To showcase the extreme power of Hyundai’s most popular performance car, Hyundai America Technical Center Inc. (HATCI) teamed up w?th Magnuson Products, Rhys Millen Racing, Harman International and Torvec Inc.
2012 Hyundai Veloster
We drive the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 and Ford builds a 2012 Explorer out of Legos. Lincoln is going away from the waterfall grille design while a gas station in Tennessee might be the first to offer rapid electric car charging. All this and more in today’s car news, right here on TheCarConnection.
We take a look at the 2012 Hyundai Veloster design from the auto show floor to the showroom.
The MINI Connected iPhone app can read your tweets and status updates to you while you drive.
If you want a Lincoln with the waterfall grille you better buy one quick.
We drive the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C 250 to see what a four-cylinder C-Class is all about.
Ford built a 2012 Explorer out of 382,858 Legos.
Check out this video showing how the launch control works on the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Will a gas station in Tennessee be the first to offer rapid electric-car charging?
These 2012 family crossovers and SUVs all feature enhanced stability control.
A Lamborghini Gallardo is now extra crispy after catching fire in Malaysia.
When choosing a new vehicle always go with your gut.
How does an all-new type of vehicle, like the 2012 Hyundai Veloster—with such radically different packaging and very extroverted looks—come to exist?
That’s what we asked Brandon Ramirez, Hyundai Motor America’s product planning manager, a couple of weeks ago as we were driving the all-new Veloster. In a world where there have been plenty of vehicles that looked and sounded great as ideas, as concepts, or on the drawing board, then sank in execution (yes, Aztek), we were curious about how Hyundai created a concept like the Veloster in the first place, then pushed it on to production in such pure form.
According to Ramirez, it started with a simple idea, to focus a sporty, coupelike vehicle entirely toward (and around) the wants and needs of stylish 20-somethings. In the spirit of competition, Hyundai put very few limitations on the idea but called out to all its global design houses. Several—including Hyundai Design North America—submitted full designs and mock-ups for the Veloster. But it was a design from the company’s Design and Technical Center in Namyang, Korea that in the end received the nod from the parent company.
The Veloster Concept was then first unveiled by Hyundai at the 2007 Seoul Motor Show, then at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, and it was one of the best-received concept designs from those shows.
The version that made it through to production was the Korean design, but fitted with some of the design cues of the American design—especially inside, said Ramirez, pointing to the contours of the dash, and some of the motorcycle-influenced details, such as the tailpipe-shaped vents. But the proportions of the exterior made it remarkably intact, with only minor changes, seemingly, all the way from the show floor to production.
Very early in the Veloster’s four-year development process, according to Ramirez, the company held many focus groups that really helped set the direction for the production version. For instance, he said, a number of younger drivers had experiences with vehicles such as the Honda Element or Saturn Ion, in which passengers would periodically close the doors in the wrong order, getting a metal-on-metal sound. So it was a no-brainer to go with a small, front-hinged back door instead, he says.
That so-called suicide-door setup has also introduced quality concerns anyhow, according to some sources, as well as safety concerns in light of new roof-strength requirements.
Most decisions were subject to change early in that development process, including the name. From the start, the Veloster, simply named from the words “velocity” and “roadster,” was to be aimed at younger 20-something buyers. But Hyundai even went to far as to test other potential names—like Zuma, Kona, and Strider—with journalists, while the production version was being developed.
After some time up close with this all-new vehicle, we’re glad they stuck with Veloster, and we think its appeal will reach well beyond hip 20-somethings.
In case you missed our coverage, be sure to read our First Drive of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster, or click through the in-depth pages of our Veloster full review.
2012 Hyundai Veloster – First Drive
The 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a sporty value, while one woman buys two 2012 Chevrolet Volts–and gives one away. We compare and contrast the present and past Nissan Z cars, while BMW issues a recall. All this and more in today’s car news, right here on TheCarConnection.
We give the 2012 Hyundai Veloster an 8.6/10 for its value and its sporty economy .
This woman bought two 2012 Chevy Volts, only to give one away.
Hey parents–here are some tips on rear-facing child seats.
We compare the 2011 Nissan 370Z to a 1990 Nissan 300ZX.
BMW is recalling the 2011 328i and 335i due to a driveshaft problem.
Nobody wants to be the person who screws up the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette.
Auto dealers are against Obama’s higher gas-mileage rules.
Will bacteria power hydrogen fuel cells someday?
BMW is going to produce an X4 crossover.
We think the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster is better than the coupe.
