Let's assume for a moment that the new Fiat 500L will undercut the Mini Countryman in price, just as the 500 undercuts the Cooper. With that assumption in mind, we'll assume that the stylistically-challenged Fiat 500L might sell at least as often as the Countryman. The 500L is only available with front-wheel-drive. Even the Mini is only available with all-wheel-drive at the top of lineup. Neither car is a faithful design follower of the iconic original; the Fiat less so. Neither car is particularly quick. Both cars feature highly stylized interiors, neither of which is roomy like a proper SUV. By Mini standards, the Countryman isn't pretty. By car standards, the Fiat is ill-proportioned. Regardless of their stark differences and apparent similarities, it's safe to project approximately 20,000 annual U.S. sales for the 500L, based on the Mini Countryman's total. Fiat USA will likely sell around 43,000 500s in 2012. If the 500L can find 20,000 buyers in 2013 while selling another 43,000 500 hatchbacks, where does this position the Fiat brand? Strictly judged by volume, Fiat would only barely be trailing Mini. Fiat would be selling nearly as many cars as Volvo and would be selling twice as many vehicles as Porsche.
Even if the 500L becomes a 20,000-units type of vehicle, Fiat won't sell 20,000 in what will be an abbreviated 2013 launch year. Yet we can still expect to see Fiat's 2013 year-end volume climbing at least 40% even if the 500 posts no year-over-year sales increase. Check out historic monthly and yearly sales figures for the regular Fiat 500, Mini Cooper range, Mini Countryman, and any other vehicle or brand by making your selection at GCBC's Sales Stats home. U.S. brand rankings, where Fiat ranked 29th in October and Mini ranked 24th, can be accessed here.
Surely the title was enough of a hint: this is a review of the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT. There really is no mistaking this for anything but a review of a car Hyundai Canada offered to GoodCarBadCar for a week. But there's a bit of a different angle, a straight-out-of-the-logbook perspective, if you will.
This Genesis Coupe open (log)book review will not only offer you a more complete look at at Hyundai's sportiest car, it will show you changes of mind, evolving impressions, and a variety of circumstances. The length of this Genesis Coupe review is difficult to swallow, but this is what happens when the reader is given access to the thoughts which were written down at the end of each and every drive. If this is well received, it might become the way reviews are published at GoodCarBadCar.
As always, click any of the images for a larger view, and don't forget to check out a whole bunch of other Genesis Coupe pictures in the gallery after the jump at the very end of this post.
Day 1: Who doesn't get a little excited at the prospect of a week in a 348-horsepower rear-wheel-drive coupe. Hyundai Canada provided a 3.8 GT, a car which, at a little more than $36K, is fitted with a 6-speed manual transmission. What a rare treat. Even the Fiat 500 Sport I reviewed last year was an automatic, although I'll admit I made that choice out of pure curiosity.
Establishing the cars with which the Genesis Coupe lines up isn't easy. Yet when I press the start button, punch the shifter into first - no that's reverse, here's first - and proceed with a rumble, I see visions of American muscle cars, not Japanese drifters.
2013 HYUNDAI GENESIS COUPE 3.8 GT Price (CDN): $36,999-$38,799
Gears were notably easier to find from that point on. The throws could do with some shortening, but the real complaint in regards to the shift process is with the weight of the clutch. It was a long city drive back to the new GCBC Towers in Eastern Passage, and the easier left lug thrusts from a powerful car like the Chevrolet Corvette were fondly remembered. The Genesis Coupe V6's manual shifting experience wasn't a big detractor today as it overcame the expectations I'd developed after reading the experiences of others. But the opportunity to row your own in the Gen Coupe won't be a selling point, either.
In terms of delivery, the Genesis Coupe's 295 lb-ft of torque reaches the rear wheels in a very V6-type way; a very turbocharged 4-cylinder kind of way, in fact. A Ford Mustang's 5.0L V8 is, understandably, much more of a loper. And while this 3778 cc V6 of Hyundai's isn't a screamer, it enjoys climbing about 500rpm higher than you'd have guessed. This is good news.
500 extra revs is a few more tenths of a second you're given to enjoy the sound. We used to look to a Honda V6 for smoothness when a GM 4-cylinder depressed us. Then Nissan's 3.5L VQ-V6 excited us with a bit of burble. This Hyundai 3.8 has much of that Honda smoothness and at least all of that 350Z burble. As it should be in a rear-wheel-drive coupe, whether it's an American muscle car or a Japanese drifter, this engine is the heart of the car. How successfully it beats will go a long ways to determining if the 2013 Genesis Coupe is a winner or just a shockingly fast Korean GT.
