“Cool Coupe Meets Smart Hatch” is how Hyundai describes its all-new Veloster coupe. That’s doing a disservice…short-selling the Veloster’s value and high-standard sports car driving dynamics.
That ‘Coupe/Hatch’ moniker is because the clever Hyundai Veloster is on one side (drivers’) a coupe with a single long door, while on the other (passengers’) there are two doors – the small rearwards one providing easy passenger or cargo access to the rear seat.
Loaded with features, and a 5-star ANCAP safety performer, the Hyundai Veloster is a great buy and a great drive. You want more? No problem, an even racier turbocharged version arrives later this year.
Hyundai Australia is still ambitiously chasing sales growth in 2012. Already the fastest-growing car company in the world, Hyundai Australia says 93,000 sales this year in not negotiable and given its all-round competence, the expected 200 sales per month for the all-new Veloster should be a snap.
Hyundai Veloster Overview
Hyundai has drawn a major line in the sand in the sports coupe market with the all-new Veloster comprehensively equipped and very sharply priced. Hyundai offers the Veloster in two model grades (Veloster and Veloster+) with a $4,000 price differential between the two.
Stumping-up the extra ‘4-large’ for the Veloster+ brings you extras such as full leather seats, electric adjustment for the drivers’ seat, a massive panoramic glass sunroof, projector beam headlights, Supervision Instrument Cluster with centre display, keyless entry with push-button start and heated external mirrors.
The full range is:
Veloster (6-speed manual) $23,990
Veloster (6-speed automatic) $25,990
Veloster+ (6-speed manual) $27,990
Veloster+ (6-speed automatic) $29,990
Hyundai Veloster Engine
Power comes from Hyundai’s all-new ‘Gamma’ direct injection 1.6-litre petrol engine. This is the smallest capacity Hyundai engine to feature direct injection and its technical excellence serves to remind us of the talented engineering team now assembled at Hyundai facilities world-wide.
Further confirmation comes from the pair of six-speed transmissions (manual and dual-clutch automatic). Hyundai is one of only a handful of automotive manufacturers with its own in-house designed and manufactured transmissions.
The 1.6-litre ‘Gamma’ engine is good for 103kW at 6300rpm and 166Nm at 4850rpm. Fuel consumption is as low as 6.4l/100kms (manual) and exhaust C02 emissions score 151g/km.
Hyundai Veloster The Interior
Hyundai Veloster rams-home its outstanding value with a classy interior way beyond its $23K - $29K stickers. And some clever design features – like sculptured interior door closers - show Hyundai is determined the break new ground in automotive interiors…great news!
Entry-level Hyundai Veloster runs cloth seats (with leather side bolsters), while the upscale Veloster+ scores full leather and electronic adjustment for the driver. We liked the nice, leather-wrapped sports steering wheel (rake and height adjustment) and the classy instruments had a passing resemblance to upscale Europeans (but with Hyundai’s hallmark orange colouring).
Hyundai says the centre ‘stack’ resembles a sport bike fuel tank and the side air-vents were inspired by motorcycle tailpipes. That might be stretching things a bit…we’ll just comment it looks modern and the layout matches other similar contemporary designs – such as the Ford Fiesta/Focus/Mondeo/Ranger.
Audio is a ripper – there’s Bluetooth naturally and even entry-level Hyundai Veloster runs a seven-inch colour LCD screen which can show DivX movies. Veloster+ boasts a premium system with subwoofer and external amplifier.
But the rear seat is the thing right? Access via that ‘talking-point’ third door is easy, head-room is tight, but the legroom (with some co-operation from those in front) is surprisingly spacious. Once there, occupants enjoy two nicely-shaped individual rear seats with their own centre console with cup-holders.
Hyundai Veloster Exterior & Styling
The sport bike theme continues with the exterior – blacked-out A-pillars designed to give the Hyundai Veloster’s glass a look reminiscent of a motorcycle helmet. That is helped by its distinctive shape – very modern and certainly ground-breaking.
At the front the large grille and outboard flanks are again tear-up the automotive design manual. The rear also heads in a slightly new direction with unusual tail-lights and clever hatch shape.
