Four or five years ago, GSD&M pitched the Kia account, and I got to do a deep dive into the Korean automaker and its sister brand, Hyundai. At the time they were just starting to show potential. The Kia Sorento was a solid little SUV, and the Hyundai Sonata was starting to grab some attention. But for the most part their lineup was…lacking. Questionable styling, tacky faux wood trimmed interiors. Despite an honest attempt, their cars for the most part just didn’t measure up.
But that’s been changing. Nowadays, the Koreans that could are on a roll. Their vehicles are interesting. Their designs are dynamic, their handling and materials are either at parity or superior to a lot of their competitors. In short, their cars are creeping closer to my consideration set.
The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is a bonafide rear-drive sports car, and the Genesis proper an honest-to-goodness sports sedan. And the Kia Soul…I have to admit I love the funky little box. I’d take one over a Scion xB, xD, or a Nissan Cube. In a heartbeat. Then there’s the Kia Forte and Forte Koup, which, aside from some questionable spelling, both fire shots across the Honda Civic’s bow.
And now it looks like Hyundai is getting set to rock the boat yet again with the production model of its subcompact Veloster concept. Yeah, Hyundai subcompacts past have been horrible little penalty cars, the cheapest of the cheap, but the Veloster is shaping up to be different.
Hyundai Veloster Concept
As Hyundai’s CEO, John Krafcik, told Edmunds Inside Line:
“Think of it like a four-passenger Honda CRX,” he said. “It’ll be a little car you can take out and wring its neck and still get good mileage. Fun and economical, with a great power-to-weight ratio.”
And then Krafcik got specific. “It’ll be powered by a 1.6-liter four cylinder with direct injection making 140 hp. And it’ll get over 40 mpg,” he said.
If Krafcik and co. can live up to that kind of promise and deliver those kinds of numbers, they’ll have a hit on their hands. The CRX is something of a legend…a small, light, tossable car that was a blast to drive and still pulled down great mileage.
Hyundai Veloster Concept
Whether or not Hyundai can pull off a modern CRX in an age of heavy cars bloated by electronics and safety measures remains to be seen. But at the very least, he understands the target he’s aiming for:
“There’s just nothing out there right now with that kind of Eco-sport positioning.”
Amen.
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July 10, 2009 at 6:37 am |
That is a crazy looking car!!
July 10, 2009 at 3:18 pm
It is, isn’t it?
I’m dying to see what the production model looks like. Hyundai’s been saying the concept is 70-80% there, but honestly I can’t see how. Doors’ll have to change so the windows can actually roll down. The rear will have to get redesigned for a functional hatch, 3rd brakelight, etc etc.
Still, I think the car has a lot of promise.