What else? A quick peek in the rear seat revealed very little... of anything. The new front end doesn't make the Genesis Coupe pretty, but it gives the car much needed personality and a stronger identity, something the pre-facelift model lacked. The 2009-2012 car utilized a bit too much CSBN: coupe styling by numbers. Once the steering wheel and seat were situated quite nicely, too many control knobs and buttons were too far away. And the power window buttons require my wrist to twist oddly, something I don't think I've ever encountered in a car before.
Day 2: Since GCBC Towers relocated to a more rural part of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Fisherman's Cove is now just a short walk or shorter drive down the street. Where better to photograph the 2013 Genesis Coupe?
People always turn and stare when we're taking pictures of cars, but the Genesis Coupe attracted longer looks tonight. Perhaps it's the spectacular 19-inch wheels or the aggressive face. Styling is subjective, let's be certain. And while I'm not a fan of the Coupe's massive schnoz as an individual piece of design, it takes away the generic two-door look of the pre-facelift car. The original Genesis Coupe styling was more cohesive and more classically handsome, but a touch too bland for this specific market. This new front end treatment takes away some of the pretty, but by adding way more aggression, the Genesis Coupe now looks like it should have looked all along.
Parking the Genesis at McCormack's Beach in Eastern Passage revealed surprisingly decent visibility for a coupe of this size. It's a big car; for sure, nearly 15 inches longer than the 2013 Scion FR-S; more than 400 pounds heavier than the defunct Mazda RX-8. The car still feels... not all there for a car with 348 horsepower, particularly in third and fourth gears. Steering weight is nice. Hyundai is one of numerous companies now capable of building a car which rides on massive, sticky, low profile tires yet still has directional stability. Ah, the modern age of motoring.
Day 3: Okay, so the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT is fast after all. It just needed the right landscape to expose this truth: an uphill on-ramp, a fast motorcycle being driven quickly, and an uphill off-ramp. It was just a simple trip to the bank, but when an opportunity presented itself to hear the Hyundai howl, the noise was matched by ferocious acceleration. Yes, in this era of 545-horsepower Nissans, this 348-horsepower, 3562-pound Hyundai possesses accelerative ability which can still be called ferocious. Max power isn't generated until 6400 rpm, but in the two lower gears, reaching such engine speeds legally isn't impossible. Higher gears simply expose the 3.8L's mediocre torque figure of 295 lb-ft (@ 5300rpm), just 20 lb-ft up on the 2.0L turbo, an engine which generates all 275 lb-ft of twist from just 2000rpm.
Put it this way: when friends ventured over to The Passage for a look at our new puppy and a drive in the Genesis later in the evening, the female in the back seat was genuinely frightened by the tenacity of the 3.8L Genesis Coupe as it accelerated out of corners. Or else she was just tired of her head banging off the rear window, which eats into the passenger compartment like a sectional sofa encroaches on a studio apartment's dining area.
Day 4: It's sunny today, and apart from the dusty rear end of the Genesis Coupe, this Gran Premio Gray paint looks delicious. It's hot out, too, an easy 30°C with humidity. This instantly has my hand veering toward the temperature controls, but in the Genesis Coupe, some interesting aerodynamic work offers a better route. Along the meandering Shore Road in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, where fresh ocean air is much preferred to sterile air conditioning, dropping the Hyundai's windows and sliding back the sunroof cools the interior but adds only a smidgen of buffeting. Rarely does a car offer such a calm, wind-free experience with the windows dropped. It adds to the feeling that the Genesis Coupe, with a ride just barely on the comfortable side of too firm, would be a great long distance cruiser.
The more time I have to drive the Genesis, the more I feel that comparing it with the allegedly dynamic Scion FR-S or the ostentatious Chevrolet Camaro would be to miss the point. More than in any other vehicle category, it may be the case in this in this fast sports car/GT/sporty car/hot hatch/roadster/convertible segment that cross-shopping is unlikely. If you want a Chevrolet Camaro SS, a car we believe to be an obvious rival of the Ford Mustang, you may have no interest at all in testing it back-to-back with the Ford. If you want a Subaru BRZ, the idea of a similarly-priced front-wheel-drive Volkswagen GTI may seem silly to you.
And if you want a Hyundai Genesis Coupe, it may just be the only car you want. A 370Z is a two-seater. Choosing between the American muscle car trio is thought by many to be a consideration for your latter years. Audi A5s and BMW 3-Series coupes and Infiniti G37s have certain unwanted airs about them.
