£17,995 will buy you this handsome slab of Hyundai Veloster coupe, but not until February 2012, when the curvy new car hits the expectant dealers. And before you read any further, take a look at its one-door-one-side, two-doors-the-other, “passenger entry system”. It’s different.

The all-new Veloster will be offered in two trim levels (Veloster and Veloster Sport) and will be powered by a 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder GDI petrol engine, generating 138bhp. Transmission-wise, there will be a choice of a 6-speed manual gearbox or Hyundai’s first ever dual-clutch automatic transmission. Let’s hope they’ve got it nailed!

The firm’s Blue Drive technologies – including Intelligent Stop & Go and low rolling resistance tyres – will feature in the Veloster range helping the slippery styled one to a CO2 emissions target of 137g/km and a combined fuel economy of 47.9mpg.

Tony Whitehorn, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor UK commented: “The new Veloster will bring added emotional appeal to the Hyundai brand. It showcases a sleek and distinctive design in an innovative three-door coupe form that provides practicality, and individuality as well as dynamic performance. It offers a bold new colour palette and with the choice of bigger wheels with colour inserts, panoramic sunroof and the option of red leather interior on the higher Sport trim level, customers can stand out from the crowd. We expect the Veloster’s unique combination to re-shape its segment and attract new buyers to the brand.”

Standard features on the entry-level, Veloster, include 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen media centre (with the capability of playing games through consoles and films from smart phones), Bluetooth Connectivity with voice recognition, climate control air conditioning, reversing sensors, front and rear fog lights and LED daytime running lights. The Veloster also features an RDS Radio/CD Player with MP3/WMA compatibility and an iPod connection, with steering wheel controls for all nestled in the leather cladding.

Next up the trim-tree, to Veloster Sport, there’ll be 18-inch alloy wheels with coloured inserts, black leather upholstery with heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof with tilt and slide function, cruise control, keyless entry with an engine start/stop button and alloy pedals.

Upgrade options for the Veloster Sport, in the media pack, feature touchscreen sat-nav with a rear view parking camera, Parking Guidance System and 7 speakers including an external amplifier and subwoofer. A spicier red leather interior can be optioned on the Sport models, which start at at £20,495.

www.hyundai.co.uk

By Daniel Anslow

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