So this past Saturday I popped in the local Hyundai dealership to satisfy my curiosity. Below is a quick write-up of my thoughts. Enjoy.

Intro…

I first laid eyes on the Veloster as a concept car at the Toronto International Autoshow back in 2011. It looked cool but I didn’t pay too much attention to it because I naturally assumed it was just another concept that would be watered down and look 10 times less-cool by the time the production model hit the streets. I should have taken notice from other concept cars as of late, who’s resemblance to the production models are becoming much more coherent, especially from the Hyundai stable as of lately.

Then the Veloster hit the market just this past year and I was pleasantly surprised to see how closely it resembled its concept ancestor. It immediately caught my attention with its bold look and unorthodox 3-door layout (one of the driver side and two on the passenger side). With its base price at less than 20k, it started to look even more attractive to me… until I read the specs. The base engine is a 1.6L with 138hp. As far as economy engines go, 138hp is not a bad number from a 1.6, in fact is quite a bit higher than its competitors like the Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit. However, the Veloster is a bigger car than those others and weighs quite a bit more at around 2700-2800lbs. While the car is available with a long list of options we wouldn’t normally see in a car such as this, for a guy like me who puts performance high on my list of importance, the Veloster just doesn’t deliver in this department and therefore, I removed it from my list of cars to even consider.

But then I heard they were going to bring out a turbo version for 2013. My hopes were lifted up once again. Slowly, images begin to surface on the internet and the Veloster Turbo was revealed to all. With a Canadian price of $25.999 this has really pulled back my attention to the Veloster and I just had to check it out in person to see if it was worth it.


Exterior…

The Veloster was born with a love it or hate it design right from the beginning and the Turbo model with its facelift is no exception to this. I have yet to find a single person who thought it was “ok” looking. The front is dominated with a giant black grill in which you can see the front mount intercooler sitting vertically off to the driver side. The head lights give it a very angry and aggressive stance which is complemented by the large wheel arches. A front lip, Fog lights and side-skirts with black accents decorate the lower portion of the exterior as well as a fake rear-diffuser graced with two large center exhaust outlets at the back. Other than the unique 18” rims, the outer shell of the Turbo model remains true to the regular Veloster’s form. All in all it has a very different look compared to any car out there, let alone cars it supposedly competes with and this is part of the reason I like it. I’ve never been the type to choose a vehicle based on looks, but with the Veloster Turbo, I could stare at it from any angle all day and not get bored with it.


Interior…

Where do I begin? I absolutely love the interior of this car. The layout of the instruments and the way they have executed their function was very well thought-out. The number of steering wheel mounted controls overwhelmed me at first, but I’m sure once I learn what everything does, it wouldn’t be an issue. The 7” LCD touch screen is a very nice feature through which you control a multitude of settings for the vehicle including the ability to sync your blue-tooth device and play media directly through the 450watt stereo system. Fit and finish of the interior is very good and materials used possessed a nice textured finish and did not feel cheap to the touch.

The heated leather seats provide great support and were quite comfortable on my short drive. I also like that the steering wheel was smaller in diameter giving it a more race-car like feel. The shifter of the 6-speed manual transmission has a decent short-throw and felt fairly precise. I never felt like I had to search for any of the gates and never missed a shift.

Back seat room was somewhat bitter-sweet. While it provided ample leg room, the roof where it meets the rear glass does not leave a lot of room for taller individuals. At 5’10” I fit quite comfortably in the back with my hair just brushing the ceiling. The Veloster can fit 4 average height adults comfortably, however I wouldn’t recommend this for a long road-trip. The rear seats fold down flat opening up the already modest sized trunk space able to swallow up a significant amount of cargo. The rear hatch raises high and the shape of the opening does not look like it would hinder loading and unloading.

Rear visibility I found was not as bad as I expected. There is a split where the rear window meets a smaller vertical window in the rear hatch, but it creates minimal blindness. The rear view camera makes parking much easier rather than relying on the mirrors or hanging your head out the window, which is a habit I have gotten too used to over the years. The rear side windows make checking your blind spots a bit more tricky as they curve up towards the back, potentially hiding the nose of a car traveling at your 5 or 7 o-clock. However it wasn’t so bad that I felt nervous when making lane-changes. A quick check of the mirrors covers what you can’t see over your shoulders. Forward view is wide and clear with modestly narrow A-pillars. The tilt steering can be set as desired and provides a clear view of the gauge cluster. The cluster itself is a sporty looking arrangement with two large round pods. One houses the speedometer and the other the tachometer with various driver information indicators in between, such as fuel level and estimated distance to an empty tank.

There is just not enough room in this review to list off all the features and options as it comes loaded with a long list of things you wouldn’t normally see on a car of this size and price.


