Hyundai and sister company Kia recently dominated the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada's (AJAC) Car of the Year Awards with a combined five wins out of eleven categories. They include the Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Sonata Hybrid, Kia Optima and this car, the Hyundai Veloster. The Veloster won in the Sports/Performance category under $50,000 against some heavy hitters like the Mercedes C-Class Coupe. The Veloster is one of the most unique looking car on the road and one they hope will bring young, sporty buyers into their showrooms. Based on the Accent platform, even using the same engine, this car is all about style with a bit of functionality thrown in for good measure. It could be said that this Veloster is this generation's version of the CR-X.
The Skin
The wedge shape is very aggressive with lots of accent lines and details. The front has a large opening and the front bumper is sculpted under the front headlights. The windshield is steeply raked and the back window is almost horizontal. The rear of the Veloster is just as dramatic, featuring centre exhaust tips and a molded, futuristic rear bumper and hatch. The styling is different but in person this car pulls it off. On the driver's side is a large, heavy door but on the passenger side the front door has been shortened to make room for a rear door. When the rear door is closed it is very hard to tell that there is a door at all because the door hinges forward and the handle is tucked up high into the trim of the car. The front door is still large enough to enter easily. A few things I want to point out. The starting price for all this style is just under $19,000 and this top model with manual transmission is $22,500. The base wheel is 17-inches but the wheel featured on this car are tasty18-inches units with colour-matched spokes inserts.
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