Hyundai Veloster Turbo Test Drive Review

Ask any car company what their objective is at the start of each year, you are unlikely to hear an answer that strays very far from the lines of ‘we want to sell more cars than last year’. It is the reason why car models are continuously improved and periodically replaced with facelifted or all-new models. It is also the reason why car makers seek to maintain as big a product portfolio as they can manage – to cover as wide a market base as they possibly could.

Over the last two decades, car makers found that having filled all key product segments, there was little room to spur further growth. The solution, it seemed, was to create new market segments, giving rise to curious concoctions such as the four-door coupe and various crossovers. These niche vehicles usually share platforms and running gear with the plainclothes sedan or hatchback elsewhere in the range, but focus on style and usually sold at a premium.

An interesting example in this context would be the Hyundai Veloster, a unique coupe-hatchback crossbreed built on Elantra and i30 hardware. Launched locally in 2012, the Veloster recently benefited from a performance upgrade courtesy of a new 1.6-litre turbocharged engine.

Prices & Variants

The falling Ringgit is hurting everybody hard and Hyundai was among the first to blink, with prices of the Veloster, Elantra, and Santa Fe recently increased according to this report by our friends at Carlist.my.

Previously spearheading the line-up, the 1.6 Premium variant is now re-positioned as the entry model of the Veloster range; not that it has been spared it from a price hike though – the going rate for one is now RM139,488 with insurance, over RM6,000 higher than before. Leading the range now are two turbocharged variants, namely the Turbo and Turbo Sport, priced at RM158,988 and RM162,788 respectively.

Whilst wide pricing and performance chasms separate the Premium and Turbo variants, they are in fact closely matched on the equipment front. Paddle shifters, HID headlights, and driver seat lumbar support are the only equipment of note omitted from the naturally aspirated model, with all variants getting six airbags, stability control, keyless entry, reverse camera, panoramic sunroof, and leather upholstery as standard.

Meanwhile, additions to the Turbo Sport model are limited to just racing sticker decals and orange side lining trim on its leather seats, as opposed to grey in the regular Turbo. We can think of far more productive ways to spend RM4,000.

Specifications

Globally, all versions of the Veloster come with 1.6-litre petrol engines. The naturally-aspirated variant continues in an unchanged state producing 130hp and 158Nm. Unlike before, and owing to poor demand, Hyundai has ditched the manual transmission option, leaving the company’s in-house 6-speed auto as the only gearbox of choice for the base model.

The Turbo version’s engine is built on the same Gamma series block, but armed with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection, this variant has access to a claimed 183hp and 265Nm, the latter spread from 1,500 to 4,500rpm, sent to the front wheels by a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. On paper, we are looking at figures comparable to BMW’s 2.0-litre N20 (184hp/270Nm) and Ford’s 1.6-litre EcoBoost (177hp/240Nm). Serious performance then.

Save for the inevitable tweaks to account for its enhanced performance, the Veloster Turbo utilizes the same basic ingredients in its chassis as the naturally-aspirated model. Disc brakes all-round are standard, but independent rear suspension is not. Steering assist is electric, with adjustable assist levels selected using what Hyundai calls its Flex Steer system.

Exterior

An asymmetrical body configuration, coupe with one door on one side and a hatchback with front and rear doors on the other, is the Veloster’s call card and is a statement of Hyundai’s self-confidence that it does not see the need to follow pre-set templates to create what it feels is a workable product. It is noteworthy that Hyundai alters the door arrangement according to country; the side with one door is invariably the driver’s side.

Reflecting its enhanced performance, the Veloster Turbo dons more aggressive styling detail to differentiate it from the Premium model. The enlarged one-piece trapezoidal grille, flanked by deep-recessed front fog lights with darkened surround, create a more distinctive-looking fascia up front, whilst the rear hints more subtly at added the muscularity with a bigger lower diffuser element and round fog lights framed by recessed dark surround trim. Beyond giving it visual distinction, the Veloster Turbo’s revised bumpers also served to add 30mm to its overall length, which now measures 4,250mm from stem to stern.

Interior

Recent experience suggest to us that Hyundai has pretty much nailed the basics on good cabin design. Across its range, Hyundai models now consistently exhibit sound ergonomics, good quality, and commendable packaging. The Veloster here is no different as far as its forward half is concerned, although owing to its low-slung roof, inevitable compromises are forced upon the rear.

Up front, controls on the dashboard are laid out in largely logical and sensible fashion. Faux aluminium trim inserts betray the origins of a vehicle developed at a cost but seeking to impose higher aspirations upon itself. It’s not necessarily effective from an aesthetic point of view, but neither is it offensive; most importantly, it does not neglect the basics of good usability. There is a well-considered distribution of small item storage spaces, the deep tray ahead of the gear lever being particularly capacious.

Hyundai’s approach to add a rear door at the passenger side would seem, in theory, like an ingenious solution to facilitate rear passenger ingress and egress. Reality, however, is that the compromised aperture mean access to the inner seat can be rather awkward for bigger-sized passengers; it is best that the right-seated rear passenger simply get in and out of the vehicle as one normally would in a traditional two-door vehicle, which is to push the driver’s seat forward and squeeze through.

Driving Experience

When we previously drove the Veloster in its naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre manual guise, we found it to exhibit likable dynamics; and whilst outputs are low on paper, brisk progress can be coaxed with diligent work on its slick shifting 6-speed manual transmission.

If that sounds like a promising base upon which more power is deployed to elevate the overall driving enjoyment, the opportunity wasn’t very well exploited by Hyundai. Throttle response was hesitant and the transmission lacked conviction in its kick downs; the ample mid-range torque printed on the engine’s charts certainly did not seem evident in practice.

At best, we can say that performance is adequate for day-to-day moderate pace driving, but when push came to shove, we expected more gusto from an engine that claims to send 183hp to its wheels through a dual clutch transmission.

Better news comes from the ride and handling department; it’s not the most sparkling of chassis setups, but responses are predictable with body control generally good. Also praiseworthy is that despite riding on low profile 18-inch tyres, overall ride quality is commendably free from harshness.

Verdict

Considering its confidently bold design and that it has the cachet ‘Turbo’ word on its name, one would expect more dynamism than the Veloster Turbo. It’s safe to say that performance-wise, it can do with further improvement. The chassis could do with an injection of effervescence too; it does not exhibit any unwelcome characteristics, but we feel that it needs to tingle our senses a bit more.

Take nothing away, however, from Hyundai’s audacity in breaking the mould and delivering a product that refreshingly defies convention. It is a sharp-looking car, and thanks to its unusual configuration, thoroughly unique. Its driving experience is underwhelming, admittedly, but curious onlookers casting admiring glances at your direction don’t need to know that.