Overview & Reviews

It's a rare occurrence when bold design is married to a car that is accessible to shoppers on a budget. The Hyundai Veloster is that rarity among hatchbacks, with evocative styling, a unique asymmetrical three-door layout and respectable performance. Yet the Veloster still achieves fuel economy figures that rival more commonplace economy cars.

Built upon the same basic architecture as the Hyundai Accent, the Veloster shares many of the same advantages and drawbacks. But when it comes to the bottom line, the Hyundai Veloster ranks highly for its feature-rich content, friendly price and appealing overall character.

Current Hyundai Veloster
The Hyundai Veloster is a four-passenger, three-door hatchback. The driver-side door is coupelike in length, while the passenger side features two smaller doors. There are three main trim levels: base, Turbo R-Spec and Turbo.

The base Veloster comes with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. The Turbo versions pack a turbocharged version of the 1.6 that cranks out 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. For either engine, a six-speed manual transmission is standard. The base engine offers a six-speed automated manual (called DCT), but selecting that option reduces engine output slightly (to 132 hp and 120 lb-ft of torque). A traditional six-speed automatic is optional only on the Turbo model, as the R-Spec is manual only.

Standard feature highlights for the base Veloster include 17-inch alloy wheels, a rearview camera, air-conditioning, full power accessories, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, the Blue Link emergency telematics system and a six-speaker sound system with a USB/iPod interface.. Options include the Style and RE:FLEX Edition packages, which add some unique styling flourishes inside and out, plus features like upgraded seating surfaces, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and an upgraded audio system.

The Turbo R-Spec features a lower body kit, 18-inch wheels, sport-tuned suspension and steering, a torque-vectoring system that improves handling around tight turns, and a feature that pipes exhaust sounds through the stereo speakers. Compared to the more performance-focused R-Spec, the Veloster Turbo has slightly less aggressive suspension and steering tuning, some different styling elements, keyless ignition and entry, heated front seats and leather upholstery. Option highlights include a panoramic sunroof, rear parking sensors and a navigation system.

Although the Veloster's cabin has an abundance of hard plastic surfaces, unique texturing and sculpted design help to bolster its appeal. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, but that's not the case in back. There's ample legroom, but the rear seat cushions are mounted a bit too low and headroom is limited by the sloping roof line. Furthermore, the glass hatch extends over the passengers' heads, leaving them exposed to the sun.

On the plus side, all of the Veloster's cutting-edge features are sure to attract the tech-savvy youth market that it clearly has in its sights. Features like Bluetooth audio and Pandora Internet radio are standard, while the Blue Link system (besides its typical safety features) includes outbound text messaging, turn-by-turn navigation and location sharing (via Facebook). Parents of young drivers will also appreciate the programmable geo-fence feature that alerts them when the car travels outside of defined areas.

In reviews, we found power from the base 1.6-liter engine to be merely adequate, a bit of a letdown considering the Veloster's sporty styling. Regardless of trim level, the Veloster's ride tends to be harsh on pockmarked roads. Thankfully, the turbocharged versions make the latter demerit easier to take, as their added kick makes for a fair amount of entertainment from behind the wheel.

Used Hyundai Veloster Models
The Hyundai Veloster debuted for the 2012 model year in a single, well-equipped trim level. Unlike later versions, the base engine made 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque regardless of transmission. For 2013, the Veloster Turbo debuted. On the other end of the spectrum, the standard Veloster's engine output dropped slightly (to 132 hp and 120 lb-ft) when it was matched to the automated manual transmission. That year also saw the one-year-only RE:MIX Edition: a base Veloster spiffed up with a body kit and special wheels. Apart from trim level shuffling and lacking a few notable features (such as a standard rearview camera, and, for the Turbo, a torque-vectoring system), these Velosters are otherwise similar to the current models.

User Reviews:

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  Veloster speed - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By bkj50 - March 4 - 9:38 am

  I bougth this car to save gas(mainly) ... however, id like to address the issue of acceleration. This vehicle is not the fastest out of the blocks but not a creeper when driven correctly. Its pretty fast once that second gear is achieved. When driving the autoshift its even faster, dont be afraid to step on the gas while going up hill in auto transmission but one should downshift a bit when attempting to gain more power when using the very smooth auto shift clutch. I luv this car, it a lot if fun to drive. This is a fun and semi powerful car for its class when driven correctly.

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  Blue 2012 Hyundai Veloster w/ Tech & Style Package - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By mitch_dh - February 19 - 6:36 pm

  I just picked up this car a week ago and boy am I impressed. I traded in my 2005 Saab 9-3 Arc for this car and I have to say the Veloster blows the Saab out of the water. The standard features on this car are substantial from touch screen to blue tooth. Not to mention this car gets up to 40 mpgs on the highway, which is very good. I will say that the only thing that I miss is the speed from my last car, but the Veloster handles extremely wells and grips the road firmly, which I like. So far I am 100% happy with this car and am glad there are companies like Hyundai who understand "value" and honestly try and offer a customer everything at an amazing price point. It is also turns heads.