And the side profile reinforces Hyundai’s determination to make the three-door concept succeed.
Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea – personally our gets a tick from us – the Hyundai Veloster certainly commands a head-turning on-road presence.
Hyundai Veloster On The Road
Departing from Southport on the Gold Coast and heading via the hinterland to Kingscliffe in Northern NSW, Hyundai’s drive route was excellent with just the right combination of urban roads covered before tackling the high-speed twisty stuff. A break in the unusual summer rains gave us dry roads, but we did get a glimpse of the swollen rivers and high water marks resulting from recent floods.
We got to drive Veloster and Veloster+, manual and automatic.
And, having been startled by Hyundai Veloster’s sharp prices, here’s where surprise number two arrived – the driving dynamics. Even in the Gold Coast’s high-rise-lined ‘Concrete Canyons’ in first and second gear, it was immediately obvious the suspension calibration of the Hyundai Veloster was firm and sporty.
And once we tackled the high-speed stuff, the Korean coupe while a revelation, but very much a genuine sports coupe…so that means tauter ride and more road noise than say a Hyundai i45.
Front suspension was particularly impressive for a front-wheel-drive vehicle with quite firm spring/damper feel on compression but still a good range of travel (the dampers themselves sourced from Sachs). We did test the limits a couple of times in some potholes on the flood-damaged sections.
And the rear – a V-beam torsions beam design - was nice and progressive and gave good feedback even when pressing on very hard.
If the Veloster is anything to go by, Hyundai is at the top of its game for chassis development. In fact we got the impression the Veloster’s chassis was so good it could easily handle more than the best of the 103kW/166Nm 1.6-litre…which of course is exactly what’s happening later this year when the Veloster Turbo arrives.
Hyundai Veloster Challenges
Those head-turning looks require some compromise. Sure rear seat passengers have easy, safe access from the kerb thanks to Hyundai Veloster’s clever third door.
But once seated, headroom is very tight (even for your Car Showroom correspondent who never even contemplated trying out for the school basketball team). In fact, rear seat passengers will discover their craniums parked under the rear window, so on sunny summer days, a hat or baseball cap would be strongly recommended.
But that’s not meant to sound a ‘biggie’ as all sports coupes present compromises.
Hyundai Veloster Verdict
To be honest, it was one of those ‘Light Bulb’ moments. We expected the Hyundai Veloster to be a bit ‘ho-hum’, but it competency and value-for-money caught by surprise…and we really should have known better with Hyundai.
First the outstanding starting price (from $23,990) makes Veloster’s main current rival look pricey and lays-down some tough challenges for those awaiting launch into the sports coupe segment.
Then just a few minutes into the drive route we realized the Hyundai Veloster was no ‘cookie-cutter-coupe’ trying to masquerade as sports car. No sports car fans, this innovative three-door is for real - you simply will not find a front-driver at this price to match the Hyundai Veloster in the high-speed twisty stuff.
Hyundai Veloster The Competition
Yes, we know it’s a hybrid, but Honda’s excellent all-new CR-Z looms as the closest rival for the Hyundai Veloster….for the moment. Nice to drive and handsomely styled, Honda CR-Z – like other rivals – can’t match the Hyundai Veloster for value (CR-Z starts at $34,990).
Of course, just around the corner for the Hyundai Veloster are the Japanese twins Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ. Boasting considerably more power and rear-wheel-drive, the all-new Subaru and Toyota coupes will likely require a lot more coin than the Veloster.
Pricing for the Veloster turbo later this year (which will give the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ a run for their money in kW and Nm) will be interesting.
Hyundai’s sister company Kia has its sharp Cerato Koup handily priced from $23,690. More a ‘hot-hatch’ than a genuine sports coupe like the Hyundai Veloster – and seriously lagging in the ‘On-Road Presence’ department by comparison - the Cerato Koup nevertheless outguns the Veloster with 115kW/194Nm from its 2.0-litre engine.
Likes:
Great chassis; outstanding value; kerb appeal
Dislikes:
Rear seat headroom (adults); rear seat cranium exposure to UV rays (adults and children).