So not to sound too philosophical about it, but the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is simply trying to the best Hyundai Genesis Coupe it can be. Bobby Orr wasn't supposed to have the same skill set as Ken Dryden. You don't expect Chris Botti to be the best guitarist in the world, or Jesse Cook the best trumpeter. Quit expecting the Hyundai Genesis Coupe to be an outright sports car - a car which can be raced in a pinch - and you'll find it satisfying. Solid handling, ample horsepower, a firm yet tolerable ride, a feature-laden interior, terrific seats, and a classy profile add up to a car you might like to drive across Europe. Yet in Canada, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT costs $98,000 less than a Mercedes-Benz CL550 4Matic, which, I'll admit, isn't a direct rival, either.
Day 5: On this rainy day, the Genesis Coupe enjoyed its longest journey yet, a mix of highway and urban streets during a crosstown drive. The perfectly positioned dead pedal is a huge help for long distance comfort. The rear glass needs a wiper. The stereo is fine; the acoustics are not. In comparison to Hyundai's own Veloster, this was quite a letdown. Seat comfort remains top notch, even for the passenger who'd just endured a minor back operation.
The interior would be greatly improved if the whole centre panel was canted toward the driver. Switching channels on XM shouldn't require a reach, and the extra gauges low down near the shifter are more legible for the passenger than the driver. There's plenty of room for my right knee, so there's no reason everything - even the shifter - couldn't be closer to the driver.
These issues aren't minor, but they're secondary to the driving dynamics. The ropey, vibrating shifter is average at best. On occassion, the 3.8L V6 still feels like it's generating 300 horsepower, not 348. But the 2013 Genesis Coupe's ride and handling balance shines more brightly with each drive. For a car with such roll control, the degree of cosseting is surprisingly high. It does roll a bit, and it is a bit firm, but today the compromise was appropriate.
Day 6:At the beginning of a wet and miserable weekend this 3.8L Genesis Coupe performed shopping duties. Heavy duty shopping duties. The trunk opening is narrow, but if the goods can finagle their way in, there's a decent amount of usable space (10 cubic feet) in the cargo area. We loaded two baby gates from Wal-Mart, four long, narrow boxes of temporary window coverings from Home Depot, and a pet carrier for our Lab puppy in the back of the Hyundai, giving no thought to the loading process. And yes, we had a little fun with the Coupe's rear-wheel-drive nature in back of the Home Depot, sans traction and stability control.
Day 7:When it's closed, the sunroof creaks. Uh-oh. It's loud enough to hear clearly when the shade is open, quiet enough not to hear at all when the shade is pulled. My 5'3" wife enjoyed the rear seat's leg room on a drive all around Dartmouth and downtown Halifax, but one crack of the head on the way back to Eastern Passage ended her joy. The shifter no longer seems to be the car's weak link as the weighty clutch made itself keenly felt, particularly on the hilly, traffic-filled streets of downtown Halifax. Its point of engagement is clear, but the clutch has very long travel (as opposed to the short travel throttle). The seats may be comfortable but - once adjusted for the perfect fit - are angled in such a way as to make the travel of the clutch seem even longer.
Regardless of the pain created by the leftmost pedal and the not-quite-all-there feeling of the far right pedal, the middle pedal, the one that's connected to 13.4-inch Brembos at the front and 13-inch Brembos at the back, is incredible. Not only are the stopping distances short, but the pedal is remarkably easy to get to know. With great fondness for the human foot, the brake pedal allows for easy modulation of stopping force.
Day 8: Return day has been marred by having to, well... return the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT. That fact alone is rather telling. Despite its numerous flaws, nearly all of which are minor, spending time driving this car - not just spending time in it, but driving it - made for a great week of transportation. So dominant is the Genesis Coupe's performance, we took little note of the navigation system's adequacy, the glove box's decent capacity, the difficulty with which the seatbelt is reached, or the lengths to which one must go not to be judged when driving a very sporty-looking car wearing stunning 19-inch wheels and... Ontario plates. In this neck of the woods, those are great lengths indeed.
For a big V6 engine, the 3.8L craves revs. So rev it I did. And while I pushed this vehicle harder than most, the end of the week tally showed fuel consumption of 11 litres per 100 kilometres. That's 21.4 miles per gallon for U.S. readers. The EPA ratings are 18 city and 28 highway for a combined rating of 21 miles per gallon. Therefore, this showing by the hard-driven Hyundai 3.8L is downright impressive, though slightly behind what a Mustang V6 should do.
THE GOOD Improved styling Real-world fuel economy Braking High-rev gumption
THE BAD Not as quick as expected
Rear headroom
Heavy clutch
Buzzy shifter
Some of the Genesis Coupe's potential rivals are hugely tempting automobiles. A 2013 Ford Mustang is a handsome and fast machine that's more refined than ever. Saving money on a lesser-powered Subaru BRZ could be enticing. Spending a little extra for a basic $41,000 Nissan 370Z will lose you two seats while also upgrading your backroad experiences.
