It’s been about four years since the Hyundai Veloster Turbo was launched and this sports car has certainly come a long way. Just a while ago, we got to take the 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo on a weekend road trip to Penang to experience this three-door turbocharged utility coupe with a functionality of a hatchback in all of its glory. Here, we’re breaking it down for you!
Exterior
On the outside, the Veloster Turbo looks unmistakably sporty and bold; let’s just say you’ll never lose it in a parking lot. With dynamic character lines that flow throughout its exterior, the Veloster Turbo is remarkably sleek and gives off a lot of character. Being a sports car, it is exceptionally low but that is to be expected.
The panoramic sunroof can be seen from the top and much to our surprise, the coupe has one door on the driver’s side, and two on the other. Considering that point alone, this vehicle already exhibits a functionality we never did foresee. From the front, the Veloster Turbo radiates an edgy superiority with its hexagonal radiator grille decked out in matte black and edged in silver. At the back, the twin-barrelled exhaust is tipped in chrome and neatly built into the rear bumper.
Interior and comfort
On the inside, the Veloster Turbo looks stylish, albeit feeling a little cheaply made. We love the instrument cluster that looks clean. Between the speedometer and the distance recorder is an LCD colour display that shows the average km per hour, car temperature, gear mode, and more. It also prompts you when the doors are opened, or if the seat belts aren’t fastened.
On the leather-wrapped steering wheel, you can find an array of tools that allow you to control the volume, switch between entertainment channels, select contacts when your smartphone is connected via Bluetooth, call a contact or manage the auto cruise control settings from the steering wheel.
Flanked in the centre console is a 7″ colour TFT touch pad display for your entertainment needs, the air-conditioning system and the engine start/stop button. Many industry players have omitted the CD drive, so we were glad to see one in the Veloster Turbo. Besides the flurry of connectivity and media options like the radio, CD and MP3 player, there are also Aux and USB ports. As for audio, the Veloster Turbo delivers crisp and clear sounds with its Autonet premium audio system that features a central speaker, external amplifier and subwoofer.
There aren’t smarter features like a navigation system installed, but you can connect your device via Bluetooth and make calls. We liked the interactivity of the touch pad display. However, it can get severely bright especially when driving at night. There is also a sunglasses case that pops out from the overhead console.
If you like strong air-conditioning, the Veloster Turbo would not disappoint. Featuring a full auto air-conditioning system, we were able to set the desired temperature and let the system take care of the rest. The Auto mode is exceedingly powerful and we found that it can get too intense at some point.
The seats are pure leather with a grey side trim, with the words ‘Turbo’ on it. Although we fancy its sporty impression, the front driver and passenger seats make it challenging to get in and out of the car. On top of its low height, the seats dip in a significant amount. Thankfully, the height of the driver seat is adjustable and this gives us better visibility of the open road.
Unfortunately, the rear seats will not be able to accommodate more than two people because of an odd middle console that is placed there. There are some cup holders and extra storage area, but is a middle console necessary and justifiable by sacrificing an extra seat? We think not.
As a tiny coupe, the boot space on the Veloster Turbo is impressive. Even with limited space, Hyundai has managed to fit in somewhat adequate boot space, and have rear seats that are actually comfortable to sit in. Take the Honda CRZ if you will; rear passengers wouldn’t even be able to sit upright properly.
The panoramic sunroof doesn’t open up all the way, and as you can see in the photo above, this is as wide as it will go. We were a little let down, but it’s nice to have it open once in a while to allow some breeze in, especially when cruising at nighttime.
Another highlight of the Veloster Turbo is the Rear parking assist system (RPAS). There is a rear-view camera system that’s implemented, and once the reverse gear is activated, the visual shows up on the touch pad display. There are even guidelines on the screen to assist you with parking and we really appreciated that.
Engine, performance and security
Under the hood, the Veloster Turbo is powered by a 1.6 T-GDi (Turbocharged direct gasoline injection) engine that produces 186 ps and 265 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. This is matched with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission gear. It can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.0 seconds and has a top speed of 214km/h.
It offers pretty good ride and handling, and pick up is swift. We noticed a little lag in the initial acceleration, but it gets easier to control when the gear kicks in, even at fast speeds of 160km/h. Braking performance is also top-notch and the Veloster Turbo offers a very quiet drive. With that said, a very loud wind noise was audible when the car touches a speed of 150km/h and above. Perhaps this is caused by the chassis design.
The suspension is pretty stiff and the ride is rough. Yes, that is to be anticipated from a sports car, but it gets fairly uncomfortable when riding over potholes, or even rumble strips on the highway. Let’s just say you would feel anything and everything, but we assume that the audience for this car wouldn’t mind as much.
The Veloster Turbo is advertised as a fuel-efficient car and after experiencing it on the bustling roads in Penang where traffic is always prevalent, we’d have to concur. From Kuala Lumpur to Penang, we took off with a full tank and only had to pump in more fuel about 1.5 days into our gluttonous food trail all around Penang island.
Certainly, the Veloster Turbo is designed with optimum safety in mind to fully protect its occupants. There is a comprehensive 6-airbag system that deploys in the event of a collision, a B-pillar impact management structure that’s made out of reinforced sheet steel, and the Electronic stability control (ESC) that takes charge of the brake pressure and engine output to bring the car back to safety when needed.
Verdict
The Hyundai Veloster Turbo is a pretty fun hatch to drive around, but with its loud and quirky exterior, people would either love it or hate it at first look. In terms of performance, it has potential but it isn’t mind-blowing. Depending on what you’re after, this could just be the coupe for you. With that said, the more you drive it, the more you’ll learn to love its peculiar eccentricity.
The Hyundai Veloster Turbo costs RM158,988 (on-the-road price with insurance) and it is available in five exterior colours – Storm trooper, Young gun, Phantom black, Sunflower and Veloster red. For more information, kindly visit Hyundai Malaysia’s official website or visit any Hyundai showrooms near you.
