Hyundai Veloster with 155kW

A turbocharged version of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster that would go head-to-head with the Volkswagen Golf GTI could be unveiled later this month at the 2011 New York International Auto Show.

According to enthusiast website Hyundai-Blog, the Korean manufacturer’s all-new 1.6-litre T-GDI (turbocharged gasoline direct injection) four-cylinder engine will produce 155kW of power at 6000rpm and 264Nm of torque between 1600-5000rpm.

Those figures would give it the same power output as the 2.0-litre Golf GTI and 16Nm less torque. The standard Veloster will be powered by a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre GDI engine with 103kW and 167Nm.

An encouraging sign for performance fans is the weight of the atmo Veloster, which comes in at a tidy 1172kg. The three-door Golf GTI weighs 1360kg (188kg more than the Veloster), and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 7.2 seconds.

Hyundai-Blog says the 1.6 T-GDI engine would be available in the Veloster from 2012, and later added to the 2013 Hyundai ix30 and next-generation Kia cee’d ranges.

Hyundai Australia’s Stephen Howard said he had no information about a turbocharged version of the Hyundai Veloster, and could not confirm its appearance at New York.

Mr Howard said the standard Hyundai Veloster, which was confirmed for a local launch earlier this year, was on track to arrive in Australian showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2011.