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First Drive: 2012 Hyundai Veloster

A halo car in reverse. That's the plan for the 2012 Hyundai Veloster hatchback. Normally, a halo car is the unobtanium-constructed car that sits at the top of the model lineup for an auto manufacturer. Intended for purchase by a select few, it is supposed to draw traffic to the showroom. That's the way it has always been.

But the way things have always been apparently doesn't fly with the Korean upstart?


After three days of conducting rigorous tests and evaluations, Cars.com released its list of capable compact cars with exceptional fuel economy ratings. Topping the list was the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, which surpassed its competitors with more than just great gas mileage. The Elantra earned the "Best Value: Price to Pump" award by winning the "Under20/Over35 Shootout" and impressing Cars.com reviewers with its modern design, spacious interior and advanced safety features.
 
The Under20?

Vehicle Details: The 2012 Hyundai Tucson


With the price of gasoline hovering around $4.00 a gallon, Hyundai believes the days of the gas-swilling SUV are over. The 2012 Hyundai Tucson offers the utility and adaptability of a traditional SUV in a vehicle that offers car-like driving characteristics and amazing fuel economy.
 
The Tucson GL is equipped with a high-output 2.0-liter Theta II four-cylinder engine producing 165 hp at 6,200 rpm and 146 lb/ft of torque at 4?

Vehicle Details: The 2012 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Drivetrain


Since its introduction, the Hyundai Sonata has continuously redefined what a midsize car can offer. For the 2012 model year, the Sonata smashes the traditional midsize car paradigm where ever-larger, ever-heavier, ever-thirstier engines are somehow presented at a premium. The Sonata 2.0T exemplifies the axiom "less is more."
 
With the 2.0-liter Theta II turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine, the 2012 Sonata offers something unprecedented: Segment-leading fuel efficiency and power, from the same?

Custom turbocharged Hyundai Veloster to bow at SEMA

After our first drive of the Hyundai Veloster, we described the three-door hatch as an 'eco-sport' rather than an 'all-out performance car'. The 1.6-liter four-pot under the hood produces 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet torque, which provided 'adequately entertaining' acceleration. In other words, we wouldn't mind one bit if the Veloster got an extra dose of power.

The folks over at ARK Performance were thinking the same thing, and are set to debut…
Hyundai Motor Group has announced a new "Green Car Global Leading Strategy," which will see two new compact electric vehicles launched by 2015. Hyundai made the announcement at the 'Green Car Symposium' currently being held in Gwangju, Korea.

Although Hyundai vice president Yang Woong-chul recently stated that Hyundai will be leaving electric vehicle development to Kia, the company's new strategy indicates that won't necessarily be the case. The new strategy calls for Hyundai…

Hyundai Genesis Hurricane SC Coming To SEMA

As usual, Hyundai is hitting this year's SEMA show with a vengeance, having already announced a "rally-ready" Veloster and another Veloster by PM Lifestyle.

Today, the Genesis Coupe joins the party with a special Hurricane SC edition.

As you might have guessed, the SC in the name refers to a supercharger. In this case, it's a liquid-to-air intercooled Magnuson unit co-developed with Hyundai America Technical Center Inc. (HATCI) to deliver over 450 horsepower?
That a turbocharged version of the Hyundai Veloster is in the works is at best a poorly guarded secret. Today, Hyundai released details on a turbo 1.6-liter four-cylinder that could very well be the engine the sportier Veloster will use.

Rated at 204 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, the Gamma 1.6 T-GDI engine is 66 horsepower stronger than the standard 138-horsepower 1.6-liter GDI engine in the standard Veloster. Considering the Veloster…

2012 Hyundai Veloster

To hear John Krafcik tell it, the 2012 Veloster is just another Hyundai. Allow us to rephrase that. According to the company's North American CEO, the searing Vitamin C orange coupe shown here is something we should've seen coming, the predictable end result of the relentless innovators at his Korean employer.

Yet to be fair, even now, "innovation" isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Hyundai…

Supercharged Hyundai Genesis Coupe in the works

We're big fans of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe here at Autoblog. We're also fans of vehicles that find ways to make our driving experience more exciting in any way possible. And while it would be nice to see Hyundai plop its 5.0-liter V8 engine under the hood of the Genesis coupe, there is little chance of that ever happening. (Probably for good reason, too.) Still, that doesn't mean more power can…