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Fast-forward two years to February of last year. Hyundai has successfully launched both the Genesis Coupe and sedan. Rumours begin circulating that the Veloster is anything but dead. Not only that, but Hyundai is claiming that it will arrive as a 2012 model in 2011. Fast forward a little more to December 2009, and during the state of the company address at the new Tucson launch, affable president and CEO John Krafcik tells us that Hyundai is working a new 24/7 plan – seven new models in the next twenty-four months.
2011
Rewind a bit (sorry) to July, 2009 and Krafcik told us that not only will the Veloster be coming to a dealer near you in 2011, but that the production car will look "70-80 percent" like the concept. More importantly, he advised that the new car can be thought of as a "four-passenger CRX," a car "you can take out and wring its neck and still get good mileage. Fun and economical, with a great power-to-weight ratio." We love the sound of that, but we would rather compare the Veloster to the Volkswagen Scirocco instead of the Honda CRX.
Pretty sure
All that said, and knowing where these exclusive spy-shots were taken, we're pretty sure that the car pictured is indeed the new sporty Hyundai. Power will probably come from a 2.0-litre version of Hyundai's new Theta II GDI (Gas Direct Injection) engine, though we doubt it will make 198 horses like the new Sonata. More likely power will be in the 150-160 horse range. Also, let's not forget that the Theta II GDI will soon come with a turbo. Can you imagine? A pint-sized, two-door Scirocco fighter from Hyundai? We shudder to think.
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