Vehicle: 2012 Hyundai Veloster Ecoshift DCT
Price as tested: CDN$20399
Performance: There have been many Hyundai sports coupes came before the Veloster, on the entry-level scale. Everything right from the early Scoupe to the Tiburon had been either underwhelming or beaten by ugly sticks. On the other hand, Genesis coupe has been receiving rave reviews right from the other end of the chart. Will the new Veloster followered its forebears or its more expensive silibing? We will have the answer right after this test drive. 
During initial launch, Veloster is only available with one powertrain underneath its sleek hood. The DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder 1.6 liter comes with a host of advanced technologies. Gasoline direct injection, variable valve timing and throttle-by-wire, to name a few. That’s enough to give Veloster a nice boost with 138 stallion and 123 lb/ft of torque. Even if 138hp and 123 lb/ft of torque won’t set your heart pounding, its definitely far from being disappointed. That’s even if this little puppy has to carry 2657 lb on its wrist. When it comes to engine note, its surprisingly entertaining thanks to its well-tuned exhaust note. Mated with this sweet powertrain is Hyundai’s first foray into the hot dual-clutch gearbox arena. In terms of engineering integrity and efficiency, Hyundai’s unit is every bit as good as the one in a VW. That’s saying a lot because this system shifts crisply, brisky, efficiently and quickly without feeling dowdy engineered. In fact, its an engineering tour-de-force. As with any of these systems, driver can shift on the steering’s paddle shifters which are able to override at any given gears.
The real deal of Veloster’s performance will be the upcoming turbocharged version, which Hyundai has promised to have 208 stallion. It will be one heck of a ride it is. 
Handling: Veloster is basically using the floorpan of the Accent with the modular of the Elantra, which means sharing both of their merits onto one tidy package. The result is an excellent fundamental which combined the best of their subcompact and compact offerings. The chassis is rigid and solid, while its free from any cracks and rattles. On the other hand, suspension components have a nice place to hang its hats on the floorpan. All combined to make Veloster handles every bit as fun as anything you throw at it. The electric power steering provides nice feel and feedback, with great precision and responsiveness. While the ride is firm, its far from being harsh and ungainly. While you won’t find those patholes unnoticed on those poorly paved roads, it won’t make you teeth chattering. The beauty of the whole engineering is the combination of ESC with EPS in the Veloster. Hyundai engineers are able to incorporate stability control with electric power steering, in order to detect when will be the driver starts to drift out of control before it steps in as a helping hands. That makes Veloster one of the most composed front-drivers I have ever driven. In fact, it has to be one of the most fun I ever have. The suspension is well-damped enough for exceptional body controls, while understeer is minimal.
Brakes: Along with impressive dynamic abilities, Veloster also comes with impressive braking prowess. While it has the standard 4-wheel discs with ABS, its the amount of feedback and modulation which are very delightful. The stopping distance is short, while pedal feels solid and reassurring. It all wraps up the entire braking package with uninstrusive ABS.
Interior: The highlight to Veloster has to be its 3rd door which access from the passenger side. Even though the door is narrow, it offers much better access than those traditional 2-door coupes which need to access through sliding through the passenger seat. While the legroom is surprisingly spacious for a coupe, the sloppy C-pillars have limited headroom.
Open the hatch, it has acceptable luggage space. That’s despite of its high liftover and side sills. If you need more vesatile luggage space, go for the Accent hatchback. In this Veloster, you need to sacifice some practicality for its stunning looks.
The front of the Veloster is all about the driver. The bucket seats provide nice support for all the right places without feeling confining. Everything else have been very user-friendly and initutive. The touch-screen interface is not only attractive, its as easy to use as the rest of the car.
Conclusion: The Veloster has set a very high standard when it comes to the affordable sports coupe. Along with the gorgeous styling and world-class engineering, its also drive like a diggin’ with plenty of attractive features. In fact, it is the new sports coupe benchmark.
Competitions:
Honda CR-Z
Honda Civic coupe
Kia Forte Koupe
Scion tC
Mini Cooper
VW Beetle
OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2012 Hyundai Veloster
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Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 5/5
Overall rating: 4.25/5