Road Test: Hyundai Veloster 1.6 GDI (M/T)

There’s probably a very good reason why three-door cars have never succeeded on a mass scale before, but can the Korean new boy do something about that?

From the moment you lay eyes on the ‘three-door’ Hyundai Veloster you realise it delivers a whole new type of distinction to the normally safe and sensible Hyundai badge. Hyundai wanted to take inspiration for its unique and unconventional design of the Veloster from high performance sport bikes. In profile the Veloster features Hyundai’s ‘Sculpted Ray’ style lines that represent how rays of light might hit a taught, muscular object. How this is different to the ‘Flucidic Sculpture’ lines of the Elantra and i30 we’re not entirely sure?

With black A-pillars, the glass house of said muscular object is meant to look like a motorcycle helmet visor; then you get the inflamed, hexagonal front grille, pseudo-hood scoops on the two-tier bonnet, thin rear-facing glass house, pronounced wheel arches, dual-centered chrome exhaust tips, wraparound taillights with signature dimples into the bum and 18-inch wheels; the Veloster has all the detailed embellishments to convincingly stamp its passport into the ‘head-turning class.’

On the inside, further motorcycle inspirations abound with metallic accents and a centre stack that is meant to resemble that of a sport bike’s fuel tank. A distinctive honeycomb texture wraps the upper half of the dash and the angled air vents are also said to mimic motorcycle-like tailpipes. The blue backlit instrument binnacle and switchgear enlivens the sprightly mood in the cabin even further, as does the hi-tech touch screen entertainment setup which is the best we’ve yet seen on a Hyundai.

In car entertainment is provided courtesy of a CD / MP3 audio system with six-speakers and iPod / USB / Aux input and a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, and an eco-graph to show you how many trees you’ve saved on your journey. Quite why you’d need such a device on your sporty coupé/hatchback, we also do not know.

So, the big question then. What about that third door? The asymmetrical Veloster has a conventionally hinged door on the passenger side and the rear door handle is hidden to maintain the coupe-like design. From the outset it does give the Hyundai Veloster a unique novelty appeal over its regular hatchback competitors. You can have the cool factor of a two-door, and the convenience of a single rear door if you do need to drop a bag or shopping or a passenger into the back. More than that, it’s the little bit of individuality we haven’t seen from the Koreans in the past. Hyundai are also going all out with this third door business. Completely changing the asymmetrical bodies at great expense to themselves to ensure the rear door opens onto the sidewalk for both left and right hand drive markets. This does have a negative effect on the centre of gravity, however, because the car is built with two B-pillars as a result.

In terms of propulsion, the Hyundai Veloster finally welcomes an all-new engine into South Africa, namely the 1.6-litre four-cylinder Gasoline Direct Injection technology (GDI). Producing 103 kW & 167 Nm of torque, consuming a claimed figure of 7.2-litres per 100km, while emitting 142 g/km of CO2; the normally aspirated unit is also said to offer greater reliability. The Veloster is capable of a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in under 10 seconds with its new engine which features Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing, electronic throttle control, variable induction and innovative anti-friction coatings for improved refinement.

There are two transmissions available in the current Veloster range: a six-speed manual and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. We had a manual gearbox in our test unit and we were satisfied with the clutch feel and shift action through the gates. People who want nothing more from the Veloster than a fashionable cruiser, would not be disappointed by the easy shifting automatic option, but the manual gearbox is still the one to have for a more sporty drive.

One thing Hyundai lacks is a bit of sporting credibility, and the Veloster shows up this fact. The Veloster is fitted with a McPherson strut and a 24 mm diameter front stabiliser up front to help pin the power down on its driven wheels, but at the back a V-torsion beam rear suspension with coil springs separated from the shock absorber is what you must rely on. The body control at the rear suffers as a result. On a bouncy road the car feels as though it has a mind of its own as it shimmies and deflects over bumps constantly.

The rear suspension actually feels quite lively when you start attacking a few bends and occasionally lift off the throttle at mid-corner. This also reflects that the Korean brand, Hankook tyres, fitted as standard, as not exactly being the most-grippy in the business. Furthermore, the extra steel in the support beams for the two B-pillars can also be felt, giving the veloster a top heavy bias.

The Veloster features a comprehensive list of safety equipment: Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) and ESC (Electronic Stability Control), six airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), all of which would be called into action far less often if the car was fitted with better rubber as standard.

What we like…

• The Koreans moving out of their comfort zone with the Veloster
• Veloster’s driving position is spot on and the cabin is nicely equipped.

What we would like…

• Much more punch from the normally aspirated engine – the performance frustrates.
• A rethink of that bizarre rear suspension. Spend more money and fit multi-link lads.
• The pointless eco-button/eco-graph to be deleted from the specification.

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