2021 Hyundai Veloster

Being high on practicality as well as fun, the car is powered by a 2 L engine that comes with 147 hp as well as a 1.6 L turbocharged engine that generates 201 hp. Being introduced in just 2019 as part of the second generation, it is a relatively new car as well. For this year, the Hyundai Veloster prices start at MSRP $18,900 and it competes against the Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Corolla hatchback, and the Kia Soul.

The Hyundai Veloster is offered in six trim levels, five of which are reviewed here. It starts with the 2.0 Base trim level and adds a more powerful turbocharged engine when you reach the R-Spec trim. The highest trim level is called the Turbo ultimate which comes at $28,450. The high-performance N variant is reviewed separately because it attracts a whole different set of contenders.

Which trim should you buy?

 All right from the base trim levels, the Hyundai Veloster is pretty well loaded and worth the money, for a hatchback that has such excellent performance it needs a better engine than the 2 L naturally aspirated engine that comes in the base level trims. The cheapest trim that comes with the more powerful engine is the Turbo R Spec which is priced at $23,450 and astutely works that money. It also comes with LED headlights, performance tires, sport-tuned suspension, and a performance shift lever for the standard manual transmission.

Powering the Veloster is a set of two power plants - the base trims come with the 2.0 L in-line four-cylinder that generates 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. Even though this should be very well enough for most people in a car that is as lightest as the Veloster, Hyundai surprises us by offering the 1.6 L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that generates 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. Front-wheel-drive is the only drivetrain option offered.

Transmission choices include a six-speed manual, a six-speed automatic transmission, and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. When it comes to acceleration figures, the Veloster is very quick with a 6.2 second 0 to 60 mph time as well as a 16.6-second quarter-mile time. When equipped with the dual-clutch transmission, this drops down to 5.9 seconds which is very much commendable.

Although it is slightly pricier than its corporate sibling, the Kia Soul, in terms of performance the Veloster pays off that difference very generously. The Toyota Corolla hatchback has the most powerful engine on paper, while the Volkswagen Golf has the highest torque figures. In reality, however, it is a completely different story as the Hyundai is the fastest to 60 mph. This performance does drop down a bit when it comes to the quarter-mile timing as all of its rivals managed to cross the quarter-mile marker faster.

How well does the 2021 Hyundai Veloster handle?

 The Hyundai Veloster is one of the best handling hatchbacks even though it is in a segment with cars that are known to perform well in this department. The car is fun and nimble and the trims with the sport-tuned suspension are especially capable. These cars can give a reality check to much more powerful cars out on and have built quite a reputation for the same.

Even while its suspension is optimized to handle well, the Hyundai has a ride that is very comfortable. It is also composed and very stable, handling the road undulations with ease. The steering is quick and precise in terms of feedback, unlike most Hyundais. When it comes to the handling department, the car certainly makes its mark.

2021 Hyundai Veloster Braking Performance

 One of the biggest advantages that the Hyundai Veloster has apart from being fitted with good brakes is that it is extremely light. Tipping the scales at just 2855 lbs, the car is light-footed and brakes with confidence. The car has 11.0-inch rotors in the front and 10.3-inch rotors in the back which are tiny but bring the car to a halt from 60 mph in 115 feet which is definitely impressive.

 The Kia Soul is the lightest vehicle in this category weighing 50 lbs less than even the light Veloster. It nearly dazzles us as even when equipped with the same size rotors as the Veloster, this car can only bring itself to a halt from 60 mph in 116 feet, which is one foot more than the Veloster. The Volkswagen Golf comes next at 118 feet and the Toyota Corolla hatchback only manages to come to a halt at 119 feet. However, all these are very decent breaking performances.

It is hard to escape the fact that small, light cars with small engines are not only fast but also fuel-efficient. We see that is the case with this car as well as it returns 27 MPG in the city, 34 MPG on the highway, and 30 MPG combined. The 2 L engine from Hyundai is very frugal and can definitely be known as one of the fuel-efficient engines in this class. The fuel tank capacity is 13.2 gallons which are small but enough for a very decent range due to the high fuel efficiency.

When it comes to fuel efficiency, we can see that the Volkswagen Golf is the most impressive because it delivers 29 MPG in the city, 36 MPG on the highway, and 31 mpg combined which is a bit more than the Hyundai. Nevertheless, Hyundai has managed to squeeze out a little more than the Kia that has the same power plant. When it comes to overall range, the Golf sets the category benchmark.

The interiors of the Hyundai Veloster are quirky, to say the least because it has a very unique setup with three side doors. The driver’s door is a bit longer than the passenger side door, which is shorter and also comes with a rear door. This unique layout makes it a bit more functional while remaining a car with very modest dimensions.

