Hyundai Veloster Turbo to start under $35,000

The Korean-built hot-hatch will be the first proper performance car launched by Hyundai Australia and is expected to take on a variety of established European players currently on sale.

Powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 155kW of power and 265Nm of torque, the Hyundai Veloster Turbo will be available with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Unlike the naturally aspirated Veloster automatic, the Turbo will not make use of a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) but ship with a traditional automatic gearbox instead. This is due to the high torque output of the force-fed engine. The company is looking into the possibility of a DCT for the Turbo in the future, but that’s unlikely in the short term.

Australia will get the slightly higher output American version of the Veloster Turbo and the model will have a localised suspension and steering tune. Hyundai Australia has confirmed a localisation program is already underway to produce the right driving feel for the more demanding Australian market.

The standard model Veloster has been the best selling car in the sports segment for two months in a row with demand expected to remain high. Hyundai Australia expects the Turbo to account for around 40 per cent of overall Veloster sales locally.

The hot-hatch's pricing and specification structure is yet to be officially confirmed. Nonetheless, CarAdvice expects the base model manual variant to retail for $34,990 (or lower) with a $2000 premium for the automatic.

The Veloster Turbo, which can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds in automatic guise (7.8 for manual), will serve as an affordable halo car for the Korean brand as it looks to establish more credibility in the mindset of many performance-oriented car enthusiasts.

CarAdvice is currently in Seoul to drive the Veloster Turbo and new i30, so check back on Thursday for a complete review.