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2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo: February 2013

I just couldn't bring myself to lead this post with the image you see on the right. The winter months have not been kind to our matte gray 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo, and since you can't just run the thing through your local car wash, our oddly shaped little hatchback has spent more days dirty than clean. It breaks my fleet manager heart to see one of our test cars covered in schmutz so frequently, but let's be honest - the last thing anyone wants to do when it's 12 degrees Fahrenheit outside is play with a hose and spend a good amount of time hand-washing a car.
Moral of the story: If you live in a cold-weather state where you expect to get regular doses of the white stuff, matte paint probably isn't for you. Not to worry, though, as the Veloster Turbo is offered in plenty of pretty, car wash-friendly colors.
We'll have a lot more to talk about regarding the Veloster's cleanability in forthcoming updates, and we're even planning a trip to the Dr. Beasley's office - the company that created the special matte paint detailing kit for the Hyundai - to have their experts show us how it's done. For now, let's spend some time talking about what we've learned about the turbocharged hatch during its honeymoon phase here in the Autoblog Garage.

Hyundai i30 Fastback N revealed, but still not for the U.S.

Hyundai just revealed a car that we won't get stateside, the i30 Fastback N. This four-door fastback gets the same N treatment as the i30 N hatchback, another fast Hyundai that isn't sold here. We all love a good hatchback, but the Fastback variant looks a bit more handsome and mature comparatively. It's hard not to like the lines, especially after hearing the loud, crackling exhaust that pops aggressively on the overrun. Just like the i30 N hatchback in Europe and the Veloster N we're getting here, the Fastback gets the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with two power outputs available. The base N makes 246 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, but the Performance package nets you 271 horsepower. It also has a temporary overboost feature that unleashes 279 pound-feet of torque for a limited period. It's almost the exact same power as the Veloster N, but that car is rated at 250 and 275 horsepower in its two trim levels. The Fastback N is said to get to 62 mph in 6.4 and 6.1 seconds respectively. A six-speed manual will remain as the only transmission offering for the time being. Hyundai hasn't officially mentioned it yet, but a video it released essentially confirms the presence of its electronic limited-slip differential for this car. We expect it to be offered as part of the Performance package like it is in the other N variants. The Fastback N is set to make its world debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, but Hyundai made an entertaining video of its World Rally Championship drivers racing about Denmark and released some preliminary info today. If you haven't heard the exhaust for any of Hyundai's N cars, then here's your chance; it's pretty awesome. View 26 Photos Featured video: Image Credit: Hyundai Paris Motor Show Hyundai Performance Sedan hyundai veloster n hyundai i30 n

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