There are few hard plastics but the material quality is generally very nice and the aesthetic inside the cabin is pleasant. It is nowhere close to the class benchmark but it is adequate. It also performs decently in terms of cargo capacity with just 19.9 ft.³ of storage. The storage goes up to 45 ft.³ even the rear seats are lowered. In terms of interior space, however, the car feels very roomy in the front and that is definitely a plus point.

The interior space of all the cars in this category is pretty restricted, but the Corolla is the one with the least spacious rear row. However, all the other cars in this category can seat five people with ease whereas the Veloster can only seat four. The coupe-like roofline of the Veloster surprisingly doesn’t eat up too much of its rear seat headroom or its legroom which is a pleasant surprise. Some standard features include:

• Cruise control
• Heated front seats
• Head-up display
• Full leather upholstery
• Door pockets and cup holders
• Child seat anchors
• Tilt and Telescopic Steering with Cruise Control

What’s there to keep you entertained?

 The Hyundai Veloster is a budget car and that is reminded when you seat bare-bones infotainment features. Although it has enough USB ports as well as a 12 V power outlet available which makes it very convenient, it misses out on large touch screens that are now commonplace on most cars. A 7-inch touchscreen interface that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard is nice but the optional system is only an 8-inch touchscreen display with integrated navigation and an upgraded sound system. However, we’re not complaining as the system is now very easy to use and intuitive.

Some features of the infotainment system include: 

• Rearview Camera with Dynamic Guidelines
• 12V Power Outlet
• BlueLink connected services
• High-quality Infinity audio system
• Dual USB Charge Ports
• Android Auto
• Apple CarPlay
• Voice-activated navigation system

In terms of looks, the first thing that comes to anybody’s mind when describing the Veloster is that it is quirky but it is also very beautiful. Its proportions are all very much perfect and manage to impress buyers and critics at the same time. It has distinct design cues that it shares with other Hyundais but looks fairly modern due to the very decent design update. It is also quite low-slung and that gives it much more road presence than many of its counterparts.

The Toyota Corolla is the largest car in the segment and also the heaviest. However, despite all this, we find that it has less space inside than the small cars. This is what makes the Hyundai all the more impressive. Another fun fact is that it is almost similar in size to the Volkswagen Golf which looks like a much bigger car in person due to its larger height and despite being low-slung, it still has a ground clearance of 5.6 inches which is very impressive. Some standout features include:

• 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
• LED Daytime Running Lights
• Automatic Headlamps
• Rain Sensing Wipers
• Rear Spoiler with LED brake light

Even though unfortunately no information about the 2021 Hyundai Veloster’s crash safety is available in the public domain, the 2020 version of the car was designated as a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS which is a testament to how safe the car is. One would expect that the Hyundai would have skimped somewhere and that would be safe but that is certainly not the case. 

We are very much impressed with the car offering a forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist, as standard and blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert being offered as options. Some of the standout safety features include: 

• Lane-keeping assist
• Forward collision avoidance
• Driver attention warning
• Blind spot warning
• High-beam assist
• Smart cruise control
• Rear cross-traffic warning

2021 Hyundai Veloster Vs. 2021 Kia Soul 

The Hyundai Veloster and the Kia Soul are related in the sense they are corporate siblings but while the Soul has the focus on the off-road nature of things, being one of the only cars is offered with an all-wheel-drive powertrain in this category, the Veloster has a different set of goals in terms of performance. It also has better fuel efficiency figures and proves to be a popular pick.

 2021 Hyundai Veloster vs. 2021 Toyota Corolla hatchback 

The Toyota Corolla hatchback might be an excellent product from the Japanese brand but it does not offer good interior space despite being very large. It has better fuel efficiency figures as well as seating for one more person but does not quite have the same appeal as the Hyundai. The Veloster manages to better it in every aspect of performance despite the Corolla being more powerful.

 2021 Hyundai Veloster Vs. 2021 Volkswagen Golf

The Volkswagen Golf has long remained the go-to pick in the segment for somebody looking for both practicality and performance at the same time. However, the biggest area where the Hyundai Veloster manages to make a mark is that it proposes the same formula in a different way. So if you’re tired of seeing the Golf being improved over and over again and want to change, the Veloster is a good pick.

The Hyundai Veloster has had a growing appeal in the US market. And that is not without reason. The Veloster is a very practical way to have fun. It also has an excellent array of standard features and comes at a great price which makes it a very good option. However, it has certain drawbacks as it offers seating only for four people, as well as the interiors requiring a bit more quality. Despite all this, it is a car we would buy in 2021.