Hyundai Adds More Accolades with Urban Car Award for Veloster

With no disrespect to the folks at Urban Wheel, this is not Hyundai's big accolade of the week. That would of course go to the Hyundai Elantra that was named North American Car of the Year on the first day of the Detroit Auto Show.

The Urban Wheel Awards, hosted by the Emerging Diversity Education Fund and Decisive Media, is the nation's only award show bringing together celebrities, automotive executives, international media, government representatives, and the multicultural community to celebrate inclusion in the automotive industry. The 2012 NAIAS Executive Committee named the Urban Wheel Awards the Official Multicultural Event of the North American International Auto Show.

2012 Hyundai Veloster is winner

The Urban Vehicles of the Year selections are made by an esteemed panel of independent automotive journalists and this year named the 2012 Hyundai Veloster as the Urban Car of the Year. The Urban Wheel Awards judging panel spent several months selecting the most stylish, practical and attainable vehicles by driving dozens of cars and trucks in a variety of North American urban settings before selecting the winners for each category.

"The Hyundai Veloster is a combination of a hip and edgy image, along with exceptional value to price and outstanding fuel economy that is perfectly suited for urban drivers," said Lyndon Conrad Bell, Decisive Magazine, editor-in-chief. "Hyundai's choice to make its halo car an entry-level model excites us even more. With the Veloster, Hyundai definitely proves that high style and reasonable pricing absolutely can go together."

But Hyundai was honored for more than its sheet metal at the Urban Wheel Awards. It received the Corporate Social Responsibility Project of the Year award for its principle CSR program, Hyundai Hope on Wheels – a program that has given millions of dollars over the years to children's hospitals around the country. (That has been one of the great reasons to cheer the success of all Hyundai models: more cash to help sick kids.)

"We are delighted to recognize Hyundai and its dealers for helping bring the issue of childhood cancer to the nation's attention," said Randi Payton, president & CEO, Decisive Media, in a statement made available to TorqueNews. "For 14 years now, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has made a significant difference in the fight against childhood cancer." Hyundai Hope on Wheels has donated $43 million to fight pediatric cancer since its inception in 1998 and will launch its 2012 program at the New York Auto Show in April.

"We are honored and humbled by the awards Hyundai received and we commend the Urban Wheel Awards for their efforts for inclusion and corporate social responsibility in the automotive industry," said Zafar Brooks, director, government relations and diversity outreach, Hyundai Motor America. "At Hyundai, we work to provide vehicles that appeal to today's diverse consumers as well as strive to be a positive corporate citizen. One of our top CSR priorities is the fight against pediatric cancer, as too many of our country's children are being lost to this disease every day."