None of these are cars are capable of calling into question the 2013 Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT's outstanding value. You'll probably go to the dealer because you want to confirm it still looks nice. Perhaps you'll test drive it because you heard it was quicker than ever. But the actual purchase of a 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe will likely result from what you see on the bottom line. A 2.0T with the premium package for under $30,000 stirs up something inside a performance car enthusiast.
For $36,499, this tricked out hi-po example takes that $30K 4-cylinder and sews more frill on the doily, kicks more balls into the back of the net, and infuses the kimchi with more gochujang.
It was only two days ago that GoodCarBadCar showcased the Hyundai Elantra Coupe in an image gallery ripe for perusing, although the Elantra Coupe's party was rained on by the presence of Honda's Civic Coupe and the Kia Forte Koup. Now, all attempts to shower praise upon the hatchback Hyundai Elantra GT, another debutante from the Chicago Auto Show, has been tainted by the allure of an iconic German and a fun-to-drive Japanese hatch.
Replacing the Elantra Touring in Hyundai's lineup will be this, the handsome Elantra GT. While the motoring press has been heaping praise upon this five-door Elantra, I've been wondering if it's maybe not quite as drop-dead gorgeous as they'd have you believe. It's nice. We know the insides will be nice from our experience with the regular Elantra. But are we all so completely convinced that when this hatchback Elantra drives past us - something it'll be doing quite frequently in Canada - we'll be wonderfully shocked and awed? Not so much.
You can check out the full Gallery of images at the bottom of this post along with the Elantra/3/Golf comparo going on throughout this post, but first, some impressions, impressions which you're allowed to dismiss at will. The Elantra GT appears to be a bit stumpy from some angles. It's hard to deny the front end is busy. The intersection of rear doors with rear wheelarch creates a weighty look that swallows up the wheels, making them look smaller than they are. And the level space underneath the rear glass might be unique now but will probably annoy me more and more as time goes by.
Style is subjective, and despite these niggling design issues, the Elantra GT looks terrific. Great though the Elantra sedan may be, sleek as the Elantra Coupe is, this is the Elantra I'd buy if it were my own money.
Ah, but would I be buying an Elantra? Apart from the Mazda 3's awful schnoz and the fact that it still looks too much like the first-gen Mazda 3, the hatchback 3 lacks any glaring design faux pas. The Elantra GT should drive with a bit more verve than the regular Elantra sedan, but will it be as fun as the Mazda? There's something about the 3 that simply begs to be driven harder than it should be, and that's something that can't be said of very many Hyundais, certainly not the Elantra sedan.
Yet there's another reason the Elantra GT purchase might be a hard one, and that's the 29th-generation Volkswagen Golf. Okay, it's actually just the sixth-gen car, but it's been around forever and there's already a clear path laid out for the seventh-gen Golf: lighter weight, better engines, nicer interior and all that. Currently, the Golf isn't a design hero - this is no Lamborghini Aventador or Ferrari 458 Italia. It's not adventurous like a Hyundai Veloster, it doesn't emanate power like a Ford Mustang. But it's clean and classy. Put simply, the Golf just looks right. It also feels right, both to the touch and when pushing it hard on a long drive.
Unfortunately, the Golf is priced wrong. Finance rates are typically too high. Options are, well, options. Stuff that should be standard isn't. And the glorious TDI diesel costs a bundle.
Which brings us back to the Elantra GT. Is ever a car priced more properly than when it's a Hyundai? In this case, as in many cases lately, it also looks good. The 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT will be a handsome, efficient, zippy, comfortable car. Betting against its success wouldn't be wise.
There was little doubt that official images of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe were going to be tasty. The Elantra sedan has always looked like the kind of good-looking sedan that was originally designed to be a two-door con trunk. Now the Hyundai compact has simply ended up at the point where it always needed to be.
From a Canadian Sales Stats perspective, the things Hyundai will be able to achieve with a three-bodystyle Elantra range are great and noble. Will the Honda Civic, 10K units better than the Elantra in 2011, be a more frequent sale than the Elantra when the Elantra also has a coupe, low volume though the configuration may be? Will the Civic sell better than the Elantra now that the Hyundai is available as a sedan, coupe, and hatchback?
This particular post doesn't deal with those matters. For one thing, because most manufacturers, (including Honda with the Civic) don't separate their coupe and sedan numbers when the models share a name and differ only by the number of doors, there's not too much point getting all het up about future sales figures. More importantly, coupes are all about style. There is no other reason to sacrifice rear entry. So let's examine the style. We've thrown the Kia Forte Koup into the mix for a more thorough look at the segment: two-door cars based on mainstream compact siblings.
