Hyundai Veloster (2013-2015) Review

If you want a coupe that stands out and is a bit different from the usual suspects, the Hyundai Veloster could be right up your street. It’s hardly the most practical of cars of course - what coupe is - but the unusual three-door at least means the back seats are useable.

The Hyundai Veloster is a rare sight so it has appeal if you’re someone who doesn’t follow the herd and wants to make a statement. Although we’re not quite sure what that statement is. It’s at least quirky and not many people will know what it is. You get a lot for your money though with lots of standard kit on all models.

While the turbocharged 1.6-T-GDi model is the best in the range, we think the standard 1.6 GDi SE represents the best value for money and is cheaper to run and insure too. There are also more of them around on the used market, with the turbo version much harder to find.

The Hyundai Veloster SE was the entry-level model and gets all the kit you’ll need but there’s not much difference between that and the Sport on the used market. The latter would seem better value then as it gets extras like 18-inch alloys and heated seats. However, it also has a panoramic roof which cuts headroom and means anyone reasonably tall will struggle to sit comfortably.

The Volkswagen Scirocco is the first car that springs to mind when you’re talking about affordable coupes. It was very popular during its lifetime and there’s a big used market for them. You may not get as much kit for your money, but the Scirocco comes with a wider choice of engines and trims.

We’d also suggest the excellent Peugeot RCZ which is one of the best looking coupes around thanks to its beautiful lines while the Toyota GT86 is superb to drive. Don’t forget the MINI Coupe either.

There are plenty of three-door hatchbacks that were essentially called coupes at the time. Stuff like the SEAT Leon SC and Renault Megane Coupe, but they’re not quite true coupes in the same way as the Veloster.

There’s no denying the Hyundai Veloster is a well put together car. It’s what we’ve come to expect from Hyundai, but the quality could be better in places. There are some hard plastics around, for instance around the handbrake. While they don’t feel cheap or scratchy they’re not exactly pleasant either.

There are other things too like the indicator and wiper stalks which are dated compared to the rest of the interior. These are only small details and hardly deal-breakers, but it still detracts a little from the overall quality of the Hyundai Veloster’s interior.

Maybe we’re nit-picking here as the actual build quality of the Hyundai Veloster is very good. There are no squeaks and rattles while all the buttons work with satisfying precision. It’s certainly on a par with rivals like the Toyota GT86 and Peugeot RCZ.

With a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen standard on all models, the Hyundai Veloster still has a modern feel to it. The system looks decent, if not the most stylish but crucially, it’s easy to use with clear menus and not too many hidden functions.

The standard infotainment gets DAB, Bluetooth and even voice recognition. The Sport model could be had with a media pack as an optional extra. This added navigation, a rear view parking camera, along with an amp and a subwoofer for when you want to listen to your Europop very loudly. 

The one thing that stands out on the Hyundai Veloster is the odd three-door design. And we don’t mean three doors including the tailgate. Like the MINI Clubman of the same era, the Hyundai Veloster has an asymmetrical design with one door for the driver but two doors on the passenger side. 

This means getting into the back seats is much easier than a standard two-door coupe. In other words you don’t need to be a yoga guru to manage it. In fact, for a small car, there’s actually a surprising amount of room in the Hyundai Veloster.

We’re not suggesting you stick the kids and the dog on the back and drive to France in it, but there’s enough room that even growing teens will find decent legroom in the back. The problem is headroom which is limited because of the low roof. The fact the rear screen starts so far forward means you sit under the rear glass, adding to the compromised feel.

There's a usefully large boot though with 320 litres of space which is on par (a little bigger in fact) than a Ford Focus from the same era. Yes, it has an awkwardly high load lip because of the odd design, but it will easily cope with a big shop. Like the interior, there’s a lot more space than you’d imagine from a car that’s only four metres long.

The Hyundai Veloster dimensions are 4220mm long, 1790mm wide and 1399mm tall.

Just one engine was originally available in the Hyundai Veloster. A 1.6-litre petrol badged GDi, it produces a healthy 140PS and has decent get up and go around town. It can feel pretty breathless at times and needs to be worked hard to get the best out of it, but it’s reasonably nippy at lower speeds.

The standard six-speed gearbox has a rewardingly positive shift, albeit a little notchy on occasions, but it’s in keeping with the idea that this is a sports coupe. There is also an automatic in the shape of a twin-clutch DCT gearbox which although offering quick changes, does make the Hyundai Veloster feel a little lethargic. We’d stick to the manual.

In 2014 Hyundai introduced a turbo version of the same engine. The 1.6 T-GDi has power upped to 186PS while torque increased from just 167Nm to a much more useful 265Nm. 

Badged the Hyundai Veloster Turbo SE (although we were never quite sure why it needed the SE), this brought some much needed zest. The big difference is at low speeds where the increase in pulling power means it doesn’t need to be worked as hard as the standard 1.6 GDi.

With better in-gear acceleration, the Hyundai Veloster Turbo SE gives you performance with a bit more meaning. It’s not quite hot hatch fast, but with a 0-62mph time of 8.4 seconds at least has the pace to back up the looks.

The standard 1.6 GDi engine needs to be worked quite hard to get any meaningful performance and unfortunately, this means a lot of noise. That wouldn’t be too bad if it was a nice noise, but instead it’s boomy and intrusive, despite a triple layer of noise insulation behind the dashboard.

There’s a fair amount of road noise in the cabin too and although wind noise isn’t an issue (Hyundai says even the door handles have been designed to minimise wind noise) it can be quite noisy unless you’re cruising on a smooth motorway.

The Turbo SE model is better in terms of refinement and noise. The engine doesn’t need to be worked as hard and is, therefore, quieter while the improved ride quality means less vibration and knocks making their way into the cabin.

With the maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, the Veloster is one of the safest coupes around with a 96% rating for adult occupant safety and 89% for child occupants with the crash test noting that the Hyundai Veloster’s seats and head restraints provide good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.

All models of the Hyundai Veloster come with ESP electronic stability programme, plus front, side and curtain airbags along with an engine immobiliser and reversing sensors.

Unsurprisingly the Hyundai Veloster did not feature in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, which reflects how briefly it was on sale and just how few examples were sold.

However, Hyundai finished third overall in the same survey, demonstrating how satisfied owners are with their Hyundais. The Hyundai Veloster is an older design, but if you get a good example it should provide trouble-free motoring.

The Hyundai Veloster wins when it comes to insurance and premiums will cost you much less than a Toyota GT86 or a similarly powered Volkswagen Scirocco. The standard models are all group 16 for insurance, compared to group 28 for a GT86.

The Turbo models sit in group 20 and 21 but that’s still much lower than something like a Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TSI at group 30. Shop around and you can get a very good deal on insurance for a Hyundai Veloster, especially if you keep it on a driveway.

While it may do well on insurance, the Hyundai Veloster isn’t so good on VED. The cheapest model for tax is the BlueDrive but you’ll do well to find one on the used market, and you'll pay £165 a year tax.

But most models like the 1.6 GDi SE are £180 a year, while the Turbo will cost you £220 a year in road tax.

The standard Hyundai Veloster SE comes with most things you’ll want with 17-inch wheels, heated door mirrors, all round electric windows, Bluetooth as part of the 7.0-inch touchscreen, climate control and reversing sensors. 

The Hyundai Veloster Sport looks good and gets extras like 18-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery with heated front seats, cruise control and keyless entry. This would be our choice were it not for the panoramic glass roof that’s also standard and robs the car of headroom.

The Hyundai Veloster Turbo SE has unique bumpers, a different grille plus a redesigned rear spoiler and LED rear lights along with 18-inch alloys with chrome inserts. Inside it has the Media Pack as standard plus re-designed leather seats with grey panel while the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable with lumbar support.

There were several options available that are worth looking for on used models. Features like the red leather upholstery or the Media Pack (available on Hyundai Veloster Sport only) which added navigation and a  rearview camera plus an eight-speaker audio system.