Hyundai Veloster Series II 2015 Review

The Hyundai Veloster is anything but subtle. Blending the dubious practicality of three side doors and a liftback tailgate in a small-car package with sporting aspirations ensures the Veloster is pretty easy to pick out of a crowd – especially with some of the lurid colours on offer. But the Series II update for the Veloster hides in plain sight. Don't look for any real tell-tales other than two new alloy wheel designs in 18-inch diameter to distinguish the new model from the old one.

Underneath, however, the Series II Veloster hatch gains locally calibrated suspension, a faster processor for the electrically-assisted steering system, and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission option for the SR Turbo variant. Equipment levels have been lifted too, with the flagship SR Turbo + variants gaining Flex Steer – Hyundai's adjustable steering assistance system providing three different levels of weight through the wheel – and heated front seats.

Taking up a position downmarket, the entry-level Veloster SR Turbo (no '+') lacks satellite navigation, the heated front seats already mentioned, a sunroof, heated/fold-in mirrors, sunglass holder and climate control with auto demist. The base turbo has electrically-adjustable mirrors and manual air conditioning however.

Other than the redesigned seats, which do seem more comfortable and better shaped, the fundamentals of the Veloster's packaging are largely unchanged since my seven-day review of the Veloster SR Turbo over 12 months ago.

Both manual and dual-clutch (DCT) variants of the Veloster SR Turbo were sampled over the course of a day driving from Sydney to the Central Coast of New South Wales. Fuel consumption was 13.8L/100km, which is pretty high, but the car was being given a fair hiding. Owners can expect to see figures closer to 10.0L/100km in normal driving, as I found from the previous model tested.

As mentioned previously, the manual shift is light and fast. The new DCT shifts very smoothly and rapidly when using the shift paddles, but it is moderately reluctant to ride a clutch during low-speed manoeuvres. While reversing, the driver is forced to ease power on in pulses, which is a bit clumsy.

A curious point about the DCT is the way it interacts with the car's stability and traction control systems. The Veloster SR Turbo with the manual box can be driven relatively hard with the traction control enabled – and still get from point to point quickly and efficiently. For whatever reason – and Hyundai engineers present on the day indicated the mapping for the electronic safety systems was different from the manual's – the DCT variant frequently bogged down and failed to fire up out of corners.

If you plan to take your turbo Veloster to a track day, and it's running the DCT, that would be a good time and place to disable the traction control. It's not recommended for the road, but on the track pulling the plug on the electronic safety system yields immediate and obvious benefits in performance.

The engine in both variants delivered seamless power that fell away slightly above 5000rpm. As we've noted before with the turbocharged Veloster, its engine is tuned for optimal mid-range urge. Out on the road it's barely noticeable, but it is more apparent on a closed circuit.

The changes to the Veloster's suspension are highly commendable. My one abiding recollection of the previous turbo model was its unforgiving ride and very flat handling. Local engineers have opted for a bit more ride comfort and slightly more roll, but they argue that this actually improves turn-in and ultimate adhesion. My limited time with the new car left me with the distinct impression that they have definitely enhanced the Veloster's dynamic competence.

Not only has overall grip improved, but there's no obvious torque steer while exiting corners on damp surfaces, despite the car showing no shortage of power to spin a drive wheel in those same circumstances. Handling is throttle-sensitive; leave the braking late and the Veloster wants to step out at the rear, and backing off mid-corner will tighten the line through corners noticeably. Applying power will lead to more push, but the overall grip in damp conditions was acceptably good.

Stepping straight out of our long-term press test vehicle, a Renault Clio RS 200, into the Veloster SR Turbo provided a pleasant surprise, with the Hyundai meting out quick steering response allied to decent feedback through the wheel. The Veloster's steering is not as communicative as the Renault's, but nor would you call it wishy-washy. It's actually better than just satisfactory and is an improvement on the previous model's, as I recall. Migrating to a 32-bit processor for the steering (from the earlier 16-bit system) has presumably helped, but the car's revised suspension geometry and spring/damping rates no doubt contribute.

While Hyundai has made no specific mention of this, build quality seems slightly improved in the Veloster with this Series II update. There are no clunks and thuds such as those previously encountered in the superseded model.

All up, the Veloster is an incrementally better car as a consequence of the update. I could go further and say that the increments add up to a significant improvement, holistically. If you liked the Veloster before, you'll love it now; it's as simple as that.

2015 Hyundai Veloster SR Turbo + pricing and specifications:
Price: $33,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 150kW/265Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.9L/100km (ADR Combined, manual), 7.1L/100km (ADR Combined, DCT)
CO2: 163g/km (ADR Combined, manual), 165g/km (ADR Combined, DCT)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP