Does the Turbo add velocity to Veloster? We test the Hyundai Veloster Turbo Elite auto to find out

Only one way to find out if the Turbo engine adds the much-needed velocity to Veloster – drive it.  While European manufacturers already switched over to a full model range of turbo-only powerplants, this is the first time Hyundai fits a turbo to one of its petrol engines.

Take the 1st door on the right, then 2 doors to the left

Quite an event to have the first Hyundai petrol turbo, and no more fitting car to get Turbo badging than the Veloster sports coupé hatch odd-door car – the Veloster is not only the most daring sporty design we’ve seen on any car with a Hyundai badge, but Veloster is also a coupé with 1 long coupé door on the driver’s side… and 2 smaller doors and the left side.

We used it in one of our #FridayQuiz tweets, asking which car has 1 door left and 2 doors right, and this puzzled some, though some immediately knew it could be only one car – the Hyundai Veloster.  Sure, the MINI Clubman had the same 1 extra side-door idea, though this was a small door on a baby station wagon, whereas the Veloster makes it 2 normal size doors on a coupé.  It is certainly unique, and also practical.  Rather than the usual hassle of the driver or front passenger having to get out to let rear passengers in or out of a coupé, the Veloster cleverly overcomes that inconvenience by having 2 doors on the left – if someone wants to use the back seats, simply open the 1 rear door.  The person seated behind the driver can shuffle sideways in and out without obstructions on the floor, so willing testers showed this is easy enough.  Certainly much safer and less of a disruption to the driver or front passenger.  The rear seats are strictly for 2, as the centre is occupied by a pair of cupholders, though proper usable size seats, making this not a 2+2 (read tiny rear seats) but a usable 4-seater.  The front door pulls are also large – these look good and work well to pull the doors shut.

Also of stylistic interest is the rear hatch which hinges almost in the middle of the roof.  The boot is surprisingly spacious for a coupé-type car.  The one disruption is that the rear roof spoiler sometimes gets in the way of the rearward view.

Does the Turbo add velocity to Veloster?

When Kia launched their new Kia Cerato Koup early in 2014, it marked the first turbo petrol car for the brand, and as Kia and Hyundai are relatives, it was only a matter of time before a turbo makes it into a Hyundai car.

With the name Veloster as a partial pun on the word velocity (speed) the expectation not just by the name but also by the sports car look created expectations for speed.  However, when it launched here in April 2013, it was only available with the 103kW and 167Nm engine, giving a 0-100km/h time of around 10 seconds, which is hardly sporty, especially for this type of car.  Hyundai may have missed a sales opportunity here, as these types of cars ride on the novelty factor – people buy them because these are something new and unusual to see on the road.  Now, 2 years on, the Turbo is being added.

Has the Turbo remedied this performance miss?  Power jumps to 150kW, and torque is up markedly to 265Nm across 1750-4500 r/min.  Acceleration is much more brisk, improving to 7.8 seconds for the manual, or 7.3 sec for the quick-shifting auto, which is on par with rivals.  But the big red Turbo lettering creates the expectation of something quicker – it feels like it should push you into your seat more, and be exciting.  Also, the engine sounds harsh and unpleasant at high revs (like a normal hatch) rather than giving the driver and passengers some aural enthusiasm.  On a few occasions, the engine also seemed to hit a flat spot, almost as if it went into temporary limp mode or having a misfire moment where the turbo does not boost.

The automatic 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) is also the first of its kind for Hyundai, and works quickly and smoothly, as you would want in a sports car.  It had a few moments when trying to correctly automatically control the clutches, causing some slippage, but mostly got it right.  The gear selection is via the old-school stepped gate rather than a straight gate, but strangely the gate is hidden with a glossy cover, so one must feel the gate rather than see where to go.  The paddles behind the steering wheel add a sporty touch and gear control.

Turbo visuals and Elite spec

The Turbo is identified most easily by reading the bold red Turbo badge on the tailgate.  The front cannot be mistaken for the normal Veloster, as the Veloster Turbo has a huge gaping grille which would shame an Audi or Lexus.  The peripheral lights in the front and rear bumpers also change to inset round lamps.  The Turbo rear bumper has much more of a frown, and makes space to swap the neat rectangular exhausts for a pair of free-flow size dual pipes – the look is aggressive.

Inside, the leather seats have Turbo lettering vertically on the light grey broad borders.  Not since the 80s have we seen Turbo lettering on seats – it adds some personality.

All Velosters come with ABS and EBD and stability control, so the Turbo adds BAS brake assist and traction control.  The Veloster, despite its unequal body layout, earned a top 5-star rating in EuroNCAP.  Airbags include front seat-mounted side airbags.

Wheels are still 18-inch, but of a different design, and at 225 these are 10mm wider.  Veloster also comes with Flex Steer, which, via a button on the steering wheel, lets the driver select Comfort, Normal or Sport steering assistance.

Turbo Elite spec adds LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, partial electric driver seat, keyless access and start, and a tilt-slide panoramic sunroof (which adds a lot of light and personality to the Veloster, and makes the roof a long stretch of glass without interruption of metal).

The centre facia has a touch-screen and a selection of buttons, and works well enough.  The engine stop-start button sits nicely on the centre of the hangdown console, meaning in 1 hand movement the driver can start the engine with a thumb, then have the gear selector right there, or when going into P for Park, the engine kill switch is right there.  More cars should have this. 

We have become used to cars with keyless ignition, but often have to check or re-press the button to cycle through off, accessories (ignition on) or start – also nice in the Veloster is the 3 colours and text showing the status:  white for Off, orange Acc, and blue is On.

Who it needs to take on

The Hyundai Veloster 1.6 Executive is the non-turbo model priced at R 299 900 for the manual and R20k more for the auto, putting the higher-spec Elite with higher-power Turbo at R 379 900 for the manual or R 399 900 using the auto tested here.

Players in the sporty sloping long-roof coupé game are Renault Mégane coupé, Volkswagen Scirocco, Opel Astra GTC and Toyota 86.  The Mégane, Scirocco and Astra have mild turbo models and hotter versions, but for this exercise we will consider the mid-range models which the Veloster Turbo go up against:  Mégane coupé 162kW turbo GT at R 339 900, Scirocco 2.0TSI Highline at R 369 900, newly-added Scirocco GTS (using Golf GTI’s 162kW/350Nm power) at R 439 000, while Opel has the GTC 1.6 Turbo marketed at R 351 200, and the Toyota 86 are available in 3 models spread over R340k-R400k.  The Mégane RS, Astra OPC and Scirocco R get 2.0-litre turbo heat, but these are hot performance sports coupés, which Hyundai Veloster nor Kia Cerato Koup think to compete in.

The Hyundai Veloster has the advantage of a 5-year / 150 000 km warranty, and a 5-year / 90 000 km service plan is paid for.

Does the Turbo add velocity to Veloster? 

Hyundai’s first Turbo engine model adds more power to the sporty-looking 2+1-door Veloster, but, although on par with direct rivals, feels like the Turbo should have more power and excitement.  If you want an unusual practical sporty car, without expecting sports car performance, the Veloster Turbo will do nicely.