Sharp Veloster Turbo price to stay

Hyundai says it will not increase the price of its new Veloster SR Turbo coupe, which sets a new hot-hatch price benchmark at less than $32,000, any time soon.

Asked if the Veloster Turbo’s unexpectedly low pricetag was sustainable in the long-term, Hyundai Motor Company Australia Director of Marketing Oliver Mann told motoring.com.au: “Yes. It’s not a price that will change in the foreseeable future.”

Now available in dealerships priced from $31,990 plus on-road costs for the six-speed manual version (a six-speed auto adds a further $2000, at $33,990), the turbocharged Veloster Turbo is available in a single model grade that costs just $3000 more than the naturally aspirated Veloster + flagship upon which it is based.

That makes Hyundai’s first fully fledged SR model about $10,000 more affordable than larger established hot-hatches like VW’s Golf GTI, the Mazda3 MPS, Mitsubishi’s Lancer Ralliart and Subaru’s WRX, as well as just $2000 more expensive than Toyota’s hot new 86 coupe, which launched with a low $29,990 base price in June.

Rather than any of those models, however, Hyundai 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 and will appeal more to the younger Gen Y folks because it is more focussed on style and convenience, thanks to its coupe-meets-hatch body configuration that features one door on the driver’s side and two on the kerb side.

“Veloster is a full four-seater with a big boot and high specification levels, and is a deeply practical solution for long-term ownership,” said Mr Mann.

“It is a crossover vehicle that has its own niche, but also sells to sportscar buyers and small hatchback buyers. If you’re a track enthusiast then the 86’s rear-drive layout might be one advantage, but for everybody else on the road the Veloster is a better solution.”

Hyundai also says the Turbo will appeal to different buyers than the regular Veloster, sales of which will not be impacted by the arrival of the force-fed variant – despite its small price premium.

“The Turbo leaves the Veloster as an urban, non-enthusiast car somewhere between conventional car and sportscar,” said Mr Mann. “The Turbo overlaps the latter more, but is less compliant and not everyone wants an out-and-out performance machine.”

Either way, the Veloster SR Turbo – which will be launched with the catchcry ‘Sexy gets angry’ - will provide a valuable ‘halo effect’ for the Hyundai brand, as well as small but all-incremental sales volume.

Unlike Toyota with its 86, the Korean maker says it has the capacity to sell up to 500 Velosters a month in total Down Under, including about 150 Turbos, and the ability to meet demand for any variant.

The regular Veloster, meantime, has exceeded Hyundai’s expectations by attracting an average of about 350 buyers a month since February (and some 450 in June) – enough to make the asymmetric hatchback Australia’s top-selling mainstream sportscar so far this year.

Like the garden-variety Veloster, the majority of SR buyers are expected to opt for the automatic version – despite the fact it employs a conventional torque converter type self-shifter, rather than the standard Veloster auto’s dual-clutch auto – but the Turbo is expected to attract more male customers, once again mostly in the 24-30 age bracket.

The SR Turbo is powered by Hyundai’s new Gamma 1.6-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection (T-GDI) engine, which delivers 46 per cent more peak power (150kW at 6000rpm) and 60 per cent more maximum torque (265Nm at 1750-4500rpm) than the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre GDI engine in the standard Veloster.

In addition, the top-shelf Veloster adds 20mm-larger (300mm) ventilated front disc brakes, a locally recalibrated suspension damping package and retuned electric power steering system with a quicker ratio requiring just 2.78 turns lock to lock.

Cosmetic details include a more aggressive front bumper and grille treatment, round foglights, sportier side skirts with silver inserts, a rear diffuser, rear spoiler and twin circular exhaust outlets. Like all Velosters, the SR Turbo rides on 18-inch wheels – this time with chrome inserts rather than the naturally aspirated Veloster + flagship’s colour-coded inserts.

Hyundai recently confirmed that all Veloster + 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 Turbo comes in just six exterior colours, including the exclusive matte-finish Young Gun, plus Phantom Black, Veloster Red, Battleship, Storm Trooper and an another exclusive hero hue - Marmalade, a ‘cameleon’ colour that costs an extra $1000 and changes colour depending on the angle it’s viewed from.

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