Hyundai cars

2013 Hyundai Veloster "Alpine" Concept by ARK Performance

In a not-so-surprising way, the Hyundai Veloster and its Turbo variant have both had a strong contingent at the 2012 SEMA Auto Show.

The Korean automaker’s sporty hatchback has become an aftermarket favorite since it was released and one performance parts manufacturer in particular, has set its sights on the Veloster for the second year in a row.

This year, ARK Performance came out to SEMA with a new take on the Veloster, called the "Alpine" Concept. It’s so named because ARK claims the car is catered for snow sports enthusiasts, in large part because of the focus to turn the Veloster into a winter-ready sports car.

The name itself says it all, but if there’s still any skepticism as to how this Veloster can be prepped as a snow-ready sports hatch, the addition of a Yakima Snowboard Rack and custom wind guard, OME SDS snowboard, bindings and boots, Reverb Rockers Snowboards, Gold Snowboards, Rally Armor mud flaps, Folsom boots, Memphis boots, Targa G3 bindings, and Strut G1 bindings are a pretty good indication. Finally, the car also received a new set of 18" Rays Gramlight 57Xtreme wheels painted in silver and wrapped in Nitto INVO 255/35/18 tires.

Meanwhile, the interior, with its JPM Coachworks “Alpine Edition” interior includes materials like leather, Alcantara, and WeatherTek breathable fabric also gives credence to the Alpine Concept name. Custom seats, a new steering wheel, a new instrument panel, an armrest, headliner, visors, and an NRG short hub and quick release were also added.

Most importantly, though, is the performance upgrade. ARK Performance installed a Nitrous Express Proton Kit to go with its very own ARK Veloster Turbo exhaust system, giving the Veloster Alpine a stout output of 232 horsepower and 240 lb/ft of torque, a significant increase from the production model’s 201-horsepower and 195 lb/ft of torque output.

UPDATE 10/31/2012: The new Hyundai Veloster "Alpine" Concept by ARK Performance made its official debut at the SEMA Show. Check out the new set of images in the picture gallery.

2013 Hyundai Veloster Street Concept

Last we checked, the SEMA Auto Show was in Las Vegas, right?

Apparently, a few cars slipped through the cracks and found themselves in other auto shows. Take this Hyundai Veloster Turbo for example.

Called the Veloster Street Concept, the car made its debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. Not exactly the first place you’d think of to see a debut like this. Having said that, the SEMA-like custom tuned car comes by way of Hyundai and local tuning company Concord Customs and to their credit, they modified the hilt out of this sports hatchback.

The first order of business was to dress up the body, and Hyundai and Concord Customs gave it a matte grey body finish to go with orange accents on the front spoiler, the side skirts, and rear diffuser. To give the car a little bit of added shine, the car also received a new set of 18" Tenso R V1 wheels wrapped in 215/40/18 tires. Other touches on the exterior include illuminated splitters on the front, side, and rear. There’s also a matte black roof spoiler and turbo-back twin exhausts to finish off the exterior mods.

Inside, the concept received the same color-matched details to go with new leather finishes all throughout the cabin. LED lighting is also prominently visible, as is a ridiculous high-end audio system with some serious digs in the form of fully integrated custom subwoofers and amplifiers providing an insane 8,650 watts of sound.

Beyond the cosmetics, the Veloster was also given a custom aluminum front-mounted intercooler, a Monza dual-port blow off valve, a sports air filter, and a new exhaust. There’s sure to be an improved output in there although Hyundai kept that number under wraps - for now.

Talking about the concept, Hyundai Australia Marketing Director Oliver Mann said: "Street Concept is an excellent example of the versatility of the brand and the potential for Hyundai to reach a broader audience."

Report: Hyundai and Kia Working on Strapping a Turbo To a V-6

When Hyundai and Kia strapped some boost to a 2.0-liter engine and bumped its output to over 270 horsepower, we took notice. Hyundai then released the all-new 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and we thought, “What’s going on here?” Now Hyundai and Kia are working on yet another turbocharged engine and it’s likely to turn heads and twist faces.

According to reports, at Hyundai-Kia’s International Powertrain Conference, the automakers confirmed that they are currently working on a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine. The likely recipient of this new boosted V-6 engine is the next-generation Genesis.

This engine is expected to feature direct fuel injection and at least 350 ponies. With the combination of a turbocharger, direct fuel injection, and other creative engineering, Hyundai-Kia expects this engine to get somewhere in the 33 mpg range. We’re not too sure which Genesis Hyundai is talking about, but we assume this would see use in the coupe model.

The existing Genesis 3.8 R-Spec uses a 3.8-liter V-6 that produces 348 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. With turbos being as effective as they are now, we would expect to see torque nearing 350 pound-feet at super-low rpm – maybe sub-2,000. That would make the Genesis quite the screamer. Given its existing 5.3-second sprint to 60 mph, we would anticipate that to drop near the 4.5-second range with the added horsepower and torque.

For now, this is all speculation and we don’t expect to see the next-gen Genesis Coupe until at least the 2016 model year, maybe even later. If Hyundai is planning on this engine going into the Genesis sedan, we could see it as early as 2014. That would be very upsetting to see this engine wasted in the sedan’s body…

2013 Hyundai Veloster "KX 1 Concept" by Katzkin

Katzkin - the global leader in vehicle interior transformation - will be celebrating its 30th anniversary by unveiling a series of 100 vehicles with updated interiors. One of them will be based on the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo which will include both exterior and interior updates.

The new Veloster "KX 1 Concept" will feature two Katzkin leather front seats, and an updated dashboard and center console. The interior also looks highly modified with a very cool paint scheme that coincides with the grey exterior paint finish and orange racing stripes.

Katzkin will also be unveiling the company’s latest VIS 2.0 (Vehicle Interior Selector) configurator that allows customers to design the interior of their vehicles in whichever way they desire. This new program will allow customers to better select premium, custom, and limited edition interior designs. The VIS 2.0 system will be integrated into the dashboard for guests to experience the new and easier navigational “How to Buy” features.

2013 Hyundai HB20X Crossover

Hyundai’s Brazil division, aptly named Hyundai Motor Brasil (HMB), recently dropped a pretty cool, albeit Brazil-exclusive model at the 2012 Sao Paulo International Motor Show.

Called the HB20X Crossover, the vehicle shares many of the design characteristics of Hyundai’s current range of "Fluidic Sculpture" models. Where it differentiates itself is through a number of unique design details. Incidentally, the hexagonal grille, despite occupying a huge chunk of the front profile’s space, is similar to what we’ve come accustomed to on a lot of Hyundai’s models.

Then there’s the headlights with black bezel and chrome details, as well as the redesigned fog lamps, all of which, when taken together, convey a sporty and sophisticated image to the HB20X. The roof bars were also added presumably to provide more cargo space while the side black molding that wraps the whole body adds a svelte and tight look to the crossover. Rounding out the exterior features include a redesigned bumper with its own black moldings, stylish rear lamps, and a new set of 15" dark gray alloy wheels.

Inside, the Hyundai continued the HB20 styling treatment while adding a number of exclusive features, including the sports pedals, chrome-finished door handles, and controls for the air-conditioning.

For all of its stout characteristics, the HB20X’s performance doesn’t exactly lift its name off the page. Sure, Hyundai fitted the crossover with its own 1.6-liter GAMMA 16V FLEX engine with a Continuous Variable Vavle Timing and aluminum block. Having said all that, the HB20X only produces a pretty pedestrian 128 horsepower.

2014 Hyundai RS i30

Not only have Hyundai and Kia been busy making their lineups more complete, reliable, and desirable, but they have also been working on introducing higher-performance models, like the Genesis Coupe and Genesis R-Spec. One model that some of us have been wondering if Hyundai would ever give the high-performance treatment to is the Elantra GT, which is known as the i30 in other markets.

Well, the Elantra GT may not be getting the high-performance nod, but it looks as if it is in the cards for its i30 brother, as reports are emerging that Hyundai will release a high-performance i30 dubbed the RS i30 at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. We anticipate this new model to feature the same 200-horsepower, 1.6-liter engine found in the Veloster Turbo and compete with the likes of the Volkswagen GTI and Renault Megane RS.

From the reports, we expect to see a slightly lower body, more aggressive styling, sport seats with contrasting stitching, and sporty accents throughout the interior. We will also likely see improvements to the braking system, like larger diameter rotors, to help bring this more powerful 5-door hatch to a stop.

Given the slow-for-a-performance-hatchback 6.9-second sprint to 60 mph that the Veloster Turbo gives us, don’t expect the significantly heavier i30 to be anything more than a 7.3- to 7.5-second car to 60 mph. The only way the RS i30 will impress us is if Hyundai completely revises the 1.6-liter engine to pump out more ponies and dip its 0-to-60 number to under 7 seconds, but we don’t see that happening.

There is no information on whether the i30 will actually make it to production nor if its drivetrain will make it into the Elantra GT. We’ll keep an eye out for more leaks to come down the wire.

2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo Race Concept

Hyundai Australia is making a serious statement at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show. Not content with just one concept showing, the Australian-based arm of the Korean automaker is presenting another one in the form of the Veloster Race Concept.

The car, which was developed in the country, is the company’s take on a new race car that was designed and engineered to meet FIA and CAMS tarmac rally competition regulations. Short of saying, this baby is ready for some racing.

