The Hyundai Veloster is the Coupe of the Moment

Following on from the successful Hyundai Coupe we now have the Veloster, which is billed as 1+2 Door Coupe. Hyundai hope to sell 5,000 Veloster per year.

Why a 1+2 Door Coupe? - Well it has 1 door on the drives side and doors on the passenger's side - sort of odd but practical.

It went on sale on the 5th January 2012, with prices for the Hyundai Veloster coupe starting at £17,995. There are two models the Veloster and Veloster Sport.

Both are powered by a 1.6 140 PS GDi petrol engine with option of dual-clutch transmission (DCT) and Blue Drive technology.

Although not particularly quick the 1,591cc four cylinder engine will power the Veloster from 0- 62 mph in less than 10 seconds for the manual car and only 10.3 seconds for the dual-clutch transmission (DCT) version.  Top speeds are 125 and 124 mph respectively.  Fuel consumption on the combined cycle is 43.5 mpg (manual) and 44.1 mpg (DCT), with CO2 emissions of 148 and 145 g/km.

The Veloster is available with Hyundai’s fuel-saving Blue Drive technology which includes Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG), low rolling-resistance tyres.  The manual transmission Blue Drive model achieves fuel economy of 47.9 mpg (combined) and CO2 emissions of just 137 g/km.

The six speed dual-clutch transmission or DCT is available as a £1,250 option; it offers all the benefits of an automatic with those of a manual, including a fractional increase in the miles to the gallon. You can manual mode via steering wheel-mounted paddles you can sequential change gear without the uses of a clutch.

Standard spec includes 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch TFT touch screen media centre (with capability of playing games through consoles and films from smartphones), Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, climate control air-conditioning, reversing sensors, front and rear fog lights and striking LED daytime running lights.  The Veloster also features a stereo RDS radio/CD player with MP3/WMA compatibility and an iPod connection, with the ability to operate all functions using controls on the leather steering wheel for added convenience.

The Veloster Sport benefits from 18-inch alloy wheels with colour inserts, black leather upholstery with heated front seats, a panoramic glass sunroof with tilt and slide function, cruise control, keyless entry with engine start/stop button and sporty alloy pedals.

As an option on the Sport derivative, the Media Pack combines touch screen satellite navigation with a rear view parking camera, premium audio with eight speakers (including a subwoofer), and an uprated amplifier.  This pack is priced at £1,100, while for an additional £300 red leather seat upholstery and front door trim panels can be specified.

Hyundai are predicting high residuals for the Veloster of 35% after three years ownership, which aided by a five year warranty with no mileage limit, five years of roadside assistance and five years of vehicle health checks – which financially makes the Veloster an interesting proposition.