Hyundai Veloster awards

Hyundai has grown somewhat accustomed to being showered with critical acclaim, and lauded with numerous awards in recent years, but to land two major prized within the space of 24 hours is something special even for them.

But that is exactly what happened at the end of October, and the biggest surprise of all may be that the awards were both handed out for the same vehicle; the 2012 Hyundai Veloster.

The first of the awards came courtesy of Decisive Magazine who rated the all-new Hyundai Veloster the “Urban Car of the Year.”

This is an award that has actually been months in the making, given that the panel of judges, made up of independent automotive journalists, who test drive all the vehicles that are up for the award over a period of months. The cars and trucks that are chosen for chance to win the prize are driven in a number of North American urban settings, and it’s only the best that will rise to the top to snag the coveted award.

Scott Margason, director, Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America expressed his delight that Decisive Magazine had not only chosen the 2012 Veloster as the winner, but that they also recognized the unique personality of the car.

Lyndon Conrad Bell, Decisive magazine’s editor-in-chief added that the decision was made based on the hip design, value and fuel efficiency that the Veloster provides to urban drivers. The Urban Car of the Year award will be presented to Hyundai at the 16th Annual Urban Wheel Awards (UWA) on Sunday, January 8, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan.

The second award that came just 24 hours after the Urban Car of the Year was courtesy of Ruedas ESPN, a leading, US based, Spanish language automotive radio show. They honored the Veloster as the “Best New Product” during the 41st South Florida International Auto Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The award was voted upon by the editorial panel of Ruedas, who took into account all the standard features such as value, fuel efficiency and design, but with the added caveat that the car had to be appealing to the average Hispanic consumer.

It’s easy to see why the 2012 Hyundai Veloster is drawing such rave reviews, as it goes way above and beyond the normal great value, design and fuel efficiency that we have come to expect as standard from Hyundai.

It has a unique third door design that allows for easier rear seat access, a 1.6L GDI Gamma engine paired with Hyundai’s first EcoShift dual-clutch transmission and some fantastic entertainment options, such as Pandora internet radio.

The all-new Veloster is a sign that Hyundai is continuing to move forward with their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.