When the 2013 Hyundai Veolster Turbo finally broke cover at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, Hyundai CEO John Krafcik gave us nearly all of the details on the new, sporty version of Kia's funky four-ish-door hatch except the price.



He confirmed that the car would get the 1.6-liter, 201-horsepower direct-injection four-cylinder and that it would be available with a six-speed manual or a conventional six-speed automatic. (More on that in a minute.) He gave us the weight (2,800-3,005 lbs), brake diameters (11.8/10.3) and even tire size (P215/40VR18) but no price.



During a drive of the 2013 Genesis Coupe, however, a Hyundai official told Inside Line that the 2013 Veloster Turbo would be priced at $21,500 when it goes on sale this summer. Add in Hyundai's standard $760 destination fee ($760 for 2012 -- it could jump for 2013) and you've got a starting price of $22,280. The base 2012 Hyundai Veloster rings in at $18,060. In comparison, the four-door Civic Si stickers for $23,175.



The information from the event didn't stop at 2013 Veloster pricing. Hyundai reps also told us that the reason that we don't get a six-speed dual clutch gearbox is because the Veloster Turbo was not part of the original U.S. product plan. Because of that, the mileage-oriented six-speed dual-clutch unit on the regular Veloster wasn't designed to handle the extra torque and can't be used for the turbo car. Turns out that 195 pound-feet of torque is substantially more than 123 pound-feet where a transmission is concerned. At that point, it was either bring the car over with a six-speed auto (and a 6MT) or don't bring it over at all.



All the more reason to get the six-speed manual.