Along with the attention came the comments that were so polar they were more polar blast.
The nosy fella, suggested it was good only for scrap metal. Paul the Irishman renamed it the Get-loster and a few stickybeaks thought it was Honda's new hybrid, the CR-Z. A teen renamed it a Veloster-raptor (while I nicknamed it Velocity) and 90 per cent of the women polled said they loved it.
During the week-long test, the car received so much attention that it rivalled the reaction to the new VW Beetle I road-tested in the early 2000s when people knocked on my door at home asking for a closer look.
While Beetle-mania was due to the car being the next generation of the the sporty hatch famous bug, this Korean model caused a furore because of its shape.
The car has strong elements of a coupe. Most of the body shape is a nod to this style, with the side windows tapering to a tight, smooth corner. The bonnet is prominent, while the panoramic glass roof of my Elite model adds a sporty feel.
The hatch factors are the wide rear and the liftback, but it has a handy element, too - a small, right rear passenger door with the handle scooped into the top of frame.
The third door is a hit with the mothers polled, who like the easy access to the rear seat.
But car novice Claire sums up the look: "There is too much happening. The front and rear lights are too aggressive and sharp, pointy-looking and I don't like those dented bits."
Yep, there is a lot happening.
The LED day running lights give it a strong front presence that I love, while the wide rear and large lower lip would give Kim Kardashian a run for her money when it comes to attention-grabbing bums.
Those "dented" bits are actually air vents between the front and fog lights, and tapered lower side panels.
The 1.6-litre 103kW/167Nm engine comes with six-speed, dual-clutch auto transmission that is peppy enough pushing through the gears but could benefit from turbo to give it even more oomph on the motorway.
Inside, the cabin is laid out well, including a seven-inch LCD feature screen, Bluetooth and stereo controls on the steering wheel, as well as cruise control.
But there is one very annoying factor - a tune played every time you start the car. The first time the xylophonic tune played was cute. Second time, amusing ... 10th time had me yelling.
If I wanted a theme-tune to my driving, it would be more Bond movie than Disney flick.
A couple of downsides to that sloping body are large rear blind spots and awkward driver vision for shorties. I had to raise my seat as the driver's side mirror hindered my vision, but sitting higher, the line of the rear spoiler cut into my line of sight.
Thankfully, the Veloster has reversing sensors - essential as I backed out of busy carparks with my limited vision.
Veloster starts at $39,990, with the Elite at $44,990 with the addition of such features as 18-inch wheels, panoramic glass roof, rear-view camera and leather seats.
The bottom line:
If you want to stand out anywhere, this is the sports car for you. And as my teenage son pointed out, you'll never lose it in carparks.
