2014 Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai Veloster 2014 Review - Pricing, Features & Specs ...

The 2014 Hyundai Veloster is more sporty coupe than sports car; but with available turbo power and a standout three-door design it isn’t short on excitement and flair.

• Interior / Exterior »

The Hyundai Veloster is a genre-buster by design. It dares to be a lot of things all at once. A sporty coupe, a versatile five-door, and a stylish oddity among small cars—it’s really all of those, at once.



Since the two doors on its passenger side aren’t matched by the single, longer one on the driver side, the Veloster is more than a coupe—a three-door or four-door hatchback, depending on the definition. In any case, it adds up to acres of personality. There’s something adventurous and daring—something like a sport bike or a motorcycle—at work in its proportions and laid-back stance that telegraph all sorts of active-lifestyle signals in a way most of today’s small cars can’t.
The Veloster has such a standout design, the basic Veloster needs very little applique to change itself into Turbo drag–just some piano-black grille gloss, some side kit, some LED trim front and back.
Relative to the Veloster Turbo, the new Turbo R-Spec gets a stiffer suspension, different steering tuning, and a B&M sport shifter. Sportier interior trim and special badging are part of the new model’s presentation, and it’s offered only in Marathon Blue, Sprint Gray (exclusive to the R-Spec), Elite White and Ultra Black
Inside, the Veloster is nearly as much of a trendsetter; it’s put a V-neck on the Veloster’s dash and tucked a big LCD locket in the middle—avoiding the clutter, and reconciling sporty and functional. It looks to sport-bike design—especially in the details of its instrument-panel center stack, which takes cues from motorcycle fuel tanks. A big engine-start button sits at the bottom of the stack’s V—and just ahead of the shift knob—on all except the base model, while there are hints of a bike saddle in the center console, and the air vents are meant to look a bit like the ends of bike tailpipes.

• Performance »

The Veloster builds on the powertrain of the Hyundai Accent, but it strikes out in its own direction—with an available dual-clutch gearbox in the base model, a perky Turbo model, and a new stripped-down, enthusiast-oriented Turbo R-Spec model.

At the base level, the Veloster’s 138-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine has been cribbed from the Veloster. On that model, it’s teamed with a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic, and they’re both good enough for us to say that you should leave it to personal preference. It’s a little short on torque off the line, but its EPA highway fuel economy of 37 mpg highway is excellent, and we saw more than 30 mpg in an extended test.
Go for the Veloster Turbo and it’s a different story entirely; it packs a twin-scroll turbocharger for 201 hp in all, a 195-lb-ft blast of torque on tap at low engine speeds, and a choice between six-speed manual and paddle-shifted automatic transmissions. good for 0-60 mph times of about 7.0 seconds or less, with just a slight crimp in gas-mileage numbers.

To fit the Turbo’s greater power, these models get stronger brakes and stickier tires—which helps improve the Veloster’s handling in general. We’re not wild about the electric power steering; it’s low on feedback, and weighty when it doesn’t need to be, but it doesn’t disrupt the Veloster’s generally flat, crisp cornering, which gets unsettled only if it’s pitched over bad sections of pavement. Brake feel is excellent, though, with confident four-wheel discs with slightly larger front rotors on turbo models.
You can throw the lightweight Veloster around tight corners, yet it stays composed over all but the most broken surfaces. Make a quick transition, and it simply hunkers down evenly, shifting its weight with no snap but an even, predictable attitude. The Veloster rides about as comfortably as those vehicles, or as any short-wheelbase car can, and Turbos don’t fare much worse for their bigger 18-inch wheels and Kumho Solus KH25 215/40R18 tires.
All Veloster models this year get torque vectoring control (TVC), which should help improve performance in very tight corners; separately, Turbo models get an active sound enhancement system that should bring sportier engine sounds into the cabin while keeping others out.