The (rare) customer who buys the Honda Civic Coupe because it's supposedly the best-looking car in the class is entitled to do so, but one must wonder, do they base that decision on what the Civic Si Coupe looks like? A basic version of the two-door Civic is awkward where the previous-gen car was inventive; elongated where it should be shortened; tucked where it needs to be stretched. That said, the Civic is wheel-sensitive and light-sensitive. If only Honda's press photographers pushed company bosses for more creative sets, the Civic would instantly shine brighter.
The Kia Forte Koup has strong shoulders and a muscular stance, but that rear diffuser is an inside joke that lets you in on the fact that the Koup doesn't offer the driving experience it should. By design terms, the Forte is an impressive feat. To change so few parts on the humdrum average-looking Forte sedan and produce a two-door that looks this good isn't easy, and Kia should be congratulated.
So, better-looking than the Civic the two-door Kia Forte may be, but does it measure up to the Elantra Coupe? In certain cases - and it appears as though the Elantra may be one such case - it takes a few drive-bys to determine how a car rests on its wheels, whether it will be capable of engaging the public when a very similar looking sedan has become normal. The Elantra Coupe seems much more delicate than the Forte Koup, all curves where the Koup is hard lines. Flowing lines are not to be faulted, however, particularly when they're cohesive, linking the back end to the front with the sort of consistency that's been sorely lacking in small car design for... most of our lives.
Stripping the Elantra of its rear doors will not turn this Hyundai into a sports car. Even the Veloster isn't a sports car. One place Honda easily beats Hyundai is at the upper level. Honda has the zippy Si. Hyundai has nothing in the Elantra Coupe with which to beat the rev-hungry Si. Nevertheless, if this coupe isn't a huge benefit to the Hyundai Elantra range I don't know what is. Of course, the Elantra GT will likely be the bigger seller in practical car-friendly Canada, where the outgoing Elantra Touring sold frequently enough to be Canada's 22nd-best-selling car on its own. And that was late, very late, in its lifecycle.
Style, of course, is subjective. So this time, and just this time, ignore the words and start looking at pictures. Each set of images show, from top to bottom, the Civic, Elantra, and Koup. Click any picture for a larger view. The Gallery below showcases the new 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe. Links below the gallery will direct you to other GCBC image comparisons.
Rarely does the topic of giving come to the forefront of our minds. We are takers, not just as a society but as individual human beings. To a large extent, this is forgivable. We do, after all, require certain elements in order to survive. Around the Christmas season, however, giving becomes a more frequently discussed subject. This holiday season, there's a new giver in town, and the generosity emanating from this soulless giver is tangible yet strangely lacking in physicality.
These are the sorts of subjects not normally present in a review of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster, or any other car for that matter. The Veloster's generous ways made me thankful throughout its late night photography session, a session which took place outside an absolutely empty shopping mall, only hours after it was jam packed with holiday shoppers. But taking from the Veloster was a lot like receiving gifts from a secret Santa: there was no signature, no communication. Just a giver and a taker.
Though this sounds like the 2012 Veloster leaves a hollow experience in its wake, there's no denying the impact it's had in Hyundai showrooms, and if anything is being left in the Veloster's wake, it's Honda's CR-Z, perhaps even Scion's tC.
GoodCarBadCar's full review of the tech package-equipped, DCT-fitted 2012 Hyundai Veloster can be read after the jump. For the full Christmas Eve effect, the Veloster was photographed only at night. Outside a barren mall, beside an empty school, beside the airport runway, on traffic-less roads, in freezing conditions. When Hyundai Canada's silver Veloster visited GoodCarBadCar, it wasn't yet Christmas, but gloves were worn, winter coats were on, and toques were pulled down over ears. Some of the resulting images can be viewed (and enlarged with a click) in this post, but scroll down and you'll also find a complete Gallery of GoodCarBadcar photography.
GOING Enter the Veloster without removing the proximity key from your jacket pocket, depress the circular start button directly in front of the shifter, and, if the stereo and HVAC systems are off, you'll hear the whisper of a smooth 1.6L four-cylinder. This direct-injection 138-horsepower four is a bit buzzy at first, but a few minutes of warmth puts the buzzing to rest. Anybody other than Speed Kills proponents will say the Veloster is surprisingly sleepy from rest. It's not that the engine is unwilling to rev - things move along quite nicely above 4000 rpm - and it's not that the engine isn't utterly smooth when revving. Moreover, those who are surprised at the Veloster's lack of gumption are surprised because of its design, not the spec sheet. Each of this loaded Veloster's horses must carry 20.4 pounds.