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  Loved. Bought. Now regret. - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By John - February 14 - 7:36 pm

  I have a 2013 VT. If I knew then I would be financing a problem, I would have settled for some other hatch with decent MPG. 1st, the car rattles and creaks like its not screwed, glued or assembled properly. Get used to it. The rear hatch rattle is MOST LIKELY the rear spoiler nuts coming loose. Put some locktite on them and it should work. 2nd, be prepared to return the car MANY times for the factory stereo having issues. The paper speakers will tear, the dust cap (silver center) will come unglued, and the dealership will only glue it back together. Be ready for that. 3rd, expect the transmission to give you some times when it decides to do what it wants to do. Sometimes shift smoothly, sometimes shift abruptly. Dealership says its normal, and theres no issues. 4th, A/C control switch has issues. Mine at about 12,000 miles would not work on #2. Fine on #1 and #3, but to get #2 to work you had to hold it in between #2 and #3 position. Had it changed twice before 50,000 miles. 5th, My turbo went out at 64,500 miles. With cruise control set at 70mph on the interstate my turbo went out. Bearings started to make howling noises and the car had NO power. Took the car to a Hyundai dealer in Baton Rouge (on Hwy 61) and I was told "Its over-filled with oil, just drain a little, and it will be fine". Ha Ha Ha! Really? Took it to another dealership and they said the car has issues and they diagnosed it to be the turbo had a cracked shaft and bad bearings. Now, I am under 72,000 miles and the bearings are starting to make the noise again. Dont do regular maintenance on this car. Do PREVENTATIVE maintenance as well. I doubt I will make it to 100k on this car. I was informed its because it is a 2013 and that it has been straightened out by Hyundai for the later years. Good thing this is my last Hyundai, I wouldnt want to spend the time and money to test that theory. *IF* this car had those issues above fixed, Id say this car is worth each and every penny spent. Its quick, nimble, and a fun car to drive. Especially quick....FOR A HYUNDAI! I LOVE the sound systems audible performance. This is one of the best factory sound systems I have heard yet, better than the Bose in my Escalade. If you want one, buy used. I cant even trade this car in, they only offer HALF of what I owe. Ive seen some 13s for under $10k. Do yourself a favor, buy used or get a different hatch.

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  My first Hyundai - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By apchouston - December 8 - 8:16 pm

  This is my first Hyundai after driving Nissan cars for so many years. But I have friends who swear by Hyundais quality that I finally caved in and bought one. I saw the 2012 model last year and liked it immediately and saw that the price was great too for all the stuff that came with the car. So when I decided to get a new car it was an easy choice. I got the 2013 version on the first Veloster I saw a year ago.

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  Great little car, just not for Colorado :( - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By dpco25 - December 3 - 1:32 am

  Hi, I just wanted to give my input so that others who live in snowy weather or do a lot of driving (like me) dont make the same mistake I did. I bought my Veloster (non-Turbo) in May 2013 and I admit it was a total impulse buy. This car is different-looking, super-cute, has all the bells and whistles one could ever want, and the MPGs youll get on it is phenomenal...it rivals a lot of the hybrids out there. There were many times that I got as much as 38 or 40 MPGs on the highway, which was great considering that gas was almost $4 a gallon back in 2013. The interior design is snazzy and looks totally futuristic, without being too funky or impractical like you would see in a Toyota Prius. The cars interior controls are intuitively designed, so its user-friendly and within easy reach from the driver seat, if not already on the steering wheel itself. The technology this car offers is fantastic for a vehicle in this price-range, especially the navigation system (which I did use a lot since I drive a lot for my job). The panoramic sun roof is bigger than most Ive seen in compact cars and the three-door design is unique, although it does take a little getting used to if one is used to the standard 4-door models. This is the car that one will definitely get a lot of complements on...even after having it for 2+ years, I still had people stopping me and telling me how "cool and different" my car looks. This car does have a great rear-view camera, which is good because the back window is tiny and there are a lot of blind spots due to the odd shape of the back side windows. The brakes in this car are also great....there were more than a few times when I came upon slowing traffic due to construction or an accident and this car stopped on a dime. The seat comfort is okay but not great, and its difficult getting in and out of the vehicle. The back seats in this car are almost like an after-thought; they are not very comfortable at all. The cargo space in the back hatchback is surprisingly roomy for a car this size; I was able to get medium-sized furniture and a fair amount of boxes in the back once I put the back seats down. Even with the back seats up, you can still get a couple of big, fully-packed suitcases in there, with room for some carry-on items too. Okay, here are the downsides to this car: for one, it has really poor acceleration. The Veloster looks like it would move fast and nimble, but its acceleration is sluggish at best. I heard its better in the Turbo model, but if you have the standard like I did, its surprisingly slow. The ride in the car is rough, especially the more miles you put on it, and you will feel every bump and pothole on the road. If you live in a state where you have nicely paved highways and side streets, this shouldnt be an issue, but we have some really crappy roads in Colorado so I constantly felt jostled around while driving, which only added to my stress levels on a daily basis. I was constantly worried that Ill accidentally hit a big bump or pothole, which will then make the Veloster scrape the bottom being that its so low-profile. Speaking of the low-profile, I dont do any off-road driving or anything like that, but the low profile of this car can be an issue on poorly maintained or weather-damaged roads. But heres the biggest issue I had with this car: this car is great in the summer or in warm-weather climates, so if you live in Florida or California where the roads are nice and the weather is nice most of the year, then this is the car for you! However, this car cannot handle snow or heavy torrential rains at all! If you are trying to go up a hill in snowy weather, this car will slip and slide all over the place! I dreaded snowy winter days in this car, as I commute 40 miles one way on the highway to work. When it snowed, I would slip and slide the whole way and be praying to all the saints and angels to get to work in one piece. There were a few times I couldnt even back out of my driveway in this car when it snowed. Even with all-weather tires, winter-driving was dicey at best in the Veloster. In light rains, the Veloster does okay but it can easily hydroplane during the heavy rains so you had to go very slow. The high performance tires required for this type of car is not practical if you do a lot of highway driving like I do; I had to replace my tires once a year, which gets expensive if you need all-weather tires. The higher mileage I got in this car, the more it rattled and vibrated, which eventually took its toll on the speakers and sound system. Overall, this is a great little car if you live in warm weather and do mostly city driving, but for me, it just didnt fit my needs living and working in Colorado with its unpredictable weather and roads. Sadly, I ended up trading in my cool Veloster this weekend for a much more sturdier and practical 2016 Subaru Crosstrek, which is the quintessential Colorado car.

