Veloster’s third door gives access to the rear seat via the passenger side. What’s extra attractive about this door (which doesn’t require the front door to be opened first) is how well the exterior door handle is integrated into the body trim. The car’s styling is definitely unique, which is why this car gets noticed. During a one-week test drive of the Veloster, seemingly everyone wanted a close-up look of the car decked out with a panoramic sunroof and 18-inch alloy wheels with painted inserts--part of the Style and Tech optional packages. Even though it weighs only 2,584 pounds, engineers didn’t skimp on Veloster’s deliverables. It’s a strong, sturdy, fuel efficient package.

Powering Veloster is an all-new 1.6-liter 4-cylinder. This gasoline direct injection engine provides 138 horsepower at 6300 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque at 4850 rpm. When paired with Hyundai’s first EcoShift automatic dual-clutch transmission (DCT), the mpg numbers are estimated at 29 city/38 highway. A great way to test the car’s fuel-sipping abilities is to engage the infotainment system’s BlueMax game to get a ‘fuel score’ based on 10-minutes of real-world driving. (The game can be displayed on Veloster’s 7-inch touch screen.) MSRP of Veloster with EcoShift DCT is $18,550.