Hyundai Veloster Rally Car to Land at 2011 Chicago Auto Show

Hyundai is certainly not wasting any time with its plans for the Veloster. Less than a month after the world premiere of the sporty three-door model at the Detroit Motor Show, and the South Korean firm released a teaser photo of a rally-prepped version, complete with Red Bull livery that will break cover at next week's 2011 Chicago Auto Show. Being a teaser, we don't get any additional information whatsoever with Hyundai pointing us towards its press event in Chicago on February 9 for more details.

We'll remind you that in the beginning of March, South Korea's largest automaker will also reveal the European specification Veloster at the Geneva Motor Show. It remains to be seen if we'll also see the rang4-topping version with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine kicking out 208-ponies that we first told you about in our scoop story here.

Hyundai Releases First Real Life Photo of the New i40 Mid-Size Model

Hyundai today gave us a new sneak peek of its upcoming i40 mid-size model with the release of the first real life image of the car, which is scheduled to receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon on the 1st of March. The new i40 will replace the older generation Sonata in Europe competing in the D-Segment with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. At Geneva, we'll see the estate version of the model (probably named i40 CW) with the four-door sedan variant to follow before the end of the year.

Up until now, South Korea's largest automaker had only released a set of illustrations of the i40 CW (CrossWagon). The new photo shows off the interior of the i40, and in particular the dashboard with its sculpted shapes.

There's a big screen display mounted high up on the middle of the dash flanked by a pair of small air vents, underneath which nestle a bank of push buttons for ventilation and minor controls.

The company claims that new i40 "will move the company towards a ‘modern premium’ positioning that will bring high-end features and vehicle quality to Hyundai customers at accessible prices."

Hyundai has not released any details on the engine line-up, but it is believed that at launch, the i40 will be offered with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of around 170-horsepower, plus two variants of the a 1.7-liter turbo-diesel with 115 HP and 136 HP.

The new i40 will be joined in Geneva by the European specification of the Veloster sports model (see our scoop photos here) and the Curb small crossover concept study, which we first saw at the Detroit Motor Show this past January.

Hyundai Confirms New Veloster Coupe for Australian Market

The all-new Hyundai Veloster revealed at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit earlier this week will make its way to Australia, the South Korean automaker announced today. Hyundai said it still working on the timing of the launch but added that it will most likely go on sale in Australia towards the end of the year with details of Australian specification and pricing to be revealed at a later date.

In North America, the new Veloster will be available with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with direct-injection pushing out 138-horsepower. Power is transferred to the front-wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional double clutch transmission.

Unlike the MINI Clubman, Hyundai has confirmed that the Veloster will have the single rear door placed on the left-hand side for right-hand-drive markets such as Australia and the UK.

2012 Hyundai Veloster Debuts in Detroit, Eyes Honda CR-Z, Scion tC and MINI

[Updated Photo Gallery] What started out as the Veloster concept model at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show has come to life as a production model at this week's 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Unlike most other production models that tend to be more conventional than their conceptual siblings, Hyundai's Veloster is actually more outlandish than the 2007 design study thanks to its asymmetric layout with a single door on the driver's side and two conventional doors on the passenger-side.

Hyundai is bullish about the Veloster's rivals as the company released several comparison charts pitting the small coupe against the 2011 Honda CR-Z, Scion tC, Mini Hardtop and Mini Clubman.

According to the South Koreans, the Veloster’s total interior volume of 105.3 cubic feet beats all the aforementioned models, while the automaker also notes that at just 2,584 pounds, its small coupe is more than 400 pounds lighter than the Scion tC.

The company claims the Veloster's exterior design takes inspiration from a high-performance sport bike, while inside, the center stack and controls are said to resemble a sport bike fuel tank and incorporate an available push-button starter. Hyundai added that the air vents are inspired by motorcycle tailpipes, while the floor console mirrors the seat of a bike.

The Veloster rides on a 104.3-inch wheelbase, with an overall length of 166.1 inches and width of 70.5 inches.

At launch and at least in North America, Hyundai's compact offering will be offered with an all-new 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine featuring Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) technology. It produces an estimated peak output of 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and maximum torque of 123 lb.-ft. at 4,850 rpm, and can combined with a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an all-new, six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) developed by Hyundai.

The South Korean automaker said the Veloster will return an estimated highway fuel economy of up to 40 mpg.

More details including pricing and availability are to be announced soon.