Hyundai's new Coupe caught

By Mark Rainford

25th March 2010

Hyundai’s Veloster coupe is being put through its paces ahead of a 2011 launch and these pictures prove that little will change from the stylish 2007 concept launched at the Seoul Motor Show.

The Veloster is a radical departure from the Coupe it replaces. But cars like the VW Scirocco have injected the small coupe segment with a sense of new style that Hyundai simply has to match if it is to succeed.
Clearly visible on the test car are the suicide doors previewed on the concept which mimic those on the MINI Clubman. Hyundai has promised to cater for right-hand-drive markets, unlike the MINI.

The production car will also retain the Saab-style wraparound windscreen and tapered roofline that gave the Veloster concept such a dynamic profile. It will be sold as a 2+2 and will be around 20cm longer than a Honda CR-Z.

The car will sit on a modified version of the i30’s front-wheel-drive platform. In flagship trim it will use the firm’s new 168bhp, 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which should achieve at least 48mpg. A naturally-aspirated version will also available.

The Veloster could potentially feature the 181bhp 2.0-litre diesel from the Santa Fe making it a direct competitor to the Scirocco 2.0-litre TDI, and the firm’s new 1.7-litre common rail unit is also set to be available. UK sales are set to begin in the summer of 2011 with prices starting at around £16,000.

Hyundai Coupe fans will have to wait until the Veloster arrives to get their Korean coupe fix – the firm has not yet decided whether to bring the larger Genesis coupe to Europe. However, if it did, it would only be in limited numbers, and wouldn’t be available in the UK thanks to its left-hand-drive only layout.