When the Hyundai Veloster debuted in 2011, it set the world on fire with its funky styling and gadget-laden interior. Its performance, however... how do I put this... didn't. Can the addition of a turbo give the Veloster some velocity?
The answer, according to this recent MotorWeek test, is a solid "kind of!" With a beefed-up turbo motor now good for 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, the Veloster Turbo now hits zero to 60 mph in a sprightly 7.8 seconds - a whole second faster than the regular Veloster!
So says Mr. John Davis, who sounds like he has a bit of a summer cold here. Or maybe he's just bored of the Veloster Turbo. I can't blame him. I've driven this car, and it's alright, but it can't hold a candle to the Mini Cooper or Fiat 500 Abarth. And the similarly priced Ford Fiesta ST will take it to that ghetto university, if you know what I mean.
But hey! It sure is neat-looking. That counts for something.
MotorWeek Theater is our showcase of some of our favorite classic reviews from public television's finest motoring program. How does this video only have 41,892 views? It has a motorcycle-inspired interior!