In a basic Hyundai Accent sedan, each of the 1.6L's horses is tasked with toting around only 17.4 pounds. Is the Veloster quick? Not at all. Hyundai never said it was. Besides, there's a turbocharged Veloster coming next year. The Veloster merges onto a highway without difficulty and feels significantly more responsive in fourth gear at 80 km/h than it does in first at 5 km/h. In exchange for failing to provide you with Accent-like accelerative pace, the heavier Veloster gives 38 miles per gallon on the highway and 29 mpg in the city, according to the EPA. The highway figure improves by two mpg if you opt for the manual transmission, but doing so will drop the city rating down to 28 mpg. Canadian readers will note that this works out to an average of 7.4 L/100 km.
The manual transmission wasn't something GoodCarBadCar sampled. Fortunately, the automatic is technologically interesting. Dual-clutch gearboxes like the one in the 2012 Veloster are increasingly common. The Veloster's is clearly less aggressive than the dual-clutch transmission in say, the Ferrari 458 Italia, but as a $1400 (CDN) option, it's only $200 more than the conventional 6-speed automatic in the Accent. The slippery shift from first to second was consistently frustrating until I took control with the flappy paddles. Once on the move the DCT was effective, particularly pleasant when downshifting, and never harsh in the least. If you like to row your own, stick with the manual. For those who require automatic transmissions, this DCT will add to the experience. Just don't assume it will give or lend extra pace.
TURNING A blessed absence of body roll does not automatically make a vehicle a good-handling vehicle. Nor does it automatically make a vehicle fun to drive. It simply means corners can be taken aggressively in seats with softer bolstering.
You won't be left wanting for increased bolstering in the Veloster's front seats, however. And not to confuse the matter, but the Veloster really does know how to make use of a contractor's level when cornering. That puts an end to the positives, as it is during this process of driving the Veloster hard through the twisties that all interaction ceases. The steering wheel's vast dead spot on the straight-ahead, its strange desire to avoid self-centering, the sticky sensation one only finds in a Hyundai steering rack, and the Veloster's inability to transfer messages from the wheels to the helm leave the driver with little confidence. The stiff chassis leads one to believe the entry speed is safe, but the wheel angle is unknown and probably in need of correction. What kind of correction? The steering isn't talking, so who knows?
This is the Veloster's one key fault, one of its only faults, in fact. The problem isn't misspelled telegrams coming back through the rack, it's that the lines of communication are broken. Here the Veloster is one of us, a taker; not a giver. You will give effort and intelligence. In return, the Veloster fails by offering no real-time reconnaissance.
LIVING Every passenger I had in the Veloster was impressed by the overall feeling of space. Because Hyundai placed an emphasis on cabin comfort over cargo capacity, every one of the four inhabitants can get comfortable, that is if the rear seat passengers aren't long above the hips. Headroom is at a premium; even for some front seat riders in this sunroof-equipped Veloster. The third door makes entry into the back easier, though not outright easy, and once situated there were no complaints.
Meanwhile, up front, the driver and passenger are treated to an array of features rarely seen at this price point. Bluetooth, heated seats, air conditioning, proximity key, backup camera, cruise, steering wheel controls, and a seven-inch touch screen are all standard on the basic Veloster. Upping the ante with the $3500 (CDN) tech package brings about a panoramic sunroof, leather wrapped wheel and shifter, partially leathered seats, bigger alloys, a thumping eight speaker stereo, and navigation. You can play Hyundai's BlueMax efficiency game through the touch screen.
Out back there's access to 15.5 cubic feet of load lugging capacity, shaped squarely with a nice perch for photographers under the opened hatch. A quick fold of the rear seats prepares the Veloster for moving day. The liftgate is high but lightweight.
LOOKING Polarizing designs aren't always acquainted with success. A vehicle which splits opinion can, however, inspire as much love on one side as it does hatred on another. The Veloster will invariably be derided by some, but those who approve of the unique design could be more than just satisfied - they may be excited. Excited enough to buy one. The Hyundai Veloster doesn't appear Plain Jane from any angle, but it's blunt front is probably its least distinctive.
The Veloster looks like nothing else when viewed from the back, its glassy roof running away to meet the windshield. The scalloped doors nicely break up what would otherwise be slab sides. Looking at a Veloster from a back corner gives the Hyundai hatch an opportunity to shine. From there it looks more mature while still unique. Regardless of the angle, this Hyundai always has a sense of the exotic about it. That's not to say onlookers would think it costs $200,000, but they surely won't guess $20,000, either.
Inside, the Veloster features Hyundai's small car design theme, doing so with more success than the Accent or the Elantra. Some cheap materials are used, but not in the places you most often touch. The steering wheel is of proper girth, the paddles don't feel as though they'll snap off, and buttons and switches and blinker stalks mostly feel like they were inherited from a more expensive vehicle.
