition to Hyundai's line-up.