Hyundai Veloster finally revealed at 2011 Detroit Auto Show

Hyundai has finally unveiled the Hyundai Veloster at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

After many teaser photos and videos, spectators finally got a glimpse of the Hyundai Veloster in the flesh at the show. Hyundai’s clearly proud of this car. The automaker took potshots at competing models, citing a lower curb weight than Mini’s Cooper and better fuel efficiency than the Honda CR-Z. In the same breath, Hyundai admitted that the Veloster isn’t an all out speed machine, stating that the hatchback is the sort of car you can “drive at 9/10th and not use your license.”

Photo: Hyundai Veloster launch

The sporty, front-wheel-drive car features Hyundai’s first dual-clutch transmission, which uses one clutch for gears 1, 3 and 5 and another clutch for gears 2, 4, 6 and reverse. The dual-clutch transmission yields up to a 6% improvement in fuel efficiency and as much as a 7% improvement in acceleration over a traditional automatic, according to Hyundai. The Veloster is expected to get up to 40 mpg highway using a new engine.

Under the Hyundai Veloster’s hood is a 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine that makes 138-horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through either a six-speed manual gearbox or Hyundai’s new six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as mentioned earlier.

Photo: Hyundai Veloster

“Veloster is a showcase for new thinking,” said John Krafcik, president of Hyundai Motor America. The smallish three-door crossover is aimed at Gen-Y owners who want to personalize their rides with electronics, including social networking and location sharing.

Going in this direction, Hyundai has equipped the Veloster with the BlueLink system which offers a host of services via Bluetooth called Blue Link. The vehicle features the standard array of Bluetooth (handsfree and audio streaming), USB, and iPod connectivity, but also features Pandora Internet Radio controls when paired to an iPhone, Android, or Blackberry device running the app. There’s also Gracenote automatic playlisting which can be used to verbally access media on a connected device and create similar music playlists with a spoken command.

Photo: Hyundai Veloster profile

The unit also features a small amount of space for audio ripping. Two audio systems are available, a standard 196-watt six-speaker rig and an 8-speaker (including a subwoofer and amplifier) Dimension Premium Audio system with 450-watts of power. Navigation is optional.