By Paul Gover.
There is only one car in the world with three doors.
Hyundai made the unique statement, and created a crossover with a real difference, when it created the original Veloster with a single driver’s door and two more on the passenger side.
Now it has renewed the Veloster into a second generation and continued the unique body configuration.
Why? Because it works, and it’s popular with the people who want to park a Veloster in their driveway.
Many are women with young children, who prefer the easy access – and added security – that comes with a back door for loading and unloading their precious cargo.
So the three-door concept has survived and thrived, even as it is updated using the mechanical package of the latest i30 hatchback with a much sportier body on top.
Veloster driving is nowhere near as sporty or involving as a Toyota 87 or even a Mazda, but it’s good enough for lots of people and provides a practicality that cannot be matched by a traditional two-seater sports car.
Pricing for the Veloster starts at $29,490, a $100 drop at a time when most car companies are raising prices and a good deal with a more-powerful 2-litre petrol engine, and jumps all the way up to $38,990 for a turbocharged model with all the ‘fruit’.
Apart from the three-door layout, the Veloster’s body also creates a crossover between a practical hatch and a sporty coupe. And that’s good news for people who like a bit of added style in their daily driver.
“It has upgraded engines, and safety and chassis and driving dynamics. It’s better in every single way,” the new CEO of Hyundai Australia, John Kett, says as he introduces the second-generation Veloster.
“Veloster is all about expanding customer choice. We believe it satisfies both an emotional want and a rational need.”
To drive, the new Veloster is a little more refined than before, a little sharper in the styling, and a toucher quieter on the road.
It’s still not a sports car but it corner just fine, and the turbo engine gives it some serious punch for overtaking.
To test the practicality of the Veloster I load up my 10-year-old and some mates. They find it easy to get into the back seat, instead of having to battle around front buckets in other coupes, and have a good view and supportive seats. The boot is still pretty roomy.
So it works as intended, although I cannot help comparing the performance – not in a positive way – with the i30 N from the Hyundai N division that was patterned after the BMW M and Mercedes-AMG hothouses. The N car is a real tearaway and is helping to transform the way a lot of people look at Hyundai.
Kett even says Hyundai Australia will soon move away from full-time drive-away pricing as it works to convince people that it builds quality cars and not just throw-away cheapies.
So the Veloster is more than just a looker with a quirky body, as it has a pivotal role in a big change that’s coming to Hyundai over the next 18 months.
But, most important of all, is it a car that you can drive and enjoy? Yes.
So that makes it a success and a car that will continue to roll on Australia roads for at least another six years.
THE BASICS
Hyundai Veloster
Prices: from $29,490
Power: 110kW/180Nm
Position: compact coupe crossover
Plus: head-turning looks, practical layout
Minus: not particularly sport
THE TICK: Yes