Posted on 09.21.2011 17:00 by Simona Filed under: Hyundai | suv | Spy Shots and Rendering | Hyundai Santa Fe | Cars | Car Reviews | Hyundai The South Korean company, Hyundai , brought out the Santa Fe SUV in 2001 and after twelve years on the market, it will be ready for its third generation.
If you’re in the market to buy or lease a new car, TrueCar says there’s no time like this weekend. In fact, the vehicle-transaction-price tracking website estimates that this Saturday, September 24, will be your best shot at getting a good deal in the month of September.
If you’re looking to buy a full size pickup or SUV, the 2011 Nissan Titan can be had for $22,497, thanks to incentives totaling $5,888 (which represents a discount of 20.7 percent from list). The 2011 Ford Expedition is selling for $36,502, thanks to $6,208 worth of available incentives, which saves you 14.5 percent from sticker price.
If a sedan is more to your liking, consider the 2011 Volvo S80, which can be had for $31,631, a discount of $6,394 (and 16.8 percent) from list price. If you want an American sedan, the 2011 Chevy Malibu is selling for $19,946 (a discount of $3,789, or 16 percent) and the 2011 Chrysler 200 can be had for $21,035 (saving you $3,660, or 14.8 percent).
If you’re looking for help with financing, the 2011 Buick Enclave, the 2011 Ford Fusion, the 2012 Hyundai Elantra and the 2011 Toyota Camry LE are all available with zero-percent financing, with terms up to 60 months. Kia is offering 1.9-percent financing on 2011 Kia Sedona models, plus it will give you an additional $3,000 cash back if you finance through its lender.
If leasing is more your style, you may want to check out deals on the 2012 Audi Q5 2.0T ($499 per month for 39 months), the 2011 Hyundai Sonata ($199 per month for 36 months), 2012 Infiniti M37 ($549 per month for 39 months) the 2012 Jaguar XF ($649 per month for 36 months) or the 2012 VW Passat ($219 per month for 36 months). Remember that lease deals all require cash down at signing, and most cap you to either 10,000 or 12,000 miles per year.
It’s a good time of year to be car shopping, since the end of September is also the end of the third quarter. If car makers are hungry to make deals at the end of the month, they’re ravenous to close sales at the end of the quarter. Use this to your advantage, and you’ll be able to cut the best deal possible on your next ride.
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
When Toyota redesigned the 2012 Camry mid-size sedan, raising the price simply wasn’t an option. The new Camry would have to do battle against the Hyundai Sonata and the Ford Fusion, both of which have seen double-digit sales increases over the last year. Pricing the Camry beyond its competition, especially in the midst of a recession, would doom the car to failure before it even hit the market.
While the previous generation Camry remains the best-selling car in America, its lead is slipping. Through August, Camry sales are down some seven percent versus the same period last year; meanwhile, Ford Fusion sales have grown by 16 percent and Hyundai Sonata sales have increased by 22 percent.
One of Toyota’s primary production goals for the new Camry was cost containment. Wherever possible, the automaker looked to boost production efficiencies, and one way was to reuse existing hardware from shuttered plants.
Building the 2012 Camry in Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky, plant are the same robots once used by NUMMI, the former Toyota-General Motors joint venture in Fremont, Calif. The robots once welded up Toyota Matrix hatchbacks, but with a change of tooling and some reprogramming, they’re now building the mid-size Camry sedan.
While Toyota won’t say how much it saved by repurposing the robots, the new Camry is priced at an average of two percent less than the model it replaces. On higher-end models, the savings are even more significant.
Toyota isn’t the only automaker to reuse equipment from the shuttered NUMMI plant. Electric car builder Tesla Motors purchased much of the existing NUMMI site, and will begin to assemble its Model S sedan there in the next year.
All-new 2012 Ford Focus Electric
The Hyundai Veloster is finally hitting the street, and High Gear Media’s taking it for a first drive today. Meanwhile Hyundai’s recalling its big Veracruz, and we’re thinking diesels are the dark horse in the green-car race. It’s all in today’s car headlines, right here at TheCarConnection.
We drive the 2012 Hyundai Veloster and learn it’s not just for hipsters. TheCarConnection
Here’s everything you need to know about electric cars. GreenCarReports
Did you know it’s National Child Passenger Safety Week? FamilyCarGuide
A new smartphone application helps you find nearby ambulance chasers. AllCarTech
Video of us doing a burnout in a 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8. MotorAuthority
Is diesel fuel the dark-horse contender for cleaner, greener cars? GreenCarReports
Hyundai is recalling the 2007-2008 Santa Fe and Veracruz due to a front airbag defect. FamilyCarGuide
Smart put the Fortwo Electric Drive into a real life game of pong. AllCarTech
Ford’s latest TV spot is critical of GM and Chrysler. TheCarConnection
Jaguar releases video of the C-X16 Concept driving in the mountains. MotorAuthority
Hyundai has issued a recall for 2007 and 2008 models of the Santa Fe and Veracruz. At issue is a flaw in the vehicles’ airbag systems, which could prevent the safety devices from deploying during a collision.
