2012 Hyundai Veloster to get 40 mpg; may inherit Tiburon name

The upcoming Hyundai Veloster will have a mileage rating of 40 mpg (or 5.9 liters/100 km), according to the automaker's U.S.-market chief.

John Krafcik, president of Hyundai Motor America, told Autoblog at a media breakfast in Los Angeles that the new model will reach that mileage figure. And the new coupe will do it without a hybrid drivetrain. Instead, it will use a highly-efficient, 4-cylinder petrol/gasoline engine to achieve 40 mpg.

Comparing the model to the Honda CR-Z, a hybrid which gets around 39 mpg, Krafcik said the Veloster will offer more room and comfort by being spared the baggage of a hybrid drivetrain with its greater weight and the need for space for the batteries.

The Veloster will come with a naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 1.6 liter engine producing 90 kW (121 hp / 122 PS) and 155 Nm (114 lb-ft) of torque, although, Autoblog reports that the model will feature a 1.6 liter with around 140 horsepower. Hyundai will later introduce a 1.6 liter turbocharged unit with 131 kW (175 hp / 177 PS).

Krafcik also said that the Veloster (which may yet get a name change - the company is also considering the name Tiburon) will be aimed squarely at young buyers and offer an LCD screen for the cockpit as standard.