7:52 pm, July 28, 2011
AN eco version of Hyundai’s forthcoming Veloster could appear in the UK if buyers want it to says the firm’s boss.
Speaking to Car Dealer Hyundai UK’s managing director, Tony Whitehorn, said that the car is not only a decisive step-change for the brand’s image, but it could spawn further derivatives including an eco ‘blue’ version.
‘Veloster is a tipping point for Hyundai,’ Whitehorn told us, ‘and it is a watershed moment. The ix35 was a watershed car and so will the i40, but the Veloster is more than that. The i-line of cars is all about volume whereas the Veloster will be about profit for our dealers.’
Turbocharged petrol and an eco version could appear in the UK
The sporty coupe will propel the Korean firm back into the small sports market – a sector it has been absent from since the demise of the Coupe in 2008.
However, Whitehorn also revealed that the car could also appear in different forms if the UK public wants it to.
‘I can tell you we have had those discussions about a ‘blue’ or an eco version of the Veloster because Hyundai is the type of company who thinks outside of the box,’ he said.
‘We will be launching the car with a 1.6-litre petrol which will sit in the middle of what we can do.
‘We could go up into the turbo bracket and put a turbocharged unit into it or we could drop down and produce an eco version – or we could do both. When the car comes out later this year, we will see what our customers want and we will take it from there.’
Post written: 07:20, July 27