According to a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem lies within the clockspring assembly on the driver’s side, which helps fire the driver’s-side airbag. Over time, the assembly may cause a buildup of resistance in the electrical circuits, which might keep the driver’s-side airbag from deploying in the event of a crash. That’s bad.
The problem affects Santa Fes built between April 19, 2006 and March 20, 2008, as well as Veracruz models manufactured from December 26, 2006 through March 21, 2008. In all, some 205,233 vehicles are subject to recall.
Hyundai will send notice of the recall to owners later this month. At that time, Hyundai dealers will replace the affected clockspring assemblies free of charge.
If you own one of the recalled vehicles, we encourage you to call your dealer, or ring Hyundai at 800-633-5151 and reference recall #103. Owners can also call the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and reference recall campaign 11V472000.
NHTSA via Family Car Guide
Hyundai chose to give us the first drive of its all-new 2012 Veloster in Portland, Oregon, a city that’s seemingly flooded with the young, educated, creative types that many other cities are trying so hard to attract.
It’s absolutely brimming with (often underemployed) 20- and 30-something hipsters. And it seemed appropriate, as that’s largely the same crowd Hyundai is trying to attract with the Veloster. While some automakers position sporty cars a little higher up the economic ladder, that’s not the case here.
According to Hyundai VP of corporate and product planning Mike O’Brien, the Veloster functions as a sort of “reverse halo” for the lineup—emphasizing accessibility and ‘non-traditional’ factors.
Hyundai doesn’t try hide its demographic intent with the Veloster in design, either. From the outside, its roofline calls itself out as an abbreviated sport coupe. Meanwhile, from the side we saw an unmistakable likeness to the Kia Soul, which also has blacked-out A-pillars and a roofline that peaks at the top of the windshield. And when seen from the back—or up above—the Veloster looks like a sexy grand-tourer—further enforced by the chunky wheelwells and just-perfect proportions.
A 2.5-door coupe, a 4-door hatchback?
But then you might notice that there’s a small back door, only on the passenger side—giving it some gawky credibility in the way of oversized glasses. And that blacked out lower airdam can be seen as the type of sinister grin you might carve into a jack o’ lantern—especially when you’re looking at a Veloster that’s the burnt orange—or maybe it’s just an ironic moustache. And in the palette are American Apparel-like colors like Electrolyte Green, 26.2 Yellow, Vitamin C, and Boston Red.
The Veloster, as Portlanders will often say, with pride, it “lets its freak flag fly,” a little bit.
But just before you say, “Sorry, man, that sounds a little too…out there,” consider this: While the Veloster flaunts it a little bit on the outside, there’s nothing ironic or faddish about the interior; what you get is an interior that truly blends some of the racy feel of a sports car with the versatility of a hatchback. There’s also a lot of performance influence, outside and in, from sportbikes—including V-shaped center stack that was contoured to look like a motorcycle fuel tank, a center console inspired by sportbike saddles, and vents modeled after exhaust tips.
Likewise, all those sportbike-related cues underscore a point that starts to emerge after you’ve had some time behind the wheel: The Veloster is far more than just an uber-hip body thrown over an economy-car chassis. Hyundai has given this little three-door some serious chops.
Some goodness for driving enthusiasts
First off, the Veloster can handle really well, putting it a league above the Elantra sedan, with which it shares substantial pieces of body structure and chassis. Hyundai has thankfully given it more goodness for driving enthusiasts; the Korean automaker green-lighted a U.S. engineering team to shelve the Elantra suspension and instead design and test a new, performance-oriented rear-suspension setup for the Veloster; they went with a V-torsion beam configuration, which includes an integrated (and large) 23-mm stabilizer bar, plus monotube shocks—in all, a huge improvement over the Elantra’s twist-beam-axle rear.
What this means is that you can really throw the sub-2,600-pound Veloster around tight corners, yet it stays composed and doesn’t exhibit the secondary motions you’d get over less-than-perfect surfaces with the twist-beam. Like a number of today’s more sophisticated small-car suspensions, like the Ford Focus and Mazda3, it feels remarkably responsive and balanced for a front-driver; simply hunkers down evenly, shifting its weight back with no snap but an even, predictable attitude—without any more road harshness, which is really a triumph in the design. It’s no sports car, but it’s genuinely a sporty drive.
