We associate Honda with the Civic, while Ford is known for the Mustang and F-150. In Toyota's case, it's the Camry and the Prius. Meanwhile, 911s, Wranglers, MX-5 Miatas, and Beetles all get us thinking and talking about Porsche, Jeep, Mazda and Volkswagen, respectively. These cars and trucks are iconic, serving as the ambassadors for their respective brands.
So what vehicle gets us talking about Hyundai? A decade ago, it was the three-door Accent hatchback-and the talk was far from good. That's no longer the case, of course, since Hyundai has turned things around with excellent vehicles such as the Sonata and Genesis. Hyundai's products and reputation have never been better.
Still, none of these cars get us talking about Hyundai-at least, not in the same way that the new Veloster hatchback does. As good as the Sonata and Genesis are, they aren't game-changers. The Veloster, on the other hand, is different from anything else on the road and it has the potential to be the defining iconic vehicle for Hyundai. On paper, the Veloster hopes to bring back a market that was once defined by affordable, efficient and fun-to-drive cars such as the Honda CR-X and Prelude, Toyota Celica, and Nissan SX coupes. These cars once dominated the streets, but disappeared as consumers turned to SUVs and sedans.
The Veloster is a lightweight four-seater with nimble handling and a small, peppy four-cylinder engine. You'll find the usual two doors on both sides of the vehicle, a rear hatch to swallow cargo, and that's where things get interesting. Step around to the passenger's side and you'll see exactly what makes the Veloster unique: a third door on the passenger side. Unlike the departed Saturn SC coupe and soon-to-be-retired Mazda RX-8, the extra door isn't of the rear-swinging "suicide" variety. It's a standard (if smallish) door that opens independently from the front to provide easy access to the rear seats. People who need their cars to be symmetrical may find the Veloster maddening, but others will love the practicality offered by the additional door. While it can be a challenge for passengers to slide all the way across the rear bench seat, it's still easier than climbing over the front seat of a two-door coupe.
Combine the Veloster's unique exterior with everything that Hyundai has learned over the past decade, and you get a compact car that delivers amazing styling, solid performance and great value for money. Even better, you get people seeing what Hyundai can and will be, rather than what it once was.
Design-The Veloster's front end is defined by a rounded, trapezoidal grille bracketed by pointed headlamps. However, the most notable styling cues are the carved-out sections below the headlamps, which swoop down and around to create a front lip spoiler. Without a doubt, the hardest thing to get used to is that the B-pillars (behind the front doors) are offset from each other, due to the driver's and passenger's side doors being different sizes. That aside, the design is such that the Veloster looks good in profile on both sides.
Inside, the Veloster reflects Hyundai's love of geometric shapes, with angular vents and cut-outs set against a V-shaped dashboard. It's inviting and functional, meeting and exceeding the higher standards today's consumers have for compact cars.
As materials go, the only real disappointment is the use of leatherette instead of actual leather for the upgraded Tech Package seats. However, the leatherette/cloth materials are quite good and it's a reasonable sacrifice to keep the price down.
Performance-Delivering 138-hp and 123 lb-ft of torque, the 1.6L inline-four works remarkably well. It's by no means a powerful engine, but the effective four-cylinder is perfectly suited to the front-wheel-drive Veloster, striking a fine balance between performance and fuel efficiency.
Drivers will appreciate the inclusion of a fantastic six-speed manual (rather than a five-speed), as well as the optional, six-speed EcoShift dual-clutch transmission-a first for Hyundai. Both gearboxes are wellmatched to the high-revving inline-four. The simplest way to describe the Veloster's performance is that it feels like an extension of your arms and legs, from the steering and shifter to the brakes and accelerator pedal. It's light and nimble with predictable behaviour and neutral handling.
Of course, consumers looking for speed should look elsewhere. Like Japanese coupes of the '80s and '90s, the Veloster's fun-loving spirit is tied to its balance and agility, not straightline acceleration.
Environment-Practicality starts with the extra passenger-side door, which makes it easy to toss gear into the back seat. You could argue that the door would have been more useful on the driver's side (or to have on both sides), but having a third door is better than not having one at all.
The front seats are supportive and comfortable, especially if you get the Tech Package, which includes seats with bigger bolsters for more lateral support. Rear passengers will find that it's a tight fit, same as in any other 2+2 coupe or hatchback. They'll just have an easier time getting in and out. From a standard seven-inch touchscreen and push-button start to heated front seats and rear-view camera, the Veloster offers a ton of notable features for its sub$20k base price. That being said, it's a bit odd that the list doesn't include automatic air conditioning, an increasingly common feature these days.
There's lots of cargo space, thanks to the rear hatch, and the Veloster's low stance makes it easy to get luggage in and out without having to reach too far over the bumper.
Features-Ranging in price from $18,999 to $23,899, the Veloster comes in a single trim with the optional Tech Package. The six-speed manual is standard, while the EcoShift dual-clutch transmission adds $1,400 to the price. Standard equipment includes ABS, traction control, cruise control, air conditioning, heated front seats, keyless entry with push-button start, tilt/telescope steering, six-speaker multimedia system, seven-inch touchscreen LCD, Bluetooth, rear-view camera, fog lamps, and front/side/ side-curtain airbags.
The Tech Package adds a navigation system, eight-speaker sound system, as well as improved interior materials and accents, larger wheels with colour inserts and a panoramic sunroof. Fuel efficiency is rated at 7.2L/100km in the city and 4.9L/100km on the highway with the manual gearbox, improving slightly with the EcoShift dual-clutch transmission.
Thumbs up-Attractive styling; unique rear-passenger door; excellent handling; impressive standard equipment.
Thumbs down-Lack of leather seats and automatic air conditioning.
The bottom line-A ready and willing ambassador for Hyundai.
