Hyundai Veloster Turbo Confirmed

Hyundai Veloster to get new 204bhp Turbo

When Hyundai revealed details of the Veloster Coupe – the successor to the successful Hyundai Coupe – we found lots we liked and, really, just on thing we didn’t – its paucity of power.

All the new Veloster had to offer was the 138bhp 1.6 litre GDI petrol which, although quite frugal, didn’t exactly light a fire of desire for the Veloster in the way we would have liked.

So when we reported a couple of weeks ago that Hyundai had revealed a couple of new engines in Korea – a 204bhp turbo and a 150bhp diesel – we rather hoped that Hyundai would see fit to bolt both in to the Veloster sooner rather than later. And they are. Well, certainly the Turbo, anyway.

The head of Hyundai in the US – John Krafcik – has revealed that the Veloster will be getting the new 1.6 litre204bhp  twin-scroll turbo when it launches. Which will make a big change to how the Veloster will be perceived.

Instead of being just an affordable – and quite stylish – coupe with an unsusual door count, it offers the promise of a proper sporty coupe from Hyundai with better than decent performance.

It also offers perhaps the first taste of a performance direction from Hyundai. We’ve already reported that Hyundai are to take on Lexus with the Genesis Luxury Brand, and a properly nippy Velsoter Turbo perhaps heralds the start of something more exciting from Hyundai too.

Could we see a Veloster Turbo from Hyundai with the dial turned up and something closer to 300bhp in the future? A Veloster ‘R’? It’s an appealing thought, and one that will get the German brands twitching even more than Martin Winterkorn did when he came across the new i30 at Paris last month.

But for now, we’ll settle for the Hyundai Veloster Turbo. Assuming it’s coming to the UK and Europe. Which we don’t know yet.

But as soon as we do, we’ll update.

(5 photos – click any thumbnail for full size)

By Cars UK