Hyundai Veloster SR Turbo 2012 Review

Hyundai Veloster SR Turbo coupe

It comes in the form of the SR Turbo, which raises the bar on the standard Veloster by a considerable margin in all key areas, offering nearly 50 per cent more power and 60 per cent more torque, as well as an even more sporting suspension, steering and braking package.

Dressed in a suitably more aggressive bodykit, and comprising the same extensive standard equipment list as the flagship Veloster + (as well as two exclusive exterior colours, including Hyundai’s first matte paint finish), the Turbo is set to shake up Australia’s established hot-hatch market by landing at the eminently accessible starting price of $31,990.

Upgraded simultaneously, the price of the non-turbocharged Veloster + has been increased by $1000 to $28,990 following addition of standard satellite-navigation. For the record, the entry-level Veloster remains unchanged at $23,990.

Standard features are as per the Veloster +, including a panoramic glass sunroof with electric sunblind, leather/leatherette-trimmed sports bucket seats, keyless entry/starting, power-folding/heated wing mirrors, automatic climate-control air-conditioning and electric driver’s seat base adjustment.

This is in addition to the entry-level Veloster’s standard seven-inch LCD touch-screen, rear-view camera, rear parking sensors, six-speaker sound, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity with audio streaming, USB/AUX inputs, steering wheel audio controls, trip computer, cruise control, daytime running lamps, automatic projector-beam headlights, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, LED side repeaters integrated into power-folding/heated side mirrors and 60/40-split rear seats.

Like all Velosters, the SR Turbo rides on 18-inch wheels with 215/40 R18 tyres – this time with chrome inserts rather than the naturally aspirated Veloster + flagship’s colour-coded inserts.

Cosmetic upgrades for the two-plus-one-door, four-seater Veloster body include a more aggressive front bumper and grille treatment, round foglights, sportier side skirts, a rear diffuser, rear spoiler and twin circular exhaust outlets.

Hyundai has also confirmed that all Veloster + premium models – and the SR Turbo – will now be fitted as standard with an integrated satellite-navigation system incorporating SUNA live traffic, lane guidance, junction views, speed limits, speed warnings and camera alerts. The new navigation system also includes a complimentary three–year NAVTEQ MapCare plan if the vehicle is serviced at a participating authorised Hyundai service centre.

Other new Veloster + additions include a passenger-side seat back pocket and luggage net, while all models gain a rear windscreen wiper.

While regular Veloster variants are available in eight exterior paint colours, the Turbo comes in just six, including an exclusive matte-finish Young Gun, plus Phantom Black, Veloster Red, Battleship and Storm Trooper.

The Turbo colour palette is headlined by the exclusive Marmalade hero hue, a ‘chameleon’ colour that changes depending on the visual angle and costs $1000 extra. Meantime, Hyundai has also increased the price of metallic/pearl paint option for all Velosters from $375 to $595.

At $1164, the turbo version will cost more to service over three years than the regular Veloster ($747), because it needs an extra 7500km initial service ($129) and its 15,000km service costs $10 more at $259.

With a base kerb weight of 1265kg (1305kg for the auto), the front-drive turbo is heavier than the garden-variety Veloster (1200kg). It's also porkier than the rear-drive boxer-engined Toyota 86 (1220kg), but offers an extra 3kW and 60Nm!

Combined fuel consumption (running on standard 91 RON unleaded petrol) is 6.8L/100km for the manual and 7.6L/100km for the auto (up from 6.4L/100km for both the Veloster manual and DCT). Hyundai says in-house testing shows the Turbo can sprint to 100km/h in around seven seconds, making it a good match for its closest rivals.

To match the extra performance, the SR Turbo gains 20mm-larger (300mm) and 5mm-wider ventilated front disc brakes (but retains the 262mm solid rear discs from the less powerful Veloster), a locally recalibrated suspension package comprising stiffer dampers and revised lower control arm geometry, and retuned electric power steering system with a quicker ratio requiring just 2.78 turns lock to lock. Turning circle is the same 10.4 metres.

Like Hyundai’s new i30, i40 and i45, the Veloster Turbo has also undergone an extensive local suspension and steering tuning program to better suit it to Australian conditions.

Suspension is via MacPherson struts, coil springs, gas shock absorbers and a 24mm stabiliser bar up front, and a space-saving torsion beam system at the rear, while Sachs dampers are fitted at both ends.

Looking like a sleek coupe from the single-door driver’s side and a practical hatchback from the two-door passenger side, the Veloster blends form and function like few other cars. Others, like the MINI Clubman have tried similar layouts but failed to switch the rear side door to the kerb side for right-hand drive markets like ours. This alone gives the Veloster an appeal no other car can currently match.

In fact, the design is so clever it makes us wonder why Hyundai was the first to offer it, but the two-plus-one-door configuration is not without its drawbacks.