The Engine…

This is what impressed me the most about this car. It is essentially the same 1.6L you find in the regular Veloster, only with a lower compression of 9.5:1 and the addition of a twin scroll turbocharger and front mount intercooler. It also utilizes other advance technology such as direct injection, variable valve timing on both the exhaust and intake over head cams. One design feature of this engine, which is greatly responsible for its excellent efficiency, is the off-set crankshaft. Where in a typical engine the crankshaft is in line with the center of the cylinder bores, the off-set design moves the crankshaft off to one side so that upon combustion, the force is applied more directly to the crank as the connecting rod is in a more vertical position during the power stroke. The off-set crankshaft is not normally a design feature of performance oriented engines, but the inclusion of the turbocharger makes this a mill that can deliver the best of both worlds.

Horsepower output is 201 at 6000rpm which is actually a nice break from most typical naturally aspirated small 4 cylinder engines which need to be revved much higher to produce their power. The torque is where this engine really shines. It produces 195ft-lbs from 1750 to 4500rpm. The result of this is a very wide and flat power curve which provides more than adequate grunt at any point regardless of engine speed.

These are great numbers to see from a little 1.6L and it’s even more impressive when you realize it produces those numbers on regular 87 octane fuel. Hyundai says that it will produce more if you feed it 91 or higher. When it comes to fuel consumption, if the driver can exercise enough restraint to keep it out of boost as much as possible, it should sip fuel at a consumption rate as low as 38mpg on the highway. This is almost the same consumption as the regular Veloster with the naturally aspirated version of the same engine.

I could go on and on about the engine but to sum up my opinion of it I will just say; it is fantastic in all aspects. It produces great power and incredible torque all while using a minimal amount of fuel and doing so on regular at that. Not many other cars on the market can meet this level of power and fuel economy without some kind of drawback.


The Drive…

Standing behind the car during its cold start, I was pleasantly met with an aggressive low growl from the exhaust. It is definitely the type of sound distinct to turbocharged engines, though it is still very quiet. Sitting in the cockpit and free-revving the engine showed that it is not an overly snappy engine. This is partially due to the off-set crank design and focus on efficiency rather than all out performance. Because the low fuel light was on when we first left the lot, the ECU cuts boost completely to save on fuel. This is an excellent feature that will help ensure you reach the nearest gas station. Without boost the car was significantly down on power but still had enough guts to get us to the pump. We filled up and turned out onto the street and hit a set of red lights. When the green lit up, so did the front tires. Despite the traction control fighting with the boost controller and electronic throttle trying to hold it back, it still spun the wheels to a degree. Boost builds very strong and there is no mistake when it kicks in. You hear a whoosh if air and you’re off. At any engine speed above 2000rpm, there was essentially no need to down-shift. It easily accelerated up a fairly steep hill in 5th starting at 70kph. Something my big old 3.0L 6cylinder Supra would struggle with. Power delivery throughout the rpm range is smooth and consistent. It pulls hard and does not fall off from 2000 all the way up to 6500rpm.

Accelerating at full throttle through the gears is exciting except for the ECU induced throttle/boost cut during shifts. I assume it is programmed this way to save the clutch and drive train components from shock and abuse. After a quick shift it takes a moment to re-build boost. This is not due to lag but ECU programming interference. With the traction control turned off, the boost delay during shifts is significantly reduced but not completely eliminated. I was not sure if I had the car in economy mode, perhaps that affects this as well. Never the less, it wasn’t so severe that it hampered my ability to have fun with the car. It may have flat-shift capability (shifting without lifting off the throttle), but I did not feel it was wise to try this with a car did not own and the salesman sitting next to me.

Getting on the highway I left the car in 3rd and it easily pulled through the gears hitting speeds WELL above the speed limit by the time I was merging with traffic. The car cruises nearly silent when it comes to engine noise which is great for commuting and long trips. When you roll into the gas even in 6th gear, you are met with the sound of the turbo spooling up pressing you into the seat. Needless to say, as far as acceleration and power goes, this car has plenty and every time the turbo kicked in, it caused me to grow a big smile on my face and giggle. I really couldn’t help it, boost just does that to some people.

In the corners it stayed flat and poised. I did not have the opportunity to really flog the vehicle in the bends and this is an area where several other journalists and reviewers claim the Veloster Turbo falls a bit short. The steering is quite numb as it is electronic, however I never felt like it detracted from having fun with the car. I also never felt like I had difficulty handling the car in corners either, although I never pushed it near the limits. Corning is one area where I remain in question about this car. I have read many other reviews about this vehicle and some have indicated it possessed less than adequate chops when carving corners. I must question their judgment because in several of those articles they wrote that when the car began to experience some under steer, the driver poured on more input (more steering angle) which, of course, resulted in more severe plowing. This vexes me because this is not an issue with the car or its chassis, but the driver. I have over 7 years of autocross and other forms of racing experience under my belt. Not trying to toot my own horn, but I have won numerous events in my category of competition, and while I don’t consider myself to be anywhere near the skill level of say, Sebastian Vettle, but I certainly am no beginner. I also have experience competing in cars with a variety of different drive trains from FWD to mid-rear to RWD and I can honestly say that steering harder in a car that is already under steering is only going to make matters worse. Again, I want to stress that this condition is the cause of the driver and should not necessarily be marked against the vehicle’s dynamics. I would assume that a person, who knows how to get the most performance out of a FWD vehicle in corners, would probably find the Veloster Turbo above average in the area of handling. But again, since I did not have the opportunity to push the car in this regard, it remains as my own speculation according to how the car felt otherwise and considering those other journalists didn’t seem to know how to handle a FWD car in high-speed cornering.

