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DRIVEN: Hyundai Powers Up Veloster
Turbocharged version of the stylish sport hatchback delivers 201 horsepower to complement its sharp drivability.
The 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo is available with a matte-gray paint finish. (Photo: Hyundai)
Hyundai Veloster landed at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show like a visitor from another planet, its balls-up styling and quirky features evoking either excitement or mockery, depending on your point of view.
With its jutting aero bits, hunkered stance and gaping grille, Veloster left no doubt about its intended purpose: a sporty hatchback designed to out-pulsate the common run of sport hatchbacks that make young enthusiasts’ hearts race.
But there was an obvious piece missing, and that was engine power. The 138-horsepower 1.6-liter engine was just not up to the racy styling or edgy handling. For many drivers – and Veloster has certainly sold well enough – that was enough, especially since Veloster boasted lofty EPA mileage figures and modest pricing.
The 2013 Veloster Turbo completes the package with a twin-scroll turbocharger applied to the 1.6-liter four that adds 63 horsepower, and which better suits Veloster’s other performance attributes. The suspension and underpinnings are unchanged from the non-turbo version, other than slightly quicker steering calibration, slightly bigger disc brakes and a set of 18-inch wheels instead of 17s.
Like the non-turbo Veloster, the new Turbo still undercuts the competition in pricing, including Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen GTI, even with a full contingent of premium features.
With 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet or torque, Veloster Turbo is still no world beater, but it’s right in there with the Civic and GTI. With a close-ratio six-speed manual, it was thoroughly satisfying on the country roads outside of Austin, Texas, where Hyundai brought us to try it out.
Also introduced during the Austin event were the Elantra GT five-door hatchback and the Elantra Coupe, which add two sporty variations of the Elantra. These cars continue the refinement that we’ve enjoyed in the Elantra sedan, with the Coupe bringing a stylish two-door to the mix and the GT raising the Elantra’s versatility.
The Veloster Turbo held the most interest, however. Hyundai’s not usually a player in the hot-hatch arena, and the Turbo shows off the South Korean automaker’s growing confidence as it scores hit after hit.
Most of the early buzz surrounding Veloster focused on its styling and the third door on the passenger side that provides improved access to the rear seat. I know, Saturn pioneered this concept a while back, but Hyundai’s three-door hatch concept served to stir up some early attention.
That rear seat is pretty tight, though, with not much headroom under its sloping roof, and with two extra-tall guys sharing the car for the test drive, rear legroom was non-existent. There’s plenty of space up front, we found, with no quibbles about legroom.
The twin-scroll turbo, which is incorporated into the exhaust manifold to save space under the hood, brings the full measure of torque to bear at just 1,750 rpm, according to Hyundai’s specs. Turbo lag is essentially dialed out completely so that the small engine responds with a strong burst right from the get go. Performance is delivered in a smooth rush, with just a hint of harshness under full throttle as the rpm climb.
Overall, the turbo engine is flexible and refined, and it performs as well as the best of them.
With its jutting aero bits, hunkered stance and gaping grille, Veloster left no doubt about its intended purpose: a sporty hatchback designed to out-pulsate the common run of sport hatchbacks that make young enthusiasts’ hearts race.
But there was an obvious piece missing, and that was engine power. The 138-horsepower 1.6-liter engine was just not up to the racy styling or edgy handling. For many drivers – and Veloster has certainly sold well enough – that was enough, especially since Veloster boasted lofty EPA mileage figures and modest pricing.
The 2013 Veloster Turbo completes the package with a twin-scroll turbocharger applied to the 1.6-liter four that adds 63 horsepower, and which better suits Veloster’s other performance attributes. The suspension and underpinnings are unchanged from the non-turbo version, other than slightly quicker steering calibration, slightly bigger disc brakes and a set of 18-inch wheels instead of 17s.
Like the non-turbo Veloster, the new Turbo still undercuts the competition in pricing, including Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen GTI, even with a full contingent of premium features.
With 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet or torque, Veloster Turbo is still no world beater, but it’s right in there with the Civic and GTI. With a close-ratio six-speed manual, it was thoroughly satisfying on the country roads outside of Austin, Texas, where Hyundai brought us to try it out.
Also introduced during the Austin event were the Elantra GT five-door hatchback and the Elantra Coupe, which add two sporty variations of the Elantra. These cars continue the refinement that we’ve enjoyed in the Elantra sedan, with the Coupe bringing a stylish two-door to the mix and the GT raising the Elantra’s versatility.
The Veloster Turbo held the most interest, however. Hyundai’s not usually a player in the hot-hatch arena, and the Turbo shows off the South Korean automaker’s growing confidence as it scores hit after hit.
Most of the early buzz surrounding Veloster focused on its styling and the third door on the passenger side that provides improved access to the rear seat. I know, Saturn pioneered this concept a while back, but Hyundai’s three-door hatch concept served to stir up some early attention.
That rear seat is pretty tight, though, with not much headroom under its sloping roof, and with two extra-tall guys sharing the car for the test drive, rear legroom was non-existent. There’s plenty of space up front, we found, with no quibbles about legroom.
The twin-scroll turbo, which is incorporated into the exhaust manifold to save space under the hood, brings the full measure of torque to bear at just 1,750 rpm, according to Hyundai’s specs. Turbo lag is essentially dialed out completely so that the small engine responds with a strong burst right from the get go. Performance is delivered in a smooth rush, with just a hint of harshness under full throttle as the rpm climb.
Overall, the turbo engine is flexible and refined, and it performs as well as the best of them.
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