2012 Hyundai Veloster: First Drive
Hyundai chose to give us the first make of its all-new 2012 Veloster in Portland, Oregon, a conurbation that's seemingly flooded with the young, educated, inventive types that many other cities are trying so hard to allure.
It's absolutely brimming with (often underemployed) 20- and 30-something hipsters. And it seemed suitable, as that's largely the same crowd Hyundai is trying to allure with the Veloster. While some automakers position sporty cars a shallow higher up the economic ladder, that's not the case here.
According to Hyundai VP of corporate and produce planning Mike O'Brien, the Veloster functions as a sufficiently good of "reverse halo" for the lineup--emphasizing accessibility and 'non-habitual' factors.
Hyundai doesn't try hide its demographic set with the Veloster in design, either. From the outside, its roofline calls itself out as an brief sport coupe. Meanwhile, from the side we saw an unmistakable likeness to the Kia Inner , 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 captivating grand-tourer--further enforced by the chunky wheelwells and unbiased-perfect proportions.
Which means the Mondeo, the Mk4 Indistinct, the next Fiesta, and every other Ford product over at least the next decade will be stylistically influenced by this car. Only Ferrari and Alfa seem to be surviving unmolested within the Fiat Assembly. and more »