After official images leaked this morning, Hyundai has finally and officially unveiled the second generation Veloster and Veloster Turbo at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The new Hyundai Veloster retains its unique “three door coupe” body shape, with two doors on the passenger side, but finds itself restyled to look more alike the Hyundai i30 with which it shares a platform and much of its running gear.
Visually, the new Hyundai Veloster appears a far more resolved design all round as opposed to the old one that seemed at odds with itself from certain angles. A large hexagonal grill up front hints at the sporting pretences of the Veloster, while the coupe-like roofline enthuses the fact. A blacked out roof, including the A-pillar, also have the effect of visually lowering the Veloster’s stance. At the rear, the standard Veloster features a single centralised exhaust outlet, while the sportier Veloster Turbo retains the familiar twin central pipe layout as that of the current model.
The interior has also been substantially redesigned, but follows the same asymmetrical theme as the exterior. Controls are focused towards the driver in an interior with a simplistic design relying on horizontal dash elements centralised around an 8-inch touch screen infotainment system. The Veloster remains a 4 seater – which makes it awkward for rear passengers trying to access through the rear door only, a gripe of ours from the current model. The Hyundai Veloster Turbo gets bespoke sports seats with ‘Turbo’ embossing on the headrests.
Technical Highlights
The Hyundai Veloster in its base trim features a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine, set to deliver outputs of 109kW and 179Nm. The engine is engineered for optimal efficiency thanks to the Atkinson Cycle design, and finds itself shared with the new Kia Cerato, also unveiled in Detroit. The 2.0-litre Veloster can be equipped with either a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, and it drives the front wheels only.
The Veloster Turbo follows a similar recipe to the current model. It boasts a 1.6-litre turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that develops 150kW at 6000rpm and 265Nm from 1500-4500rpm. There is an overboost function that ups the torque to 274Nm for a brief period of time under full throttle application. Like the standard model, front wheel drive is standard, but buyers will have the option of either a 6-speed manual transmission or a Hyundai-developed 7-speed dual clutch automatic setup with paddle-shifters.
The Veloster Turbo also features three selectable drive modes; Normal, Sport, and Smart, which adjust properties of the engine, transmission, and steering feel.
Both the Hyundai Veloster and Veloster Turbo feature Torque Vectoring Control (TVC), which combines with the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and powertrain control systems for enhanced cornering ability. It’s a brake-based torque vectoring system that applies the brake on the inner front wheel to minimise understeer. Enhancing this further for Veloster Turbo models, they receive a quicker-ratio steering rack for even sharper steering responses.
The Veloster Turbo features a few extra items over and above the standard Veloster though. Active Sound Design provides augmented engine induction and exhaust noise through the speaker system.
But dynamically, the Veloster Turbo features sport tuned suspension comprising McPherson strut front suspension, coil springs, gas shock absorbers, and a 24mm diameter front stabilizer bar. The rear suspension is an independent multi-link setup with a 19mm stabiliser bar – whereas the regular Veloster utilises a torsion beam setup. On the tyre front, the Veloster Turbo can be equipped with high performance 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
Advanced Connectivity and Safety
The 8-inch touch screen infotainment system in the Hyundai Velosters’s cabin features their latest software that enables full Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, in addition to a host of voice operated functionality, text to speech applications, USB and auxiliary inputs, and an available Infinity premium audio system with eight speakers including a subwoofer. Wireless charging capability and navigation are also encompassed within the system’s capabilities.
The new Hyundai Veloster also offers a heads-up display for the first time, projecting a colour image onto a transparent panel mounted behind the instrument panel. When placed into Sport mode, the heads-up display features performance-specific graphics and information such as engine speed, road speed, and current gear.
Other safety features released for the Veloster and Veloster Turbo include lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, forward collision avoidance with auto braking, high beam assist for the optionally available LED headlights, and driver attention warning. A rear-view camera is equipped as standard across the range as are six airbags and ABS braking with EBD.
Price and Arrival in South Africa
We have reached out to Hyundai South Africa, as at the time of its unveiling South African details had not yet been released. We do however expect the Veloster and Veloster Turbo to arrive locally before the end of 2018, with pricing and specification to be determined closer to launch.