COMPETING Conventional thinking says the 2012 Hyundai Veloster is in prime position to take on the Honda CR-Z and Scion tC. That's true. The CR-Z is more expensive and not much more efficient, the tC has been around a while and doesn't bring a whole lot of excitement to the table. Comparing the Veloster to the Volkswagen GTI flatters Hyundai but ignores the fact that the Golf-based performance Volkswagen is a true performance machine. On pricing grounds, it's also out of the Veloster's league.
On content terms, the Veloster's cousin from Kia, the 2012 Rio, is something of a threat with its upper trim levels. Obviously not intending to be half as sporty as the Veloster, the Rio tries to be handsome and succeeds. Excluding similarly sized, well-equipped subcompacts from the equation gives the Veloster a sort of cheap iPhone feel.
Imagine if Apple introduced a new iPhone but priced it below the vast majority of possible competitors. Sure, competitors may have a more powerful camera. Some may scroll more smoothly, offer a greater capacity for music storage, even compute more quickly. But if you could have all the iPhone offers for less than the price of a typical Android device, the stage would be set for (even greater) Apple domination.
The 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a flashy high-tech device. There are a couple things it doesn't do quite as well as we'd like. Averaging just 25 miles per gallon (9.4 L/100km) wasn't acceptable, for example, but that could relate to the engine's youthful tightness, a fact which could've contributed to its slow-witted takeoff, as well. The steering is GM circa 1997, only twice as light, a not inconvenient trait to possess in parking lots, I suppose. If the third door is so great - and it is - why isn't there a fourth?
The Veloster is fun in spite of a couple glaring faults. Fun because of features, fun because it looks like nothing else, fun because every street light in the neighbourhood lights up the interior through all that glass while the stereo rattles teeth. Fun and moderately practical and rather efficient and super stylish... while costing less? That's not the Apple business model.
POETICIZING What the Veloster lacks in on-road dynamic character it makes up for with outrageous styling. For most car buyers, acquiring a Hyundai Veloster will require a measure of rational thinking, not just a burning desire for a characterful car. Within that frame of reference, Hyundai is prepared to give you yet another value-oriented small car with an excellent warranty and generally low interest rates. In exchange for approximately $20,000.
The fact that you must pay for a Veloster suggests it isn't a gift, nor is it a gift giver. One can safely assume that Hyundai could charge hundreds more, at the very least, for the privilege of owning a Veloster. Thus, you're receiving the gift of a built-in discount.
The Veloster's lack of outright pace and its un-Lotus-like steering fall victim to an expectations game. Judge the value of the Veloster's aggressive stance separate from its dynamic repertoire and the Veloster will, more likely than not, exceed expectations. Unlike the uncovered Christmas Veloster poetry below which will undoubtedly have Jim Reeves rolling over in his grave.
Hyundai Canada provided GoodCarBadCar with nine days in an Ironman Silver 2012 Veloster
Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way,
Feel free to tell some other souls, what I'm going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon; now, you dear old man,
Whisper which Hyundai I'll get, please let it be fast.
When the clock is striking twelve, when I'm wrapping gifts,
In the driveway broad and black, with my car you'll creep;
Take that old Corolla, please, crush it with your sleigh,
Leave a Hyundai parked right there, or a Porsche is fine.
Johnny wants a PS3, Susie needs Wii Fit,
Range Rover makes a nice Evoque, But I just want three doors,
Mommy says, "It is true, your brain is not so bright,"
But Santa Claus, you must agree, V'losters are alright.
That's eight speakers, navi too, plus a backup cam,
A big sunroof, sharp design, leather and nice wheels,
The 1.6 won't make beelines, not for you or me,
I won't care how fast it is, there are three real doors!
It will generate 197 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 6600 rpm with a 2.0L boxer four-cylinder. It will weigh less than 2700 pounds. It will be 167 inches long, 50.6 inches tall, and 101 inches wide. It will also be sold as the different-in-many-ways Subaru BRZ. It is the Toyota GT 86, a car formerly known as the Toyota FT-86. We will most likely know this sporting rear-wheel drive Toyota as the Scion FR-S. Probably. If that's what it ends up being named when the Toyota GT 86 reaches North America shores. The Toyota GT 86 will go on sale in the United Kingdom in June 2012. And it looks like this.
2011 Scion FR-S Concept
The front three-quarter is surely the GT 86's best position for photography. When viewed from the back the GT 86 isn't the classiest but it will make the rear angle unmistakeable. There's too much air above the rubber. The rear wheels seem to be just a little hidden in the rear wheelwells. Toyota's application of a rear wing on a car that has plenty of visual interest without it is disappointing. In this trim the profile of the tires appears absurdly high. The front plate reduces the apparent size of the gargantuan air intake but doesn't actually do the car any favours.
