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2014 Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Spec loses creature comforts, gains sporting equipment [UPDATE]

Hyundai unveiled the Veloster Turbo R-Spec at the LA Auto Show yesterday, and it's touted as a high-performance model without some of the standard features usually found on the Veloster Turbo, such as proximity-key entry with push-button start, premium gauge cluster, side-repeater mirrors, driver's auto-up window, high-gloss interior trim and heated leather seats.
Like the other three R-Spec models Hyundai has released (Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec, Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec and Genesis 5.0 R-Spec), the Veloster Turbo R-Spec skimps on interior appointments to keep the price down. But Hyundai thinks that people who buy it don't want that equipment anyway, and would rather install aftermarket goodies. The car is priced at $22,110 (including the $810 destination fee), which makes it the least expensive Veloster Turbo model.
The pared-down hatchback's special features include R-Spec-specific sport suspension, retuned steering and a B&M short-shifter for the six-speed manual transmission (the R-Spec isn't offered with an automatic). That's all great, but we can do without the red-accented side skirts and front splitter, which look just as tacky in person as they do in pictures.

Did a US automaker blow the whistle on Hyundai, Kia fuel economy issue?

In all of the most hotly contested mainstream segments of the motoring universe, the difference of one mile per gallon averaged on a widow sticker can mean the difference between a sale and a walk-off - to say nothing of two or three mpg. So, when Hyundai and Kia were forced to reveal that many of their 40-mpg ratings were actually 38s and 37s, well, it made for big news.
It also, conceivably, made for a competitive disadvantage immediately, when the Korean automakers' products were being shopped versus the guys down the block. And it's that disadvantage that makes a recent story from Automotive News so juicy.
AN is reporting that Margo Oge, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, got a tip in 2010 that Hyundai/Kia were "cheating" to get its impressive fuel economy numbers. The tip, said Oge (who retired from the EPA this past September), came from a senior vice president from a domestic automaker. The source was credible enough for Oge to launch an audit of the Hyundai figures, which ultimately lead to the debacle that we reported on a few months ago, and that the Korean company has been trying to bounce back from ever since.

Hyundai and Kia to hit record 8M sales for 2014

Hyundai and Kia are on a sales charge in 2014, and parent company Hyundai Motor Group is increasing projections to a record eight million combined units for the automakers by the end of the year – a bump over the original target of 7.86 million vehicles. According to Bloomberg, the key to the growth is beating expectations in Brazil, China and India, and strong crossover sales are also helping the bottom line. In the US, both automakers are doing well this year. In October, Hyundai saw a six percent dip in monthly sales, but through the first 10 months it sold 607,539 vehicles, compared to 601,773 at this point last year. Kia has done even better with 489,711 units sold from January to October, versus 456,137 for the period in 2013. The good news is a welcome antidote to negative headlines like investors' anger over Hyundai's $10 billion land purchase in Seoul, South Korea. The two automakers also had to pay a $300 million penalty to the Environmental Protection Agency for misstating fuel economy on some models. While sales may reach a new record, profits might not grow as much with them. The strong Korean won means that Hyundai and Kia have a tougher time keeping up profit margins compared to Japanese competitors with a weaker yen.