Hyundai Veloster is a front-wheel drive four-door C-class hatchback by European standards (in the company itself is positioned as a "coupe"), which combines an extraordinary appearance and a good level of practicality ... Its fundamental target audience is energetic youth (usually not burdened with family and children ) living in a city that focuses on design and wants to stand out from the "gray mass" ...
The second generation of the hatch, which was developed by specialists from Hyundai design centers in Korean Seoul and Irvine, America, celebrated its premiere in mid-January 2018 as part of the North American International Auto Show.
To be completely frank, it was not a completely new model that debuted in Detroit, but only a deeply modernized model of the original generation - it retained a unique scheme with an asymmetrical body, received a comprehensive renewal of the exterior, "put on" a completely redrawn interior, acquired improved technology and "armed" with many new and improved features.
"Veloster" of the second generation looks beautiful, sporty fit, original and even defiant - with its appearance it makes passers-by draw attention to itself. The hatchback's bold front end flaunts aggressively frowned headlights with LED running lights, a hexagonal grille shield with a fine mesh pattern and a sculpted bumper.
In profile, it is a squat car with an asymmetrical body (on the driver's side - one long door, and on the passenger side - two short ones), the energy of which is given by the large slope of the windshield, the sloping roof and expressive "splashes" on the sidewalls. At the rear, the "Korean" looks more like a powerful sports car - a small trunk lid with narrow glass, graceful complex-shaped lights and a massive bumper with a diffuser and a trapezoidal exhaust pipe in the center.
The length of the second-generation Hyundai Veloster is 4239 mm, of which 2650 mm is the distance between the wheelsets, 1778 mm wide, and does not exceed 1397 mm in height. The ground clearance of the four-door is 150 mm. And its "combat" weight varies from 1255 to 1300 kg (depending on the modification).
The interior of "Veloster" is tailored in the "family" style of the South Korean brand - it looks beautiful, modern and soundly in a European way. On the front panel, the main emphasis is placed on the protruding screen (measuring seven or eight inches) of the entertainment and information complex, under which the audio system and air conditioning control units are neatly arranged.
In the driver's "area of ​​responsibility" there is a three-spoke multi-steering wheel with a raised rim and a stylish instrument cluster with a pair of dials and a trip computer display between them. In addition to this, the inside of the car boasts impeccable ergonomics, high-quality assembly and exceptionally solid finishing materials.
The Hyundai Veloster hatchback of the second incarnation is a carrier of dense front seats with well-developed lateral support, moderately rigid padding and a wide range of adjustments (some of them are electric). On the second row there are only two seats (the middle part of the sofa is occupied by a pair of cup holders), and there is enough free space here even for adults.
In its standard form, the trunk of the second generation Veloster is capable of absorbing up to 564 liters of luggage. "Gallery" is transformed in the ratio "60:40" (but does not form an absolutely flat floor), significantly increasing the cargo capacity of the vehicle. In the niche under the raised floor there is a compact "spare wheel" and a set of tools.
For the "second" Hyundai Veloster, a single power plant is offered - this is an inline atmospheric "four" of the Gamma family with a working volume of 1.6 liters (1591 cubic centimeters) with an aluminum cylinder block, direct fuel injection, a 16-valve DOHC timing mechanism and a double phase adjustment mechanism gas distribution at the outlet and inlet. It produces 147 horsepower at 6300 rpm and 179 Nm of torque at 4850 rpm.
As standard, the engine works in conjunction with a 6-speed "mechanics" and a front-wheel drive transmission, and as an option it is installed in conjunction with a 6-band "automatic".
How agile and economical the "Korean" is - has not yet been reported.
At the heart of the second generation Hyundai Veloster is a front-wheel-drive J-platform, borrowed (with a number of modifications) from its predecessor, which implies a transverse arrangement of the engine. The body of the four-door is made with a wide use of high-strength steel grades. Independent suspensions are installed on two axles of the "Korean": in front - MacPherson-type architecture, in the back - a multi-link system (both there and there - with transverse stabilizers, passive shock absorbers and coil springs).
The car is equipped with a rack and pinion steering complex, supplemented by an electric power steering. And each wheel of the hatch is equipped with disc brakes (ventilated in the front) with ABS, EBD and other "gadgets".
Serial production of the second generation Hyundai Veloster will begin in March 2018, and its sales in the American market will start in the second quarter (you should not count on its return to Russia).
In the "state" the car boasts: front and side airbags, an automatic braking system, a multimedia complex with a 7-inch screen, climate control, ABS, ESP, 17-inch wheels, an audio system, power windows, heated front seats and other equipment.
For a surcharge for the four-door, the following are offered: LED headlights, blind spot monitoring, lane tracking technology, dual-zone climate control, automatic high-beam switching, a more advanced infotainment center and other "bells and whistles".
