IT’S got curves in all the right places and a sporty, sleek style. But it’s the aggressive demeanour and unique, or could that be termed unusual, design that makes the 2020 Hyundai Veloster stand out from the crowd.
Sitting atop 18-inch alloy wheels, the Veloster has undergone a face lift, with changes all over the place from its first generation. But if you’ve never heard of it, here’s a quick refresher.
The Veloster is quite simply different, when you gaze at it from either the driver or passenger sides. It’s a car with two impressions, both of which Hyundai have nailed incredibly well.
Approach the vehicle from the driver’s side, and you’ll be walking up to a coupe, with a very large single door. However, wander up from the passenger side, and it has two doors. If you’re not paying attention, you might miss it, but it’s unique all the same.
You might say it’s the best of both worlds in one car. For instance, if you’ve ever had to be a backseat passenger in a small coupe, the struggle is real when getting in and out, and unless you do yoga, you’re not likely to be flexing yourself in.
The inclusion of the subtle 2+1 door system in the Hyundai Veloster is a breath of fresh air for all backseat passengers, flexible or otherwise. It gives you more room to get in, and you don’t need to flip a front seat forward to climb aboard.
Once inside, you’ll see that the cabin is well laid out, with a stylish carbon chequer themed speedometer, and a dashboard with a carbon fibre look. It is a small car, so don’t expect much leg room for backseat passengers and the sloping roof line adds to that.
The good news is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and work quite a treat on the centre mounted 7-inch touch panel screen. Dual USB ports can be found in the console, which will be useful for someone who has a tribe of devices on their person.
Audio quality is exceptional, with a six speaker setup, and phone call quality was impeccable during most of our drives. It’s got a bucket load of safety gear too, including smart cruise control; a godsend when you’re driving through peak hour traffic.
Lane departure warning is standard too, but did seem overzealous on some roads across Western Sydney. It even gives you an alert when the car in front of you has begun moving, and you’re still looking at the bus advertising next to you.
It’s called driver attention warning (DAW), and it’ll help avoid a few honks from the traffic behind you, trust us. You’ll also receive a slight bit of steering wheel feedback at certain points, and on first impression, you may think your car has come to life.
No, you don’t have a transformer in hiding, you are experiencing lane keep assist (LKA). It’s just your trusty Veloster trying to encourage you back into the centre of your lane, where you probably belong.
Behind the look and feel, and the safety tech, sits a 2.0-litre, in-line 4-cylinder engine. Turn on the ignition, and the first thing you’ll hear is a tasty, throaty exhaust, and if you like a bit of rumble, you’ll get it at low revs.
Start to accelerate, and the rumble seems to dissipate after three thousand RPM. It may encourage you to shift quicker, to keep the rumble going, but you’ll have to push the 6-speed manual transmission. Acceleration is pretty sluggish too.
The 2.0-litre won’t throw you back in your seat, if that’s your cup of tea, and if it’s power you seek, you can switch to the dark side and consider the turbo or turbo premium version of the Veloster, which will probably do a better job.
When it comes to handling though, the Veloster is an absolute joy. It takes corners like nobody’s business. The front-wheel drive grips the asphalt, and the steering and suspension hold it upright, giving you room to accelerate out of the corner like a boss.
Hyundai offer the 2020 Veloster in several colours; Ignite Flame, Premium Chalk White, Lake Silver, Dark Knight, and Phantom Black. There’s a generous 5-year, unlimited kilometre warranty too, and roadside support for the first 12 months.
You can jump into your very own naturally aspirated 2020 Hyundai Veloster for $33,871 drive away. It offers a sweet balance between sports car, and compact vehicle. It’s loaded with safety and technology and easy on the eye. For the price, it’s quite the catch.
Our test vehicle was provided by Hyundai Australia. To find out more about the 2020 Hyundai Veloster, visit your local Hyundai dealer.
Great review. Thank you