The 2014 Hyundai Veloster carries multiple identities; it’s at once a sporty coupe, a stylish three-door hatchback with innovative packaging, and a model that can almost provide the driving experience of a sports car, At best it’s a superhero of sorts, and at worst it’s a car that ends up feeling a little compromised in all those roles.
For the 2014 model year, the Veloster gets closer to the sports-car label—with the new 2014 Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Spec, a leaner, stripped-down version of the Veloster Turbo that’s configured for those who want a big step up in performance from the base model but could do without all the extra comfort and convenience features.
Relative to the Veloster Turbo, the Turbo R-Spec gets a stiffer suspension, different steering tuning, and a B&M sport shifter. Sportier interior trim and special badging are part of the new model’s presentation, and it’s offered only in Marathon Blue, Sprint Gray (exclusive to the R-Spec), Elite White and Ultra Black

The Veloster remains mostly unchanged otherwise; and that’s a good thing. As a synthesis of different types of vehicles, it’s daring when its competition isn’t, and that starts with its grabby, sport-shoe styling and arresting look that erupts from its unconventional four-door layout. There’s a hatch in back, a driver-side door, and two smaller front-hinged doors on the passenger side. Only in the most generic way does it mimic some of the shapes of the Accent and Elantra that it borrows parts from. Altogether it’s distinctive and energetic, with lots of disruptive lines and surfaces that never seems to run out of ways to entertain owners and onlookers. Inside, the Veloster is nearly as much of a trendsetter; it’s put a V-neck on the Veloster’s dash and tucked a big LCD locket in the middle—avoiding the clutter, and reconciling sporty and functional.
At the base level, the Veloster’s 138-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine has been cribbed from the Veloster. On that model, it’s teamed with a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic, and they’re both good enough for us to say that you should leave it to personal preference. It’s a little short on torque off the line, but its EPA highway fuel economy of 37 mpg highway is excellent, and we saw more than 30 mpg in an extended test. Go for the Veloster Turbo and it’s a different story entirely; it packs a twin-scroll turbocharger for 201 hp in all, a 195-lb-ft blast of torque on tap at low engine speeds, and a choice between six-speed manual and paddle-shifted automatic transmissions. good for 0-60 mph times of about 7.0 seconds or less, with just a slight crimp in gas-mileage numbers.

To fit the Turbo’s greater power, these models get stronger brakes and stickier tires—which helps improve the Veloster’s handling in general. We’re not wild about the electric power steering; it’s low on feedback, and weighty when it doesn’t need to be, but it doesn’t disrupt the Veloster’s generally flat, crisp cornering, which gets unsettled only if it’s pitched over bad sections of pavement.
The Veloster is quite spacious up front for two, even with the available sunroof or panoramic roof. As for the back seat and that catchy side door, they’re more playful than practical. Anyone greater than child-size is going to find it tight back there. The Veloster just isn’t meant to be a four-person commuter; think of it instead as a versatile two-door hatch, with rear seats that fold down easily to create a very useful cargo area. And there are plenty of bins, cubbies, and nooks for stowing away smaller items.

At a base price of well under $19k, the 2014 Veloster stands out for its generous list of standard features for the money. Audio features on all Velosters include a USB/iPod interface, RCA inputs, Bluetooth hands-free, and GraceNote music display technology that allows you to request music with voice commands. Upgrades on the Turbo model, which starts around $23k, include leather seats, big wheels and tires, a rearview camera, and more. Options include a huge panoramic sunroof, a navigation system, upgraded wheels, and a 115-volt outlet. Automatic climate control is newly optional in the Turbo for 2014, and daytime running lights are a standard feature across the model line. And as part of the Blue Link suite of services, the Hyundai Assurance Connected Care service is included for three years regardless of the level of subscription.
If you opt for the edgy Turbo R-Spec, you’ll do without some features. Push-button start and proximity key; the electroluminescent instrument cluster, side-mirror turn signals, and leather heated seats are among the many items deleted in this focused performance model.
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