Warm Hatch
Hyundai three-door not the hottest in the segment, but still fun to drive
My first encounter with this odd little car was rather memorable, to say the least. If you’ve never been to an automaker’s “proving ground,” it’s a private facility where new cars go through a battery of testing before they’re approved for production. Every automaker has one. Cloaked in secrecy, these sites feature Mission Impossible levels of security to protect their new research and development work from the competition’s eyes.
It was 2011, and the long-awaited Hyundai Veloster had just been released to mixed acclaim. While widely acknowledged as a good little car, enthusiasts were disappointed by its mediocre handling and modest power. Rumours were therefore rampant about a spicier, turbocharged model in the works, although Hyundai was unwilling to confirm this.
While touring Hyundai’s research and development grounds in Namyang, South Korea, I broke away from the group to have a closer look at a small, cloth-draped vehicle across the parking lot. You didn’t need to know Korean to understand the sudden volley of shouting that burst from the guard stations — some things transcend language.
Beating a hasty retreat, I’d nonetheless noted the dual exhaust tips peeping out from beneath the cover. Although Hyundai later denied it, there was little doubt it was the Veloster Turbo.
The turbocharged version of Hyundai’s quirky three-door did indeed arrive in 2013. And while it delivered the promised bump in power, it fell far short of being any kind of hot hatch. It was basically the same Veloster as the original, naturally aspirated version but with a tiny turbo tacked onto its engine, so the new car was, again, a letdown for hot-hatch fans. With its firmed up suspension and B& M short-shifter, the Veloster Turbo R-Spec seemed promising, but its stiff damping just amplified the harsh ride and did little to improve its handling. It wasn’t until last year that Hyundai finally came through with the Veloster Rally Edition, whose low ride, tweaked suspension and upgraded sway bars helped create a Veloster with genuinely athletic handling.
Although it’s been around a few years now, the Veloster’s styling has aged well. With its aggressive, shark’s bite grille, flat top and saucy rear spoiler, it’s a polarizing look that some find dynamic and others consider goofy. It’s still the only new car on the market with a single rear-passenger door, a configuration that makes it hard to pigeonhole. Is it a coupe? A hatchback?
Either way, that extra door provides easier access for rear passengers, and the rear liftgate makes the Veloster a more practical cargo hauler than the coupes and sedans it competes with.
The Veloster Turbo boasts exclusive badging, a diffuser-like rear fascia with integrated round exhaust tips, and 18-inch wheels. The interior features heated, highly bolstered sports seats, upholstered in leather and emblazoned with Turbo stitching. At $27,199, the Turbo is the most expensive Veloster in the lineup and features a heated steering wheel, GPS navigation and a panoramic sunroof. Our tester is equipped with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a $1,568 option.
Although there’s plenty of room up front, the slanting roofline cuts into the headroom in what is already a cramped rear space, not to mention the resulting abysmal rear visibility. That extra rear door makes the Veloster easier to climb into and out of, but it’s rather small. However, the 440-L trunk expands to 983 L with the 60/40-split rear seats dropped, and the wide hatch provides easy access. Lots of nooks and cubbies provide plenty of places to stow keys, sunglasses and other personal items within reach, making the Veloster an easy car to live with on long road trips.
With 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, the Veloster Turbo has a decent power-to-weight ratio. Compared to the sixspeed manual, dual-clutch automatic transmissions are known for performing very quick shifts with no lag between the gears. However, the Veloster’s seven-speed unit was more lethargic than most, necessitating the use of its paddle shifters for quick acceleration. Steering is well weighted, but it’s on the numb side, with little feedback.
The 1.6-L turbo four pulls strong through the power band and delivering a modest average fuel economy rating of 8.4 L/100 kilometres. It makes the Veloster Turbo’s lack of handling prowess all the more disappointing. The Veloster is underpinned with rather stiff suspension, and although that translates to flat cornering and nimble ability in some sports cars, here it’s harsh and thrashy. Instead of an independent rear suspension, it’s got a rather rudimentary torsion-beam setup that creates a busy, unsettled ride over rough road.
If you’re looking for a hot hatch, keep looking. You’d be happier with the cheaper Ford Fiesta ST, or a Volkswagen Golf GTI or a Mini Cooper S. But there’s still a lot to like about this quirky little car. With its distinctive styling, good cargo capacity, terrific warranty and many features you’d pay thousands for in a costlier sedan, the Veloster Turbo is one of the more interesting vehicles in the compact segment.