Unlike many coupes including the Toyota 86, the Veloster offers a sizeable boot and its twin rear seats are highly practical, offering plenty of shoulder, elbow and knee room. However, as we discovered at the launch of the regular Veloster launch in February, once you’ve bumped your head entering the somewhat small rear door opening headroom is cramped even for average-height occupants, who also sit directly below the rear window.

Head room is tight for tall drivers up front too, in part because all SR Turbos come standard with a huge tilting and sliding glass sunroof that actually forms the entire roof panel but robs valuable head room, marking a minor triumph of style over substance.

Like most rear seats in the light-car class, however, the Veloster’s twin rear buckets are likely to be part-time pews only, and we suspect most buyers considering a Veloster will happily forego head space for street cred.

The SR is slightly longer, wider and taller than the non-turbo variants at 4250mm, 1805mm and 1409mm respectively. Like all Velosters, its 440mm boot is augmented by a 60/40-split folding rear seat.

The car has earned a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Notably it is just $2000 more expensive than Toyota’s hot new 86 coupe, which launched with a low $29,990 base price in June. Opel’s new Astra GTC Sport coupe (from $34,990) is also likely to be cross-shopped with the Veloster Turbo.

Rather than any of those models, however, Hyundai says it expects the SR-badged Veloster to compete more closely with similarly light-sized front-drive hatchbacks like the Alfa Romeo MiTo (also priced from $31,990), Citroen DS3 DSport ($29,990), Mini Cooper (from $31,500) and Renault Clio RS200 ($36,490).

Hyundai says that 86 buyers are unlikely to consider the Veloster Turbo, which is less of a purist sportscar. The company says SR Turbo will appeal more to the younger Gen Y buyers because it is more focussed on style and convenience, thanks to its coupe-meets-hatch body configuration.

Anybody who thinks the regular Veloster is underpowered will feel instantly at home in the SR Turbo, which delivers punchier, 2.0-litre-style acceleration off the mark – in both manual and automatic guise – a healthy dose of lag-free midrange urge and a top-end rush all the way to 6750rpm (although the auto calls it quits 500rpm sooner).

No, the turbocharged/intercooled T-GDI mill doesn’t sound spectacular at any stage and this isn’t a hot-hatch in the same way as a Golf GTI, but the force-fed Veloster offers satisfying acceleration in all gears at all speeds (even from 2250rpm at 100km/h in sixth gear) and will give warmed-over light hatches like Skoda’s Fabia RS a real run for their money.

That’s especially so for the manual, which has a shorter final drive ratio than the standard Veloster manual and is quicker, cheaper and more efficient than the SR Turbo auto to boot.

That said, we achieved nothing like the claimed economy figures at 10.5L/100km (manual) and 11.2L/100m (auto), although the latter is pleasantly quick-shifting via its tactile steering wheel paddle shifters.

The SR’s taut Accent-based chassis could handle more power for sure, but we think that would spoil the good work done by Hyundai’s local tuning team, which has improved body control and brought even better on-centre feel to the standard Veloster’s already well-sorted electric steering. Veloster’s inherently neutral handling balance has been retained.

Surprisingly, until you drive it, the Turbo’s springs are no shorter or firmer than the atmo Veloster’s and that’s a good thing, because ride quality is brittle bordering on harsh.

There's no escaping the car’s volume-selling small car origins either. Plenty of engine and road noise is present and bigger road obstacles caused the pint-size coupe to skip and bounce rather than stick compliantly to the road.

Don’t get us wrong: the SR never feels twitchy or out of control and its super-quick steering is always commendably free of the kick, rattle and torque steer that blights other Hyundais. Overall it's the most agile, adjustable and rewarding Korean car we’ve driven – at least this side of the Genesis coupe.

Indeed, it’s the pure, honest performance of the Veloster SR Turbo that we love most. The fact it does all this on standard unleaded petrol, seats four in relative comfort, can swallow all their luggage, and is a snip to buy and run are almost bonuses.

What’s more, if you get bored with it (which we think is highly unlikely), it comes with an unrivalled, fully transferable five-year/130,000km warranty.

Continuing the simplistic theme is the fact there are no options available for the Veloster SR (apart from a cool matte-grey paintjob), which comes fully loaded with more equipment than many cars twice the price, even if the headroom-robbing sunroof is a must-have. Yes, a dual-clutch auto, torque-sensing diff and variable damping, steering and transmission modes would have been nice, but all that would have eliminated two of the Veloster’s greatest assets: bargain-basement pricing and simple, unfettered performance.

Personally, we’re rear-drive fans and if we were in the market for a compact, accessible sportscar and didn’t mind a long wait, we’d plumb for the cracking 86 boxer coupe. But the SR Turbo has a cheekier personality all of its own and should attract a wide range of sports and small-car customers who won’t be disappointed.

After years with limited options, affordable sportscar buyers have never been more spoilt for choice.

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