I was able to take the Veloster Turbo on roads with a rough surface. The interior remains fairly quite over bumps and the ride was quite smooth. Severe bumps did not upset the stability either, even while cornering. The electronic steering did have one thing going for it, which was zero torque steer on hard acceleration. A friend of mine has a 2008 Chevy HHR SS with the 2.0L turbo pushing 260hp+ to the front wheels with the GM stage 1 upgrade. In his car, you better have two hands on the wheel when you step on it or you will end up in the next lane before you even realize what has happened. The lack of torque steer is a welcome trait in the Veloster Turbo, knowing you can pour on the goal casually without worrying about it pulling you across the road when the boost kicks in.


Overall Impressions…

In today’s automotive world, the lines between different classes of vehicles have steadily become more blurred. Where we used to have distinct categories such as sub-compact, compact, mid-sized, full-sized, wagon, hatch-back, economy, sport-compact, sports, SUV, pick-up, etc, now we have cross-overs and other in-between segments. The hot-hatch segment, as defined by typical small hatch-backs jammed with more hp and tuned suspension for carving canyons, has becomes increasingly popular in recent years. The regular Veloster with its pale power plant producing only 138hp, it definitely does not fit in the hot-hatch category, but rather more in the economy class alongside the Accent, Yaris, Fit, Fiesta, etc. When it comes to the Veloster Turbo, things get confusing. It doesn’t have the stiffer sport-tuned suspension like the GTI or Focus ST has, but it definitely has an engine that can hold its own in terms of acceleration. So where do we place it? Personally, I would put it as a healthy compromise between an economy car and a hot-hatch. It’s a great balance of power, efficiency, sportiness and cost that doesn’t take away too much of any particular aspect to make it not good in any of those areas.

It looks great, it goes great, keeps you entertained with either the media system or just listening to the rush of air being pumped into the engine by the turbo. It does all this for a fair price and all while sipping regular fuel. The same cannot be said for too many other cars in this price bracket. It’s unique in its own right and one should be careful when comparing it to other vehicles as it does not necessarily have any particular direct competition, per say. Some may say the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ is competition, but really the only thing these two drastically different cars have in common is the price tag and power output. The FR-S/BRZ was designed and built to be a cheap and fun RWD sports car and the Veloster Turbo was designed and built to be a stylish and sporty economy car with a dose of hot-hatch performance all at an affordable price. If you’re looking for a car that is practical, looks great and different, is excellent on gas and yet will force you into the seats when you press the loud pedal, and won’t break the bank, then this is the car for you.

Thanks for reading.

 

quick? lol...

 

Nice, detailed write-up, Mike. Will be of value to someone interested in purchasing the Veloster or even those with questions of what it's like.

 

Thanks.

I would say yes it is very quick, especially for a 1.6 that achieves 38mph on regular fuel.

I specifically avoiding saying things like, "it's fast" because that is very subjective. What is "fast" to one person may not be fast another. Also, fast compared to what? Compared to an accent? Yes. Compared to a corvette? No.

It is impressive for the displacement and fuel consumption and would take a lot of people off-guard, off the line. Your GTI I don't doubt is faster, but I'd be willing to bet the Veloster Turbo could hang with it off the line and keep up in a draft. Open air highway run, the GTI would pull away, but not by a lot.

 

so defensive....i was talking about your statement about the review...you said "here is a quick review".



PS, doubt the veloster can keep up with me, either off the line or not....

 

lol. I wasn't trying to be defensive. I thought you were really asking if the car was quick, so I answered your quest as best I could.

I could have said a lot more. On the other hand, I whipped this up pretty quick and just sort of spoke my mind but tried to keep to-the-point. Meh.

I've never been in your car. You'll have to take me for a spin next meet.

My estimates were going by the gti being a couple hundred lbs heavier (which it is). In stock trim, your gti made 200hp which is the same as the VT. This puts the VT at a weight advantage. So stock vs. stock, doesn't look good on paper for the gti. I know yours is chipped and now boasts quite a bit more power, which is why I suggested it would pull away on a high way run.

Off the line, both cars are fwd which sucks. Both cars can only put down and use so much power, so off the line, peak power is irrelevant. The VT, again, being a bit lighter should be able to get a slight jump, but once traction takes over in both cars, yours would pull away. This would also be significantly affected by tires as well, so there are many variable involved to say either way.

This is all speculation going by specs and stats. I can't say for certain what the out come would be. What I can say is that it would be very close.