2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo Test Drive

On-Sale Date: Now

Price: $22,725 to $26,225

Competitors: VW GTI, VW Beetle Turbo, Mini Cooper S, Fiat 500 Abarth, Honda Civic Si

Powertrain: 1.6-liter turbocharged I-4; 201 hp, 195 lb-ft of torque

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 26/38

What's New: When the Hyundai Veloster coupe hit the streets last year, it showed up with crisp handling, a wild style, and a strange three-door (only one rear passenger door) design. But what about horsepower? The standard-issue Veloster sent just 138 hp to the front wheels. Even in a coupe that weighs between 2584 and 2813 pounds (depending on options), that just isn't enough. We nicknamed the car Captain Slow in a recent five-car comparison test because of its 9.8-second 0-to-60 time.

Hyundai fixed the power deficit with the new Veloster Turbo. For about $3500 over the cost of the ordinary dual-clutch transmission-equipped Veloster, you get a 63-hp bump in power and 72 additional lb-ft of torque, courtesy a new 1.6-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder engine. A six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic ($1000 premium) comes paired to this new motor. The more sophisticated dual-clutch transmission that's optional in the regular Veloster might seem like a natural fit for a performance car, but Hyundai says it simply cannot handle the torque of the turbo.

The regular Veloster suspension package could handle the turbo's potency, however, Hyundai says, and so its engineers changed not a single spring or sway bar for use in the Turbo model. The Turbo's steering, though, is slightly quicker (13.9:1 vs 14.1:1) and the steering rack's tie rod ends connect to a new pair of steering knuckles on the front end to improve steering feel. The Hyundai team up-sized the front-brake rotors from 11 inches to 11.8 inches to slow down the new model. The standard Veloster's rear 10.3-inch discs carry over to the turbo.

On the outside, the Veloster Turbo wears more aggressive front and rear bodywork, as well as the obligatory performance ground-effects package. We like the projector headlamps with LEDs?and those two big round exhaust pipes. On the inside, Veloster Turbos have heated leather seats with "Turbo" script on the seatbacks, as well as contrasting color inserts and aluminum pedals. Push-button starting as well as a 450-watt audio system come standard, too.

Tech Tidbit: Hyundai's twin-scroll turbo is cast right into the exhaust manifold for better heat transfer, less turbo lag, and more rapid catalytic converter engagement, which leads to fewer emissions. Michael O'Brien, Hyundai's vice president of product planning and corporate planning, compares having twin-scrolls with having two gear ratios for the turbo. "There's maximum quick boost at low rpm, and maximum horsepower at high rpm," he says. "One volute [an air passage inside the turbo's housing] has a narrower cavity with a higher gas velocity and handles low-flow, high-turbine spool-up characteristics for instant boost at low rpm. The other volute has a larger cavity to provide high flow for high-rpm horsepower at the top of the power band." The upshot of all of this is a high compression ratio for efficiency and excellent low-end torque.

Driving Character: What a difference more power can make. The turbocharged 1.6-liter engine is like a shot of 5-Hour Energy for the Veloster. It is not a rifle shot of peak boost like some turbo engines?rather, the turbo gives this Hyundai diesel-like torque that pools in the basement (1750 rpm). In the naturally aspirated Veloster, we would shift like mad to keep the engine in the power band, but the Turbo's low-end torque provides enough thrust to minimize shifting gears on a twisty mountain road. In fact, the gear ratios in the manual transmission were optimized for this turbo engine. And it all works very well.

The automatic, borrowed from the Elantra, uses shift-point mapping when you select sport mode. We found that it kept the Veloster from upshifting when we didn't want it to. But the aggressive downshift intelligence of more sophisticated transmissions is missing here. But rest easy: There are paddle shifters for more persuasive manual control of that automatic. At 70 mph, the Veloster Turbo's automatic allows it to loaf along at just 2400 rpm, making the coupe a relaxing cruiser. And that relative lack of revs helps it deliver high-30s highway mpg?though perhaps not at 70 mph.

The suspension in the normally aspirated Veloster sometimes felt too stiff on rough roads. That problem appears to be lessened somewhat in the turbo. How can this be if they all use the same suspension, and the turbo has even lower-profile 18-inch wheels and tires? The only explanation we found is that the Veloster Turbo weighs 217 pounds more than the base car. Perhaps that additional weight has settled down the suspension. No matter what the reason, it's certainly an improvement. The steering feels much better than other Hyundai electric power-steering systems we've driven (Elantra, we're looking at you) with a natural buildup of effort. You can still sense the subtle effort and assist change when you wiggle the wheel ever so slightly back and forth as the electronics calculate how much boost to provide. But all this happens much deeper in the background.

Favorite Detail: Paint. Lamborghinis and other exotics have been using flat paints (and other crazy-expensive paint jobs) for years. But Hyundai is one of the first to deliver it on a car that costs less than $25,000. The color, Matte Grey, isn't cheap; it'll cost the Veloster Turbo buyer a cool $1000?the paint requires multiple passes through the paint booth. And those who opt for Matte Grey will receive special care instructions, because using wax on matte paint ruins the finish.

Driver's Grievance: The turbocharged engine could use a better soundtrack. Those two giant cannon exhaust tips should produce an incredibly raucous bass note. But they don't. In fact, you hear only a loud whoosh coming from the engine room when you plant the throttle, and that whoosh is backed by the rattlesnake-like tick, tick, tick sound of the direct fuel injectors. Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik says, "You can spend a lot of money and weight to attempt to make that sound go away." The Veloster does have an underhood blanket to quiet the noise. But the far cheaper solution we'd prefer? Just crank up the sound of that exhaust and you'll never hear those injectors again.

The Bottom Line: The new turbo engine makes the Veloster a more finished package. This innovative three-door coupe now has the power to back up its aggressive styling. Hyundai is betting that at least 35 percent of Veloster buyers will opt for the turbo model, and that the turbo slice eventually could grow to 60 percent. We don't doubt it. With a base price under $23,000 and 38-mpg highway, the Veloster Turbo makes a compelling package.

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