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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.

Hyundai Veloster Re:Flex edition hits showrooms with $21,650* MSRP

It's been several months since Hyundai first revealed the Veloster Re:Flex at the Chicago Auto Show. The special-edition of the quirky Korean hatchback features an array of chrome accents and exclusive available Ice Pearl paint along with LED lighting, red or black leather interior, and of course special badging all around, available exclusively with the 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine and six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
Limited to just 3,000 units, Hyundai has now released pricing for the Veloster Re:Flex edition at $21,650, plus the standard $810 destination charge, for a delivered total of $22,460. That makes it $3,850 more expensive than the base Veloster (at $17,800 list or $18,610 delivered), but add to that the $1,250 for the DCT and you're already looking at $19,860 delivered. Add on the $1,800 Style Package (all of whose equipment is included in the Re:Flex save the panoramic roof) and you're looking at a delivered price of $21,660, so in the end the actual premium Hyundai's getting for the Re:Flex edition is $800 (plus whatever the missing sunroof is worth to you, because you can't option that separate of the aforementioned Style Package anyway). Details in the press release below.

Hyundai files patent for smartphone feature disabler in proximity to steering wheel

Combatting driver distraction continues to be a hot topic in automotive safety, especially when it comes to young motorists. While simply not using a smartphone behind the wheel would fix much of the problem, automakers are trying to work out complicated ways to make people safer. For example, GM is experimenting with head and eye tracking to make sure folks are paying attention to the road. Now, Hyundai might have come up with a technology that offers a very simple fix: disable the phones. The Korean automaker explains the idea in explicit detail in a recently published patent. The tech specifically "limits or disables the use of some of mobile device features which could cause distraction to the user," according to the abstract. Depending on variables like the vehicle's speed, the system determines what smartphone functions are safe to use, including texting or voice calls. Based on a plethora of permutations in the document, these restrictions could only be for the area around the driver's seat or for the whole vehicle. The key to the patent is placing antennas around the vehicle and monitoring for cellular signals. When the system detects them, it can begin selectively deciding what features to allow on the device. The tech isn't a simple on/off switch either, and can possibly detect the time of day or importance of the caller to let messages though. The major downside to all of this is the phone would need to run a specific program or firmware for all of this to work. With such a recently published patent, it might be years before the tech arrives in Hyundai vehicles, if at all. Still, this is an interesting solution. Of course, it would be far simpler if people just put down their phones. You can read the full description of the automaker's concept, here. News Source: Free Patens Online via US Patent and Trademark Office Auto News Hyundai Technology Emerging Technologies Smartphone distracted driving patent cell phone driver distraction