MotorMouths

The Veloster brings style, technology, a good driving experience, and impressive economy to this new class of cars. But its looks give it an expected sportiness that isn’t quite matched by the drive.

The Veloster represents a delightful departure from the norm in terms of appearance, design and usefulness. It makes heads swivel, and the sensible approach to passenger and space packaging makes you wonder why no one’s done this third door trick as successfully as Hyundai has here.

Add it all up and from where we’re sitting, the Veloster lends Hyundai the sort of reverse halo effect the automaker was seeking, at a relatively affordable price. Now get that turbo model here and that halo may really shine.

The Hyundai Veloster is a funky, distinctive and surprisingly practical little car that reflects the values it champions in this market. It offers a European-style premium subcompact flavor for relatively little money.

I think the Veloster is going to appeal to a much broader audience than Hyundai expects and I think it’s going to be a bigger sales success than the CR-Z or the tC. Love it or hate it, you have to admire Hyundai for doing it right.

So, the Veloster isn’t as fun as it looks. But its performance and handling are adequate, while its styling, feature set and price are very attractive. As-is, it will fit the bill for many sporty coupe buyers.

The Hyundai Veloster’s some strange hybrid of an Aston One-77, Saturn’s unlamented three-door SC2 and the beloved Honda CRX. Who’d have thought such a combination was even possible, let alone be a recipe for the most compelling economy car in a largely uninspiring market?

The audience seems broad for Veloster and we like the way the car backs up its looks with its driving chops. Hyundai’s getting a bit less conservative, it seems, while building a coupe that appeals to head, along with heart.

The Hyundai Veloster is a sporty compact car that defies logic and description. It provides a mixed bag on the performance side, but iIt has a very distinctive look, like nothing else on the market.

Hyundai starts with evocative styling, continues with ample features and winds up with a small-car driving experience that fights above its weight class, and the Veloster’s $18,060 base price and 40 mpg highway rating are a potent combination.

With plenty of features, laudable fuel economy and sharp looks, the 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a top pick for a fun-to-drive hatchback.

What makes the Veloster stand out is its unique styling, incredible levels of standard equipment, and the fact that it’s more interesting than the majority of other econoboxes. Of course, Hyundai’s excellent ten-year/100,000-mile warranty is a big win, too.