DETROIT — When we first heard details on the Hyundai Veloster three-door hot-hatch we wondered if it was the new CRX that Honda didn’t build. With two six-speed transmissions to choose from, a kicking power-to-weight ratio and up to 40 mpg the answer is yes.

Hell yes.

The near-production 2012 Hyundai Veloster shown at the Detroit auto show is a curious FWD hatchback offering three doors (one on the driver’s side, two on the passenger’s) and a liftgate in a design that incorporates the aggressive lines of the Sonata and Euro-market i40 Wagon with a rear end inspired by … a motorcycle helmet.

The aggressive and sporty look is backed up by a 1.6-liter direct-injection four-banger with dual continuously variable valve timing. It offers a relatively potent 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. Though not as powerful as the 180-horsepower Scion tC (the most powerful car in this class), the Hyundai weighs 2,584 pounds compared to the Scion’s 3,060 pounds — a difference of nearly 500 pounds.

“Somehow I think Colin Chapman would be pleased,” Hyundai USA boss John Krafcik said at the press conference unveiling the car.

You have your choice of two transmissions, both with six speeds: a lightweight manual for purists and a new Hyundai-developed dual-clutch transmission for everyone else. Hyundai estimates the combination of the DCT, small engine and low weight will produce a stellar 40 mpg.

No one’s driven the Veloster yet, at least no one who can talk about it, so all comparisons to the venerable Honda CRX and the new Honda CR-Z hybrid must occur in the purely hypothetical realm. But it doesn’t take a genius to see the Veloster smokes the CR-Z with better fuel economy, more power, lower weight, better transmissions and a more attractive aesthetic.

Hyundai, like Honda with the CR-Z, is marketing this car as “fun to drive.” It made a point of noting the McPherson struts and coil springs up front and what they call a V-torsion beam rear suspension out back. We think that’s marketing speak for a variation on the twist-beam torsion bar. The car rolls on 17-inch alloys with 18-inchers available.

Ultimately, the Veloster may compete against cars from Mini instead of Honda, since it offers more power in a package that weighs slightly more than the three-door Cooper but less than the five-door Clubman. Look for the Veloster this summer with a price starting around $17,000.

The all-new Hyundai Sonata, a North American Car of the Year finalist, was deemed the “most noteworthy success story” of the year in kbb.com’s “Most Researched New Vehicles of 2010” report. Sonata leapt 24 places to number five overall. Because Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com is one of the most-trafficked automotive research sites, visitation to specific vehicles has become a leading indicator of sales patterns for manufacturers. Hyundai will sell approximately 200,000 Sonatas in calendar year 2010 and volume is up 65 percent year-to-date (through November).

“Hyundai’s popular all-new Sonata helped to re-shuffle the deck among the top 20 most-researched new cars of 2010, knocking a few vehicles further down on the list compared to where they were last year,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

“The research from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com validates a trend we’ve been following throughout the year. Sonata is clearly making more consumers’ shopping lists than ever before,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, product and corporate planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Data from Compete shows that Sonata was the most-shopped vehicle on the Internet six of the last seven months, proving that as awareness and availability of the 2011 model increased, shopping patterns quickly followed suit.”

The 2011 Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional mid-size sedan segment by using only advanced four-cylinder engines, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition. In addition to the standard 2.4-liter, gasoline direct injection powertrain making 35 miles-per-gallon highway, Hyundai added a 2.0-liter, 274-horsepower turbo and first-ever hybrid to the Sonata lineup. The Sonata Turbo went on sale in September and Sonata Hybrid, achieving 40 miles-per-gallon highway, will reach showrooms in January.

The all-new Sonata was the first mid-size car to receive a five-star crash test rating under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new, more stringent 2011 system and an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick honor, placing it in a safety position unsurpassed in the industry.

“The site traffic on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com clearly demonstrates which models are resonating with today’s new-car shoppers, especially when we examine the most-researched new vehicles of 2010,” said Bell. “Hyundai’s homerun Sonata was not only the darling of the industry this year, but also made a strong impression in the minds of new-car shoppers by leaping ahead to the fifth most-researched new car of 2010.”

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through about 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.