Hyundai is in the midst of a massive powertrain engineering assault — and their model lineup is starting to employ some of the most advanced fuel-saving and performance-enhancing hardware on the road today.
Forget shelling out the big bucks for a vehicle with technologies like direct injection, a dual-clutch transmission and continually-variable valve timing: Hyundai is offering features like these under the hoods of more affordable products than ever before.
The Hyundai Veloster, an all-new, urban-friendly compact that calls Honda’s old CRX to mind, is one of them. Here’s a look at what’s on board to save owners fuel while delivering maximum driving pleasure.
Direct Injection:
Placing the fuel injectors inside of the combustion chamber gives engineers more precise control over fuel delivery — and the ability to run the engine in a highly efficient ‘ultra lean’ state.
By ensuring maximum energy extraction from every molecule of fuel, Hyundai’s high pressure Gasoline Direct Injection or GDI technology presents a win-win situation to drivers: more power output, less fuel burned.
Perhaps initially put on the map by Audi and BMW, Hyundai first offered Direct Injection in the Sonata before applying it to the 1.6-litre unit that now powers all Accent and Veloster models.
Dual Clutch Transmission:
In a nutshell, this type of gearbox combines the benefits of both an automatic and a manual.
Compact, lightweight and operated in a completely automatic fashion or via clutchless paddle-shift, Veloster debut’s Hyundai’s new EcoShift twin-clutch gearbox technology.
Benefits? More power to the road, reduced parasitic drivetrain losses, and increased performance with fast gearshifts that occur with no interruption in power flow.
EcoShift represents a win-win situation if you share your Veloster with someone that can’t drive its standard six-speed stick.
Six-Speeds All Around:
Like the Sonata, Accent and Elantra, every Veloster gets a six-speed transmission to optimize both fuel efficiency and performance.
Six-speed transmissions deliver smoother shifting, better passing power and lower cruising revs, too.
With more gears to choose from, the engine can spend less time at higher revs when accelerating moderately, and more time at lower revs during cruising. With a six-speed transmission on board, owners simultaneously get enhanced power delivery and lower fuel consumption.
Continually Variable Valve Timing (CVVT):
By monitoring driver intentions and engine operation, Hyundai’s CVVT system can instantly adjust engine breathing to match current conditions and demands. With CVVT on board, engine operation is automatically altered to deliver power on an ‘as needed’ basis.
Performance is enhanced when it’s required, and fuel mileage is maximized when it’s not.
