What is it?
Think 'four-door' and you think 'saloon' (or 'sedan' if you're American), yet the Hyundai Veloster is a four-door coupé with a hatchback. How can that be? It's because one side has only one door, the other two. Strange, but true. This is a quirky coupé in the same way the MINI Countryman is an oddball estate.
But the Veloster's door layout affords it genuine practicality, because the two-door side will always be the passenger side (unlike the MINI). It also looks the business, as you hopefully agree, and will debut Hyundai's first dual clutch automatic when it hits showrooms, possibly as early as this year.
Why's it here?
The Hyundai Veloster - based on the i30 chassis - is essentially the replacement for the defunct Hyundai Coupé, a car that gave the Korean maker a shot of credibility.
Hyundai doesn't need credibility anymore, but it could do with something cracking to put on a plinth in its showrooms. This is it.
Show stopper or floor filler?
We'll go with show stopper here. Even the name is growing on us. Some of the concept chintz like the huge central tailpipe might not make the showroom cut, but you're still looking at a car very few would be ashamed to drive. With prices undercutting the VW Scirocco and a 200hp turbo flagship on the way, this could be quite the offbeat family car for 2012.