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Hyundai plots a Nissan Juke fighter

A few years ago, Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski suggested interest in taking on the Nissan Juke with a subcompact crossover. It looks like that project is coming together, as we caught Hyundai testing a small, curiously-styled SUV in Germany recently. The SUV is expected to share a lot of the same chassis components as the i20, a hatchback that's sold in other parts of the world, with the same engine lineup as the new i30, another hatchback that Hyundai doesn't sell in the America. In the United Kingdom, the i30 is available with engines including a 1.4-liter gasoline and a 1.6-liter diesel unit. Front-wheel drive would be standard with all-wheel drive an option. The heavily-camouflaged prototype doesn't give away a lot of the SUV's design. The front of the vehicle is hidden away, but what we can see the grille features hexagonal shapes instead of the horizontal bars that we've become accustomed to seeing in Hyundais. The headlights mimic the Jeep Cherokee's design with thin slits on top and larger, round units toward the bottom. At the back, camouflage hides the majority of the prototype, but the taillights appear to be different than the rest of Hyundai's offerings. The outline of the taillights resembles the same units found on the Intrado Concept, indicating the vehicle will get some design cues from the hydrogen-powered prototype. A single exhaust outlet protrudes underneath the rear end. The overall profile of the SUV appears to be smaller than the Tucson, which is currently Hyundai's smallest crossover in the US. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hyundai SUV Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Design/Style Spy Photos Hyundai Nissan Crossover SUV Future Vehicles

Hyundai Veloster nixed in UK after just 3 years

The Veloster, Hyundai's funky, four-door hatchback, has been pulled from the British market after just three years on sale. The blame, as is usually the case in these circumstances, is being placed on slow sales. Auto Express reports that, much like it has in the United States, the Veloster has failed to resonate with both customers and critics. While UK sales figures weren't available to prove AE's point, Veloster sales in the US through November are down nearly 2,000 units over the same period in 2013, to under 26,000 vehicles. That makes it the third-slowest seller in the Hyundai lineup, behind the far more expensive Azera and Equus sedans. The performance-minded Veloster Turbo will be replaced in the UK by a version of the i30 equipped with the VT's 1.6-liter, force-induced, direct-injected engine. You can read all about that new vehicle right here.

2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo: May 2013

Although I went on the Portland launch of the regular-strength Veloster back in late 2011, my time in the Turbo model was previously limited to one very brief commuting experience, so I was glad to get some time in our long-term matte gray model this month. In a way, I lucked out, grabbing the key fob to our Hyundai just as the weather in mid-Michigan finally acknowledged spring's existence. The temperature change afforded us the chance to swap out the all-season Kumho Solus KH25 rubber that it arrived with in January for its optional ($1,200) Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (215/40ZR18), an almost absurdly major-league, high-dollar set of shoes for what is actually only a hottish hatch.
You might have expected the Veloster Turbo to slide under the radar in such high-performance and shouty company, but the truth is it was a little magnet for attention.
With the new footwear freshly installed, I made a beeline for South Bend, Indiana for the start of this year's One Lap of America, an event I've been staffing for well over a decade. I rolled into the Tire Rack headquarters' expansive parking lot, parking the VT alongside the competitors, whose vehicles appeared "cunningly disguised as racecars," covered with all manner of sponsorship stickers and graphics. You might have expected the Veloster Turbo to slide under the radar in such high-performance and shouty company, but the truth is it was a little magnet for attention.