Breaking away from the usual compact mold, the little Hyundai's design consists of lots of curves and shapes. The styling theme was supposedly inspired by sport motorcycles.
Flowing lines mimic the curve of handlebars, the windshield and its black pillars are supposed to remind us of a helmet face shield, the air vents represent exhaust pipes and the center of the dash itself evokes the shape of a motorcycle gas tank.
The center stack also is a standard seven-inch video display. This car is targeted at the wired, or perhaps wireless, generation.
There are lots of things to keep you informed and connected to your gadgets. You can even play videos on the screen from a portable device, when you're parked of course.
Also likely to appeal to young buyers is the price. Even with both major options packages - one called style and one called tech - the Veloster's price sticker barely tops $22,000.
A sporty two-door says youthful and fun, but practicality can be limited. So on the passenger side, Hyundai gave the Veloster a third door. It opens up nice and wide for access to the back seat.
That third door is just one of the things that is intended to make the Veloster stand out against competitors, such as the Honda CR-Z hybrid and the Scion tC.
One place this coupe won't exactly stand out is in acceleration. The 1.6-liter engine was spec'ed for fuel efficiency. The EPA highway rating is 40 mpg, but getting up to speed quickly can be a challenge.
On the other hand, this car is targeted squarely at young people. So if you think about it, maybe the fact that it isn't too powerful is a bonus, as far as parents might be concerned.