Toyota says the GT 86 is the smallest four-seat sports car on the market. It will also likely be one of the least expensive, and the basically trimmed-out interior furthers that impression. The GT 86's innards are attractive, however, and very purposeful. But it looks like the interior of a car that wants to be driven rather than caressed.
Overall impressions have been and continue to be nothing but positive in the automotive universe. The GT 86 is not as stunning as the Scion FR-S concept, but unfortunately, this is the nature of bring a new automobile to market. Impress us, get us talking, then get real with the production car and disappoint us just a bit.
The Toyota GT 86, the Scion FR-S if you will, is now pictured in production form. The fact that this car exists is exciting enough. That Toyota has also made a good-looking car, one that is lightweight and engineered to be a genuine driver's car, well, that's like a heaping bowl of strawberries on top of a burbly rev-hungry boxer four-cylinder.
The gallery below is filled with twelve exterior shots and two interior pictures of the 2013 Toyota GT 86. Peruse and enjoy.
When does a company need to replace their compact SUV? After four years; maybe five? What if the company's compact SUV is the best-selling SUV in North America? In that case, are new engines, a revamped interior, and additional features enough to let it linger?
These are difficult questions to answer given that the Ford Escape is indeed the best-selling SUV in both the United States and Canada and therefore, in a manner of speaking, doesn't need replacing. But in all honesty, the Escape is no longer competitive. Oh, it competes for sales rather well, but that's mainly because of its low price point. Surely there hasn't been a respectable comparison test in the last five or six years in which the Escape was at the top of the heap. After all, driving the 2012 Ford Escape is a lot like driving the 2001 Escape. Meanwhile, driving the 2013 Mazda CX-5 will not feel like driving a 2001 Ford Escape.
Regardless of the company's reasons, Ford has finally decided to replace the first-generation Escape for model year 2013. Thankfully, the 2013 Ford Escape is all-new, and first impressions suggest the 2013 Ford Escape is all good.
The 2013 Ford Escape will be offered with a base 2.5L which generates 168 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque. Upgrading to the 1.6L EcoBoost turbo nets 173 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. Finally, the fun will be in Escapes equipped with the 237-hp 2.0L EcoBoost turbo which twists out 250 lb-ft of torque. All three powerplants operate with four cylinders and six-speed automatic transmissions. Of course, all-wheel drive is optional. Images and more details are viewable after the jump.
In each of these image comparisons - front, rear, profile, interior, and cargo area - the old Escape is on top. Click any image for a larger view.
Ford has been issuing press releases over the last few weeks detailing some of the 2013 Escape's innovative features. The Escape can be outfitted with Ford's park assist, which you've seen before on the Focus. The liftgate can also be (optionally) opened by simply waving your foot under the rear bumper. Safety features are built in which should stop your Schnauzer from perpetually opening your rear hatch when he's out doing his business. Drivers and passengers who hate modern headrests may be happy to find that they're adjustable in the new Escape, not just up and down but forward and back. On a more practical note, the cargo area has grown slightly, from 31.4 cubic feet to 34.3 cubic feet with the rear seats up and from 67.2 cubic feet to 68.1 cubic feet with the seats folded.
There's a full gallery of photos below the comparison images of the first-gen Escape with this new 2013 model. You'll likely agree that the 2013 Ford Escape isn't as masculine as the Ford Vertrek concept which previewed the production model's look. Though the 2012 Ford Escape's design had long since grown dull, it was a true SUV shape. The 2013 Escape is more clearly a crossover, an effect which is particularly visible when looking at its profile view from a slightly elevated position. The 2013 Escape's more aggressive stance should make for no mistakes in the real world, but there's a hint of minivanishness visible from some angles, just as there is with the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. That's partially the fault of the sloping hood.
Styling is patently subjective, but the 2013 Ford Escape is wonderfully cohesive, strikingly modern and as eye-catching as its best competitors. Yes, things get a bit funny where the body seems to narrow just as it rises to the rear windshield. On shinier wheels the 2013 Escape seems a little toy-like. The gaping grille is a bit much when viewing the 2013 Escape directly from the front. And the hood strakes are calling an awful lot of attention to the spray nozzles.
All in all, from the design to the engines to the improved cabin, Ford's 2013 Escape is exactly what Ford needed it to be, a totally modern reincarnation of a now archaic vehicle. Admittedly, figuring out what Ford "needed" when the current model remains a rip-roaring success isn't the easiest task. But it seems likely that, with the right price and yet-to-be-tested-but-undoubtedly improved dynamics, the Ford Escape should be the best-selling SUV in America in 2012, just as it is in 2011.
