By Mauricio Lezcano / carsNtravel.com
Veloster Turbo’s unique design takes inspiration from a custom high performance sport bike. One of the most popular sport bike upgrades is to modify the exhaust. Hyundai designers have removed the Veloster’s trapezoidal center exhaust and replaced it with two larger free flowing circular pipes. These new pipes and the new intake manifold also allowed engineers to give the engine a more robust sound.
From a bigger, bolder hexagonal front grille, through the sculpted side skirts and new dynamic rear bumper with prominent diffuser vents in the lower fascia, Veloster Turbo’s design adds aggression and aerodynamic stability.
Working in harmony with the aggressive appearance is the finely tuned suspension setup, only key components in the steering were upgraded for the Veloster Turbo. It features a quicker ratio steering rack and a revised steering calibration to match, which both give drivers precise cornering, feedback and control.
All Velosters are fitted with a McPherson strut front suspension, coil springs, gas shock absorbers and a 24 mm diameter front stabilizer. The rear suspension is a light weight V-torsion beam, a Hyundai first with an integrated 23 mm stabilizer bar to allow bracing of the arms for greater stiffness and to further control body roll. The rear suspension also uses monotube shock absorbers for ride comfort.
Inside, full leather seats with the word Turbo stitched into the seatbacks help deliver a unique look and provide exceptional support and comfort. An exclusive Supervision Cluster offers the driver information in a larger, clearer and more interactive format. This is due to the Supervision Cluster’s two TFT screens located between the tachometer and the speedometer. The center stack and controls also resemble a sport bike fuel tank and incorporate a push button starter and alloy pedals.
The 1.6 liter turbocharged GDI four cylinder engine produces 201 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 195 lb-ft of torque from 1750 – 4500 rpm with regular fuel. The Veloster Turbo is estimated to deliver 24 mpg city and 35 mpg highway for manual transmission models and 24 city and 31 highway for automatic models. Hyundai’s 1.6 liter Gamma turbocharged engine features a twin scroll turbocharger that when combined with the GDI system, results in instantaneous power delivery. Twin scroll turbochargers have traditionally been used on more expensive high performance engines.
To handle the power enhancements and keep with Hyundai’s commitment to making fuel efficient vehicles, Veloster Turbo is paired with a standard six speed manual transmission or a six speed automatic transmission. Both transmissions were developed in house at Hyundai. The manual features a wider gear ratio spread to handle the additional torque output. The high revving turbo helps during acceleration, especially at highway speeds.
Velosters also features a state of the art braking package. The package includes four wheel disc brakes and an Anti Lock Braking System including Brake Assist, which provides maximum braking force when a panic stop is detected, and Electronic Brake force Distribution to automatically adjust the braking force to front and rear axles based on vehicle loading conditions.
In addition Veloster Turbo features a standard 450 watt Dimension Premium Audio system with eight speakers including an eight inch subwoofer, external amplifier and iPod / USB / auxiliary input jacks. An XM Satellite Radio interface is also integrated into the head unit and features channel logos and XM Data services, such as XM NavWeather, XM Stock Ticker and XM Sports Ticker.
A Bluetooth hands free phone system with voice recognition, address book download and audio streaming is standard. Onboard navigation is optional. The system also integrates a rear view camera and backup warning sensors.
The manufacturer’s suggested starting retail price is $21,950.00, the one I drove included the Ultimate Package and a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport Summer Tires It came in at $27,520.00. Key competitors VW GTI, Honda Civic Si and the Mini Cooper/Clubman S.
mlezcano@carsntravel.com
