New Cars 2012: Hyundai Veloster

So, I've featured a few new cars, here and there, but to be honest, I tend to feature new cars I like. Last year, I took a look at the Hyundai Sonata, and this year, I'm taking a close look at another one of their most talked about cars. With good reason.
Hyundai came to the US in 1986 as an unknown foreign car brand that wasn't Japanese like its main competitors. Bringing a Korean car into the US was certainly (and sorry for stealing a movie name) risky business. Not many people had heard of the Hyundai name, and even less cared to do research on said Hyundai cars. But, even as quickly as ten years into the US market, the brand was building a name for itself for cheap, reliable, but unfortunately bland cars. By the mid 2000s, however, Hyundai would transform itself from "maybe-pretender" to "serious contender."
With the mainstream portfolio taken care of with cars such as the award-winning Sonata, and fuel-miser Accent, the performance Genesis line, and a string of SUVs, Hyundai began thinking outside the box. The first result is what you see above. Aimed squarely at the people who think a Honda CRZ isn't quite the car they want, the Veloster is supposedly more of a driver's car. Although with not much power on tap, it appears that gas mileage and styling are its two main points.
While I do like the styling of the Veloster, I can see where people would take issue with it; it certainly isn't exactly what I'd call beautiful, yet to me, it isn't quite ugly either. I call it different. And that's exactly the point. Hyundai was trying to push the envelope while still have it recognized as their car. With that, they definitely succeeded. The controversial headlights are there as well as recently-introduced Hyundai signature split-spoke 5 spoke wheels.
One aspect I'm not sure many people will care for is the three-door treatment. I think it's fine, if not a bit cumbersome. It seems like too much hassle, although I'm sure previous Saturn SC owners will take issue with me here. When I think of "three-door", I either think mid-1990s extended cab pickup truck, or I think "three-door" as in two door hatchback. Ironically enough, this is a "true" three-door hatchback.
Overall, I quite like the Veloster; it's daring, it's different, but it's uniquely Hyundai. Certainly, it poses a more interesting case than other "competitors" like the Honda CR-Z, and to an extent, the cliched Scion TC, or a used Saturn SC coupe. However, if one truly desires a sporty-fun to drive car that looks like a coupe but has a usable backseat with easy access, get a Mazda RX-8. Be prepared for monstrous fuel bills, and oil consumption from hell, though.