The Veloster Race Concept is based on a Veloster Turbo and has been stripped down and rebuilt to become a full fledged rally car. Among the more notable modifications done to the car are a number of rally-spec components, including the installation of Kevlar high-performance fuel lines, a new DMS four-way adjustable suspension, competition brake pads from Project Mu, Super Pro brushes, and a new set of 18" Team Dynamics race wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tires.

Inside, you’ll find no traces of a production Veloster Turbo. In place of all those goodies, Hyundai Australia opted for a carbon fiber-clad interior that comes with Recaro carbon seats and multi-point three-inch seat belts, a Sparco race steering wheel, an anti-glare dashboard, and most importantly, a CAMS-FIA-compliant roll cage.

Under the hood, the Veloster Race Concept carries a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that’s mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

All told, Hyundai is prepping the Veloster Race Concept as a car that’s ready to plow its trade in a number of racing series, including the Australian Production GT and the Australian Rally Championship.

Sounds like its ready to roll to us, too.

2013 Hyundai Veloster "Velocity" Concept

There’s something about the SEMA Auto Show that makes automakers put on their cool hats and work on existing models with an added touch of flair. In the case of Hyundai, they’re definitely doing some serious leg work this year.

We already saw a preview of their Cosworth-tuned Hyundai Genesis. Now, they’re presenting a program for their resident sports hatch, the Hyundai Veloster.

Called the Velocity Concept, the car was born as a project between Hyundai’s design and engineering arms from its Technical Center in Irvine, California and the fine folks from Cosworth, who also took the time to fit the Veloster with its 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. Cosworth also added stouter rods and pistons, improved the cooling system and the engine’s air flow, and most importantly, upgraded the turbo, betting an improved output of 400 horsepower and 350 lb/ft of torque.

As for the body kit, Hyundai took the liberty to add a #1 Racing motif exterior to go with a Velocity HATCI Design body kit that includes front and rear braking airflow ducts, a lift-reducing rear diffuser, an integrated front splitter, an aero side skirt lip, an oversized rear wing spoiler, and a new set of 19" HRE P40 lightweight satin-charcoal wheels.

Inside, the racing changes are also pretty evident, particularly the addition of new Sparco seat belts, a roll bar, a Race-Keeper Video GPS data acquisition system, and custom Katzkin suede interior with custom Raven and scarlet themed suede with red stitching.

Chris Chapman, Hyundai’s head of design at the Irvine design center, describes the Velocity Concept as a testament to the company design center’s unique ability to build custom-tuned racers. "In creating Velocity, we were inspired to take the Veloster’s original concept strengths to their fullest expression," he said. "[The] Velocity gave our design and engineering team’s license to take Veloster far beyond everyday production car limitations."

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT by Re:Mix Lab

The cool thing about a show like SEMA is you see customized vehicles that you normally wouldn’t see in other auto shows. In addition to that, you see companies put their auto tuning skills to good use, which isn’t a widely expected scenario in other auto shows.

This year, Hyundai and Re:Mix Lab are going the extra mile again to present three customized Hyundais that each have their own unique flavor. One of these models is the Elantra GT, a normally subtle mid-sized hatchback that was turned into a bonafide stud on wheels - with plenty of accessories inside.

For starters, the Elantra GT has been finished in matte military green, already giving a much needed attitude adjustment to the car. From there, the two companies also used recycled tweet fabric while setting up the ride with a new set of 24-carat gold colored wheels. Likewise, there’s also a roof rack, a ski compartment, and a Nintendo Wii.

Yep, a Nintendo Wii.

There was no mention on whether the interior also has a TV set-up but the image of the rear of the vehicle clearly shows a television screen nesting comfortably in the back hatch. That should make massive traffic jams go by much faster.

2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo "Music 2.0" by Re:Mix Lab

Some people just love loud stereos in their car. It doesn’t matter if they’ve already got a doozy of an audio system installed, they still prefer something that could be described as vertigo inducing.

Korean automaker and party group Re:Mix Lab have the answer for those people’s needs. Even better, it’s coming to the 2012 SEMA Auto Show.

In what has become somewhat of a yearly collaboration, the two companies have built a sick program for the Hyundai Veloster Turbo that comes packed with an audio system that could make your ears bleed.

Called the Veloster "Music 2.0," aptly named as the successor of the 2011 Veloster program, this customized Hyundai sports hatch is arguably more audacious than what we saw in 2011. The flashy chrome finish is eye-catching in its own right, but once you add the new LED headlight set-up, the new set of wheels, and the lowered suspension into the mix, well, it’s a recipe that only Hyundai and Re:Mix Lab can cook up.

The true star of this program, albeit one that only a specific group of people will undoubtedly enjoy, is the motorized DJ station at the back and the addition of about as many speakers as your ears could possibly handle.

Re:Mix Lab says that the audio set-up on the Veloster Music 2.0 can be heard for blocks.

After seeing what they did, we’re not ones to disagree.