DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Hyundai Veloster renewed

The Hyundai Veloster is back, all-new from the ground up and with a handful of new tricks up its sleeve such as engine torque vectoring.

But one thing hasn't changed – its unorthodox asymmetrical door design.

Coming to Australia in September 2018 with a price tag expected to remain under $30,000, the quirky coupe is more resolved, more intelligent and sportier than its predecessor. At least that's what Hyundai declared at the Veloster version 2.0's big-budget global premiere at the 2018 Detroit motor show.

Dropping an airy-fairy four-cylinder quasi-coupe into Detroit is a bold move by Hyundai, an auto show best-known for V8 muscle car launches and big pickup truck premieres, but the USA is expected to be one of the car's most important markets.

The Veloster is also one of the few Hyundai cars that North American aftermarket tuners (see SEMA) love to trick up. Given its eccentric layout, it's the kind of car that people who love their gloves fingerless or eat their apples whole – core, pips and all – will appreciate.

Boasting an angular, chunkier take on its predecessor's design, bringing it in line with the Hyundai i30 (with which it also shares its platform architecture), the 2018 Hyundai Veloster features one door on the driver's side and two on the passengers' side, retaining its signature if quirky layout.

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The idea is that the driver gets the feeling of hopping into a coupe, while back seat passengers don't have to clamber over front occupants, thanks to a separate rear door. Only the MINI Clubman has offered a similar design.

"It's a good feature, it's distinctive and it gives us a point of difference," Hyundai Australia's general manager of external affairs, Bill Thomas, told motoring.com.au in Detroit.

"There wasn't really any chance that would disappear; current owners have said they get a lot of use out of it," explained Thomas.

The chipper new Veloster will be offered with a pair of four-cylinder petrol engines in the USA and Australia, including a carry-over 1.6-litre turbo (150kW/265Nm) and a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre (110kW/180Nm) powerplant, the latter replacing the current asthmatic non-turbo 1.6.

Expect a flagship high-performance Veloster N model to benefit from similar to changes as the i30 N, whose 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine belts out 202kW and 378Nm.

Both regular Veloster models comes with six-speed manual gearboxes, automatic transmissions are optional. The entry-level 2.0-litre unit get a conventional six-speed auto, the gruntier 1.6-litre turbo gets a faster-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch jobbie.

The Korean car-maker has added brake-based torque-vectoring to the front-drive Veloster, aimed at reducing understeer, while new front and rear independent suspension is designed to make it more dynamic and engaging to drive.

Hyundai Australia has already finished its local suspension tuning on the Veloster model, motoring.com.au has learned. Changes to the springs, dampers and roll bars have been made specifically for the Aussie market, which will apply to all Veloster models locally.

"What we're finding is that the [suspension] geometry of the cars and basic platform design is getting better and better, and I think this will be a really good example of the steps forward the brand is making," said Thomas.

"Down a challenging road it's probably quicker than an i30 SR. It's a little bit lighter and just a bit more sporty in terms of chassis dynamics," he said.

Sharper steering is also promised, via the inclusion of a quicker-ratio steering rack.

With a maximum of 150kW on tap, the new Veloster will no traffic-light bandit however – that job is reserved for Hyundai's upcoming sports car and N models – but with a keen price plus an upmarket interior with loads of gadgets, it should deliver broad-spectrum buyer appeal.

The interior is headlined by a pair of front sports seats with plenty of lateral bolstering. Perforated leather and cloth upholstery will be offered in various colours, matching seven exterior colours: Ultra Black, Chalk White, Sonic Silver, Thunder Grey, Sunset Orange, Racing Red, and Space Grey.

Veloster's overall interior design is decidedly more modern than its predecessor with minimalistic heating/cooling controls, an updated infotainment screen (7- or 8-inches depending on model grade) with sat nav, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality and wireless phone charging.

There's also a head-up display that projects road speed, navigation instructions, cruise control and audio details plus lane departure warnings onto the windscreen in the driver's line of sight.

"It's more refined inside with better noise and NVH suppression," said Thomas, citing a drive in a prototype mule.

"It takes that leap the i30 took and makes it a really interesting car. It's got sporty dynamics, a decent engine and also quite quiet."

Hyundai has installed six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, high-beam assist and smart cruise control, so the Veloster can ostensibly steer, accelerate, brake and dip the high-beam LED headlights with driver input.

In Australia, the current Hyundai Veloster is priced between $29,590 and $32,090. The new model will bring more features and refinement to the table but it may come at a cost. Thomas admitted that pricing hasn't been set in stone, but that it'll be competitive.

"The entry level car has to come in at a competitive price point, but we don’t quite know what that is yet. I don't think it'll be a huge [price] leap over the existing car. Perhaps a small increase, but nominal.

Thomas said he expects the car to be just as popular as its predecessor, which in the past recorded several monthly sales records as Australia's favourite sports car.

"It's striking its own path, there's no other car like it. It's difficult thinking of competitors in some ways. Maybe its people looking for a warm hatch? Or female buyers wanting something different?

"I think when they see it, they'll want it."