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  Great value, but lackluster preformance - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By bjperez007 - October 29 - 3:37 pm

  Ive had this vehicle almost 2 years and have found it satisfactory. Cost less than comparable models and yet comes with all the the amenities that one could need: moon roof, bluetooth, Steering wheel controls, usb port, auxiliary port, and Faux leather w/ mesh seats. Sporty styling, but the third door makes it more convenient than your conventional 2 door coup/hatchback. At only 168 inches long it makes finding parking a breeze (Important in Brooklyn these days). Despite its small size, it has ample cargo room when you fold the seats down. However, the ride is VERY stiff and you cant open the windows in the rain due to leakage directly on to speakers (design flaw). Good value overall.

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  I love my Veloster - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By archangel6k - September 30 - 4:14 am

  I had a Hyundai Accent that was given to me. It was a 98 that I did work on for my daughter. I drove it one day to look at a new one, and saw the Veloster. I didnt know then that I would be buying one in the next few months. I love the Velosters handling on the turns, and the great gas mileage, and the 6 on the floor. Everyone looks at it like its from space, and my teens are proud. I get at least 35mpg and I drive long distances to work. Its not zippy from the start, but it accelerates plenty to get up to speed entering the highway. It also turns only 3500rpms at 95, and I wont say what it can do, cause Ill get arrested.

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  Great, fun car, for a low price - 2016 Hyundai Veloster
  By CJ - September 22 - 2:35 am

  One of the more fun vehicles that I have driven, but not the best. However, you do get the bang for your buck! The options you get for $20K are phenomenal and you will not find that with any other vehicle in this class. The best part about this car? Modifications, this car adjusts to mods very well; I have about $2K in aftermarket parts on this car and have had ZERO issues. The one complaint I would have regarding performance is the DCT transmission, it is not the best but, I have heard that it is an issue with other Hyundai models. The interior and exterior are very nice, minus the cheap plastic that Hyundai is known for, I have yet to have any issues after 6 months of owning the vehicle. I get a lot of compliments on both the exterior and interior. The basic tech package is really good too, its something that you would have to pay extra when purchasing other vehicles. I did forget one thing, the tires that come on this vehicle from the dealer SUCK! I am not a fan of the Kuhmo tires at all, they are absolutely terrible in rain and other road conditions. If you have the extra money, buy new tires before you hydroplane.

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  Own 2 Velosters - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By piratenut - September 18 - 2:53 pm

  I drive a 2013 Turbo (had it 10 months) and my wife has a 2014 ReFlex (1 month). We love them both. The turbo is perfect for me. Driving in a "hill" city the turbo gives me the boost I enjoy. My wife is perfectly happy with the basic engine. Both get great mileage. We have already had them both on mountainous road trips of over 1000 miles. Both averaged over 36 mpg in such conditions (highway and towns). On a highway trip only hers got 42 mpg. As "seniors" we are enjoying the youthful styling of the car. Her ReFlex is a beauty with the extra chrome and the Ice Pearl color. The car is a great value for its price range. I suspect we will be repeat customers.

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  Wouldnt choose anything different <3 - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By jbeck204 - April 17 - 1:30 am

  I bought this car used in April of 2013. I absolutely love it!! I did my research, test drove a few different vehicles, but I found myself drawn to this beauty. Some people found that the performance was not to their liking, but I find it quite nice. I dont need a high performance car and this is a perfect fit. I love everything about it, but I really love that you get so much for such a low price. I love the tech and I feel spoiled using my push start button and rear view camera. It is a great economic and safe care for 20 year olds.