Hyundai's Veloster is a mainstream hatch disguised as a concept car, its sharp lines little changed from the concept shown at the 2007 Seoul Motor Show. Veloster's most radical touch is the single, long driver door paired with two short doors on the passenger side.
Otherwise, this is a mainstream hatch in a smart suit, with a 320-litre boot, four seats, and a 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine capable of a 6.4l/100km fuel claim. The $39,990 entry-level car includes 17-inch alloy wheels, six airbags, stability control, Bluetooth hands-free and a seven-inch touch screen, while the $44,990 Elite has 18-inch alloys, full leather seats, push-button start, a rear subwoofer and a panoramic sunroof.
We like
Sweet handling from MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension, and a super-efficient, double-clutch, six-speed transmission. On a tight, technical road, that combination lets you wring every gramme of performance from the engine's modest power figures. We also like that concept car looks are available at a mainstream price, and this hatch is more useful than it looks. Gadget freaks can fiddle with the info screen, which scores your eco performance.
We loathe
Radical looks not matched by 103kW/167Nm power figures or the mainstream soundtrack at anything but high revs, and we'll have to wait a year for the turbo.
